Meighan

I so enjoyed the friendship between the two couples in this book. They endure a host of challenges that test their bond. While Charity could be a bit overwhelming, her heart was in the right place. I read it when I was newly married, and Matt was immersed in a similar academic environment of medical school, and I enjoyed the look into young couples starting out and moving through the chapters of life in a different era. I revisited it recently as Harry set off for school in Madison.

Rob

Because we are so flawed, because life’s burdens are relentless, because we take so long to know ourselves, it is the rarest of blessings to have lifelong friends. They say people are in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Stegner’s novel illustrates the power of a lifetime friendship. I’m glad I read this at 50, I am not sure I would have appreciated it at 25.