My cousin called today to tell me to read the book The Girls from Ames because it reminded her of my group of 10. We came together as what we call "Club" in 1959. Some of us met in elementary school and 8 have been together since our freshman year of high school. We are each other's support and seek and give advice at our yearly get-away. During the year, we get together as often as we can and never grow tired of each other. I can't wait to read the book and look for the similarities in our lives.

Briefly---I am from a dozen girls that went to school together. Class's 45-46-47. 11 are left and only 4 husband. 2 in Ca.---1 in Fla. 1 in Wisc. 8 in central Ill. They have had a round robin letter going around for many years. They were nick named the Dirty Dozen. Name certainly was only a joke as all were well respected. Just bought the book this morning. I was amazed at Borders---the young lady new all about the book and content and said it was selling well. Hope you enjoy this ---looking forward to reading the book and will start soon. M.P.

I just finished reading the book and loved it. I too am part of a group of girls that started a friendship, some since we were in diapers and others since high school, and have continued the bond for almost 20 years. Although we live all over the country and all have very busy lives, we try to get together each year. When we do, the connection of friends that know who you are and where you came from is so comforting. I could almost feel their presence while reading the book!

I remember the group quite well. But I don't remember Marshalltown having anything at all to do with how they got their nickname.

I am part of a group of 10 women who met because we all were daughters of Navy officers. We all joined a sorority for military officers daughters between 1968 and 1972. As we got older or married we left the sorority. Then 1 of us called several others and invited us to dinner. We had such a good time we decided to take turns hosting once a month. There are still 7 of us in San Diego. We see the others whenever they are in town and email keeps us in touch. We have gone through marriages, divorces, babies, miscarriages, deaths of loved ones, illnesses, all the things that can happen over almost 40 years. Some of us have traveled together and are still friends! We offer support during hard times, laugh at lot and wouldn't miss getting together for anything. I can't imagine my life without these girlfriends.

Your story profoundly relates to a decade-long friendship of 6 girlfriends (I included) also from Ames. However, we met in 1998 and attended ISU together. We all lived to together with little to no fighting. Nightly, we gathered in our livingroom to discuss issues from each friend's field of study (Dietetics and Pharmacy, Graphic Design, Speech-Pathology and Spanish, Transportation-Logistics, and Vet Medicine and Pyschology). Our family of self-proclaimed 'sisters' branched off to sites around the globe. All but one of us has traveled and/or lived in different parts of the world to serve various communities. We talk weekly and reunite at least once a year. This remarkable web of support keep us strong-willed and pushes each one of us to accomplish more than we would have ever attempted alone! Our rare, tight bond not only grows from within each person of our group, but also our strength ripples out to encouragingly affect other individuals and communities. Our clan of girls will live and dream together forever!

I was given "The Girls from Ames" by a friend who now lives in California.

We are a group of four women, originally from Auckland, New Zealand. We worked together in a corporate office in various roles for over a decade.

Every year we go away on a "doris" holiday in fantastic locations - Rotorua, Sydney, Melbourne, Port Douglas, Noosa, Hawaii and Fiji to name a few. Over the years the group has extended to three female offspring and the tradition has now continued for nearly twenty years.

We have shared heartbreaks, deaths and illnesses and our bond is as close as ever. Our friendship has sustained us through the darkest of times and the best of times.

Our story echoes so many of the sentiments expressed in this book.

Cheers to the next 40, girls!

I loved the book. My best friend (Kathy) and I just celebrated our 40 years of friendship this August. There were three of us but we lost Mel unexpectedly a year ago. I am thankful also to the others friends who joined my circle over the years (which includes my sister)and whom are still a very vital part of my life even though we live in different states. Being from IL and just a year younger than The Girls from Ames, many of their experiences mirror mine. Thanks for the candor, joy and sorrows.

Kay

I, like most of the women who have posted just finished reading The Girls from Ames. I first want to say thank you for sharing your story with all of us. I found myself immersed in the emotions of all of the Ames Girls throughout the book. This was a heartwarming, beautifully crafted book that makes me think about my own friendships that have brought so much to my life. I am in my twenties now, but I have already discovered the powerful bond of female friendships and have been truly blessed to have been touched by so many different women in my life. Thank you again for your candidness and I wish you forty more wonderful years of friendship!

I just finished reading Girls From Ames. I felt like my friends and I from Loras College in Dubuque, IA could have written that book. We get together once a year - each taking a turn to host a reunion. There are eight of us - Karen, Koopie, Sarah, Kristen, Joanne, Catherine, Patricia and Carol. We called ourselves "The Losers" at college because we all studied so hard and people had to pry us away from the library! (Te he Mom if you are reading this!) We would see each other across campus and make an "L" with our fingers and put it on our forehead and just laugh at each other. Everyone loved the challenge of getting the "Losers" to come out to the pubs and when we did - boy did we have fun!We are now stay-at-home moms, doctors, advertising directors, commerical loan officers, CPAs, marketing directors and business owners. We are having our 20something Loser reunion in Cedar Rapids, IA in October.

Thanks Ames Girls for sharing your stories!

Thanks Jeff. I read this book on a solo weekend, sans my SWEETIE, at our lake cottage in Wisconsin. It was not only a great escape into the lives of women 10 years my junior, but brought back so many memories of the connections I have with women, one since the age of 5.

Not counting my two sisters (one younger, one older) I have been enriched by having about 10 women in my life (Mary Kay, Denise, Pat, Cactus Carol, Jennifer, Ruth, Louise, Marge, Linda, Suzie"¦) and can relate to not only the roles they play in one's life, but the healthy benefits I think we all share from having these friendships.

My "˜group of girls' so to speak, don't all live in the same state; some have never all met, but all have heard stories of each other, conjured up a visible image of each other and know that they exist.

Like the Ames Girls, depending on when each came into my life, our means of contact has changed from passing notes in the halls when changing classes to jokes or tear-jerking images on an email. I don't think any of us Tweet, but our snippets shared throughout the year keep our friendship alive.

Here's to the DAUGHTERS of my groups of girls, that they too have full lives with a steadfast group of woman for support and encouragement.

I have not read the book yet, but plan to. I read ABOUT it in the Aug. issue of Bottom Line. In the early '70's there were several young married couples who became friends through a Sunday school class in Ottumwa, Iowa. We are currently in various cities in Iowa and 2 other states, but have maintained the friendship for nearly 40 years. In Jan. 2010 we are all going on a Caribbean cruise together. E-mail has certainly helped us, but before that we sent cards and letters and made phone calls. These friends mean as much as brothers and sisters. Our daughter regards them as surrogate aunts and uncles.
rqJtt

I knew from the beginning of this book that I would find it to be a story that parallels my own. I, too, have a 40+ year friendship with a group of girls we call "The Magnificent 7" although there are technically nine of us! We are from Central California, and get together for long week-end reunions at least once a year. Just like the girls from Ames, some of us met in Kindergarten, and a few others in the 9th grade. But, collectively, we are like sisters----our friendship bond utterly and completely non-breakable!!! I was the first to read the book, and in two weeks, we will be meeting for our annual reunion in Pismo Beach, California, where the book will be passed on for the next friend to read. This book will circulate our group, and touch each and every one of us in the very same way. It was an endearing piece of work.....thank you!

Karen Bolinger

This is the book I wanted to write about my group of 8 friends. We are in our mid-20's now, and we are in the middle of getting married and starting families. Some of us live close to one another, some live farther away, and some are closer than others.

About 2 years ago we lost the youngest of the group, Donna, to colon cancer. She was 22 years old. Dealing with her illness for the 3 months from her diagnosis to death brought us all much closer together.

It reinforced how strong our bonds are, and that we should make the decision every day to honor our friendships. The book made me look forward to all of the fun things coming up in our lives, and to appreciate where we are right now.

As I read about the girls from Ames I couldn't help but think of my own set of friends from college that I hold close to my heart. We are the girls from GCC (Grove City College). Five of us bonded during our 4 years there and have had our annual "girls weekends" ever since. While we are a little younger than the Iowa girls, mid 30's, the experiences and personalities of the Iowa girls resonated with me. We are having our girls weekend in two weeks and I am especially excited to see them all after reading the book and holding them in my heart the whole time. I plan to buy them each a copy of this story of friendship as a gift that I know will touch them all as well. Thank you.