I was given this book by the first gal I met on my first day of university almost 30 years ago. Through the course of those many years, we have managed to stay connected and have effortlessly found time to share despite our distance. We found a deeper understanding of life and its importance through our friendship while she grieved the suicide of one of her best friends and I the death of my 32 year old husband.

As I read the book, I began to think of the wonderful friends I have known over the past 4 decades: the high school friends I still see, and those I don't have to but know I can count on; the university friends who helped me share my 'coming of age'; the friends I had as part of a married couple, the friends who helped me move forward after my husband's death, the friends I have made through my children and their friends.

Some of these friendships have enveloped others, some have overlapped but always, I feel blessed to have a wonderful base of 'girl friends' who have helped me my life as I hope that I have shaped theirs.

Thank you to the girls from Ames for sharing and reminding the rest of us that no matter the distance or the time, true friendships always touch our lives. Best wishes to each and everyone of you.

I was in a Borders store in Chicago and saw this book and it looked like a good read. I grabbed it for the plane ride I was going to take to Grand Cayman Islands. I'm still only in my teen years, but this story touched me and made me laugh and cry. It was truly one of the best books I've ever read. I, myself, have a close group of 5 friends. We have a Diana, a couple Marilyns, a Kelly, and a Jane. They've been with me since middle school and we all love each other unconditionally. We support each other through thick and through thin. We are also probably the only ones in high school not getting involved in sex, drugs or alcohol. Maybe that's why we were drawn to each other. I hope to live out my life in the company of my four best friends, hoping that one day, we'll be old ladies in a nursing home together. This book was truly inspirational to me. Job well done!

My friends - There is 6 of us as a group. Friends forever it feels like. We are all very different women now and we joke we likely would not all be friends if we had to choose each other today. Stephanie and I have been friends since birth. We are 3 months apart and grew up in Orange County, CA - 4 houses between us on our block 43 years ago. Kathi and I met in 1st Grade and lived a block over from Steph & I. Becky & Cheryl met us all when the elementary school Kathi, Steph & I attended closed down & we entered their school. I met Becky in 2nd Grade- Cheryl in 4th Grade. Lynette joined the group the latest when we all metin Junior High School..Her locker was always near mine as it was alphabetically assigned by the school. Becky never married and has no children..Cheryl & I are both divorced with no kids. Stephanie has one child & in her second marriage. Kathi and Lynette both have two kids each & still married. Lynnette moved to Nevada- Kathi is in San Diego, I am in L.A. and the rest remained in Orange County..We gather twice a year- no husbands or kids- to reconnect & have a slumber party to get in as much time as possible..When Steph's brother died- we all dropped everything & flew to be by her side at the funeral in Arizona. They are my sisters more than my friends- we may not talk all the time but I know if i needed them- they would be there...and we joke that some day - when we are very old- we will love together in a big house, taking care of each other to the end.

I belong to a group of friends that we simply call Club. The core group were all sorority sisters at Wayne State University in Detroit but over the years , we've picked up additional people and we're now about half and half.
We've been friends since the fifties and all but one of us, are in our seventies now. Unbelievable. There is a regular group of 13 of us who have stayed in this area but we also hear from and see fairly regularly a friend who lives in Grand Rapids,Mi, another in Traverse City, a girl in Colorado and one in S. Carolina.
We've been through many things since our college days... weddings, three divorces, one death, deaths of two husbands and two children. Some in the group are closer to certain people than others but, as a group, we have a great time.
We have gotten together once a month since the early 60s when the last girls graduated... now mainly for lunch and gossip. We have a Christmas party with the husbands and boyfriends ( yes, three of us do have them!) and try to take an occasional trip together. One of our best trips was to Florida where three of the women have winter places in the same area.
Women's friendships are so unique. It bothers me that neither of my daughters have really close women friends. They are missing out on so much.
I loved The Girls from Ames. I laughed and I cried. What more can you ask?

My best girlfriend from nursing school handed this book to me as I packed my car with my six children...her nieces and nephews..after our annual summer visit. She married my brother 24 years ago and what a blessing their marriage has been to our friendship. She and I both were reminded of our group of friends that formed when we were young nurses working together in the intensive care unit in Houston, Texas. We are a smaller group but still remain close at heart and have been through so much together--always just a phone call away in a time of need or a time of joy. Thanks for sharing; you will all be in my prayers.

I just finished reading the book-it was fantastic! I grew up in a small town in Iowa around the same time as "the girls", and had a group of 11 friends that did everything together. I did not remain close to them after leaving for college, but I definitely learned the value of friendship from them. I have eight very close friends, all from different times in my life, and any one of which I know I can count on for anything I need. They have seen me through several difficult times in my life-the loss of my parents and my only sibling, the perils of infertility, and my husband's infidelity. They have supported me in every way without question and have been my family. We have celebrated many things as well-weddings, our childrens births, job successes, and anything else that makes us happy.
Thank you for bringing the joys of "sisterhood" to print-it is a great book that I have recommended to my friends and "sisters" to enjoy!

As a girl who was born and brought up in Ames (but in the '90s), this novel definitely touched my heart. The references to Ames were wonderful and I learned a lot about my hometown. Of course it also made me reflect on my friendships from my days in Ames and appreciate my girlfriends even more.

My only qualm is that Cathy is not explored more as a person. A lot of emphasis was placed on the other girls' husbands and families which makes perfect sense but I felt Cathy's life story was much less detailed. Even though she may not have the traditional sort of family with a husband and kids I think a bit more could have been said about her life and the choices she's made. Maybe as a young woman in her early 20's I can't relate as well to the other girls' families but more to Cathy and her career and would have liked to hear about her more.

I'm so glad my best friend saw the title at the airport and as a proud native of Ames, passed it on.

One of my closest friends gave me your book to read. She felt it strongly resembled our group of friends. Her intention is for all of us to read and discuss it.

Our small group of 3 started at the beginning of high school. We met at the girls' Catholic high school we attended. We walked each day to school together. We laughingly called ourselves "The Socialites of Normal Heights." This is the name of the area of town we lived. And, we were anything but------the socialites of the area. We considered ourselves a bit on the outside looking in on all the activities of high school. We felt we were sort of the socially enept, of course, only because we were overlooked by the popular girls in class. We had our own fun and adventures.

At graduation from high school, we found ourselves all headed to the same community college. We car pooled and our bonds became stronger. We, too, have ALWAYS been there for each other. We added one other high school friend to our group in college. A few other high school classmates joined us over the years in our gatherings and activites. Some of them come and go. One other moved back into our area and has stayed close.

At our 40th reunion, 8 years ago, we reconnected with other classmates. A classmate organized a class group e-mail set-up which has allowed us to grow in knowledge of one another and enjoy bigger group support and activities.

But as for "The Socialites from Normal Heights + 2," we continue to be the main support emtionally and physically through life's hardships and its joys. These women have enriched my life and helped me survive when I thought I wouldn't. Sometimes we don't hear from each other but we know they are there. It is like the old saying, "Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them but you know they are there!"

I have had the fortune of adding a couple of other stars to my life outside the "Socialite" circle of friends. ALL these women are HUGE blessings in my life!
Besides my family, they are my absolute greatest gift in life!

So, you know this book speaks to us. And, Girls of Ames, from your mail--you are aware of the many women out there fortunate to have the gifts you share in their bit of the world. Thanks for allowing your story to be told and shared with us. May God bless you all.

First of all I have to say your story is simply amazing, you are all incredibly lucky to have such a bond that has lasted sooo long! I have one friend I have been friends with since i was 9 or 10 my dad never liked her but we stayed friends until high school and lived together for a short time. THings happend and we lost touch for many years. This past year she came to see me and we were both nevous wondering if things would be awkard...needless to say as soon as we saw each other it was like we never parted. It was the most amazing thing to share that with one person i couldnt imagine how wonderful it feels for more then that. Good luck ladies with all you encounter and thank you for the amazing story that I will always remeber.

Thank you for this book. I read the book because my dad attended Iowa State, and I've always liked his stories. I didn't know what the book was really about until I got it home. While I am only lucky enough to have a long-lasting friendship with one girlfriend since elementary school, I see the profound impact that friendships have. Thank you for bringing me back to reality and the basics of life & friendship.

I read the book while sitting in waiting rooms this week with my 16 year old son. Sam broke his leg skateboarding and it's been a stream of appointments, casts, and now surgery tomorrow. Throughout the week I have leaned on my girlfriends for comfort and advice, and I felt like the Ames women were there with me in some way during the process.
As a childbirth assistant, I have learned that women need to talk in order to process life events (especially birth), and thank God for all the women in my life I have had the privledge of sharing. I grew up during the same time period as the Ames girls in a small Ohio town and can really relate to cornfields, detassling, etc.
Thanks girls!
BJ McHugh

What a great book! I didn't read it quickly, as so many others have, but rather, absorbed it, giving myself time to get to know each of the Ames girls better. My intention was to suggest that a movie be made of their story, but was glad to see I don't have to, since I read in the updates that Lifetime is going to film it! That's the perfect venue for "The Girls from Ames" and I can't wait to see it.

This book caught my attention in an airport book store in Fort Lauderdale. My husband and I were on our way home from vacation in May and I needed some reading material. The cover is what caught my eye...11 women laughing and posing reminded me of 8 women in my life. My mom and her 7 friends! Sadly my husband and I were on vacation so I won't have to face the fact that Mother's Day/my mom's birthday had to be celebrated for the second year without my mom. She past away in February 2009. Much like the Ames girls...the Magnolias (Mags for short) are from a small town, but in Illinois. They began as 2 or 3 in middle school and over the years have grown to a core group of 8. The Mags have been through marriage, children, job changes, breast cancer, divorce, death of parents, death of children, death of spouses, and sadly the death of one of their own. They have raised 20 children and have moved onto grandchildren, 15 of them and more to come! I can't even put into words how much seeing those ladies together has meant to me...they are my family. By the age of 26 I had lost both my parents and credit much of my sanity to the support and love of the Mags...I know my children will always know their grandparents, without ever meeting them, because of this wonderful group of ladies! They are a chaotic, adventurous, loud, loving, laughing, trouble-making, mess of a group of ladies in their 50's who live life to it's fullest and treat each other and their children like family...they are the Mags...they are my moms!

I just finished the book. I chose it at the airport going from California to Michigan to celebrate and honor my sister who passed away in Feb. It was heartbreaking to go back, but having grown up there, I was met by my best friends from HS. They helped me go through Denise's belongings and we laughed and cried and I couldn't have done it without them. In so many ways the book is our story, except we are in our 50s, having graduated in 77. I cried on the plane home reading it, crying for their losses as well as my own. Thank you so much for helping me appreciate the wonderful women I have in my life that have been there since grade school.
Sincerely,
Michell Chisham

I just finished the book and told my husband it is one of the best books I have ever read. I am filled with love for these wonderful women and so thankful for their sharing of this life story. My life was so different as I was raised as a military "brat, never living anywhere for longer than 18 months except one wonderful period of nearly 4 years in Germany. I made many friends and then would move on to many new friends, every time we moved. I was fortunate that my father was from a large family and had many cousins, but saw them only sporadically. My best friends are from the three years I spent in nursing school and while I see only a few of these women I still think of them often. My very best friend was made while in school and in many ways she was the sister I so desperately wanted. I had a younger sister die when I was only seven so grew up as an only child. Years later this special friend decided, for an unknown reason, to not speak to me and now, almost 20 years later, I still mourn the loss of this friendship. I continue to look for friends throughout my life knowing that "to have a friend you have to be a friend". But, these life long relationships written about in this extraordinary book are rare and to be cherished.