Your book caught my eye in the Dallas airport while waiting on my daughters flight to arrive. I grew up in Nebraska on a farm in the middle of corn feilds. So, when I saw Ames I thought Iowa and of course I knew the author from the last lecture.
I really miss the midwest. I'm drawn to anything that can reconnect me. This book was so wonderful to read. I felt like I was back in the cornfeild and all the emtions that go along with it.
I have always made friends a priority in my life and my husband is so supportive because he sees not only what it does for me but what it does for him, our marriage, our kids and our family. Nothing can replace true friendship.
I graduated from high school in '83 and my 2 older sisters graduated in '81 and '82 so the time line was fun to relive. The clothes, the hair, the music, the freedom of growing up in a safe place.
I think the thing that struck me the most was a comment on the video from Borders. One of the girls said "they live other places but they are FROM Ames." That is exactly how I feel about Nebraska and it is also how I answer when people ask me that same question. I live in Texas but I am from Nebraska.
I told my kids the other day that I felt like I knew you. I worry about Angela and Kelly and I think so often about Karla and Christie. My children are 15, 13, and 10.

My sister Tomi is so much like Kelly. I really pray that you both find the true love you deserve.

Thank you so much for sharing your lives with us and I wish all the very best. I look forward to updates and I've already passed the book along to a friend and I can't stop talking about it with all my friends, near and far. Thanks Heidi

Dear Ones,
Just finished reading your ongoing story and want to thank you for being open with as much as you have. Your story of friendship will generate many conversations. I too have many women friends in various spheres of influence. I love women and am grateful for the wisdom, laughter and fun we have. At this season of my life I can even be thankful for the women who have caused great pain, sorrow and / or grief because the lessons for life are priceless.
Today is my seventieth birthday. A gift to me is writing a note of encouragement to you....keep sharing. Lead the way. Help other women learn to open their hearts. Your openness about "rifts" was huge. That's where friendships break down. Without a forgiving heart and a spirit of reconciliation, one can't truly experience the joy of being a woman.
I'm not proficient on the computer but hope I can access your web site and then mark it as a favorite. My motto is "Never underestimate a gray haired woman." I continue to learn and share my heart. Now you've given me more impetus.
Thank you.
Alicia Schick

I, too, am an Ames girl, class of '50. I received my copy of the book from one of my Round Robin friends. (Our friendship started in second grade.) There are 10 in our close group. I tearfully just finished Chap. 2, "Marilyn". My sons were fortunate to have Dr. McCormack as their pediatrician. My first encounter with him was when I flew home from Fairbanks, Alaska with my 3 month old son. He cried all the time. I just knew there was something terribly wrong with him, and only the doctors in Ames would know what it was. Dr. McCormack checked him over thoroughly, smiled, told me I had a Cadillac with a one gallon fuel tank....feed him, feed him, feed him. Thank you, Marilyn, for letting us peek into your life......I'm anxious now to read about the rest of the girls from Ames.............Ames, a place I've always been proud to call home.
Jo

My story of a longtime friendship is unusual in that I only knew her for 2 years. I'm from a small beach town in California. In elementary school - in 4th grade - we got a new classmate, a girl named Linda, who ended up becoming my best friend. Her parents were divorced, her mother remarried and was expecting a baby. My mother was also expecting. Turns out we had so much more in common than pregnant mothers. We both had brothers named Gary. When our mothers had our baby brothers, they were both given "R" names. My name is Lynne, so we used to say, in a sing-song kind of way:

"Lynne and Linda, Gary and Gary, Ryan and Robbie, and Krista and Richard are the oddballs." Krista and Richard were our siblings that didn't have matching names, thus the oddball phrase. (This was 4th grade, remember

Her mother again got divorced and Linda ended up spending a lot of time at our house and with our family. We were inseparable from 4th through 6th grade. That's when she and her mother moved back to the Midwest. We were devastated.

We are now 45 years old. We kept in touch for years. At age 25, in 1989, I flew from California to Illinois, where Linda lived, to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. After the wedding I flew directly - with all of my belongings in duffle bags - to St. Louis, Missouri, to live. My mom and stepdad had moved there because he had recently been hired by the St. Louis Blues hockey team to be an assistant coach.

Linda recently wrote separate letters to my now divorced parents telling them how much it meant to her that they included her in our family when her own family was so torn apart. She wrote about how she purposefully invites her own kids' friends from divorced families to spend time at her house to see what a close family looks like because of what my family did for her. My mom and dad both cried.

When I asked Linda how she and her husband have stayed so happily married for the past 20 years, she said she always wanted what she didn't have as a child, a stable, normal family. She has that now, and so do her kids.

Linda and I are amazed at the songs and dances we still remember from those few short years we were together. We frequently email each other entire songs, word for word and say, "Do you remember..."

We have pictures with us in matching wrap skirts my mom made. We have pictures from my younger sister's birthday tea party where we were the "waitresses" and took the girls' orders. We have pictures of us in front of a Greyhound bus before a two-hour ride to my grandparents' house for vacation. We thought we were so grown up. We were in 6th grade.

Linda and her family came to St. Louis recently. We hadn't seen in other in years. Our meeting place was a mall. As soon as we laid eyes on each other we screamed and ran to each other and hugged. It was so neat to have our kids, who had never met each other, watch two old friends come together, like no time had ever passed.

We have a picture of us with our kids from that day that I cherish. The smiles on our faces are huge and genuine. Hopefully we won't let that much time pass before we see each other again.

What a wonderful story of the special bond of women. I am blessed to be part of a group of very special women, the Doo Wha Diddies. Some of our Doo Wha's met in kindergarden and we were all high school friends graduating from South Bend Central in 1959. That's 50 years ago, which is so hard to believe. When our childen were small we kept in contact with letters and at reunions then took our first trip together in 1991 We have gone somewhere every year since. I sure wish we had started as early as the girls from Ames and wonder if some of the decisions we all made would have been different with the closeness and support of each other.
I wish all the Ames girls well and to those who are facing health issues, you are in my prayers. Thank you for allowing your story to be published and enjoy every moment with your special group of friends. Arlene

I just got through reading the book and the similarities to my group of friends is amazing. Where we differ is in our ages We all will be 74 this year and our growing up years were in Ponca City Ok. Our group has been to all the reunions of our class.We graduated in 1953 and of course have had our 50th. The book brought back such emotions both smiles and tears. I drag out all the pictures of us in our youth and progress to the present. Thanks for writing this book and if you ever pick our decade please look us up/Sara Lee Gastman

I have just completed reading this wonderful book and am delighted to have experienced in several different ways. I also enjoyed the Wisconsin Public Radio interview several weeks ago.

I was the Science and Math teacher at St. Cecilia's in Ames 1970-1974, while my husband was an Anthropology student under Dr. Gradwohl at ISU. We continue to correspond with them. It was especially wonderful to hear how Jane has used her educational background as a career, but also to support her the needs of others in her life.

I do know that I would have worked with the girls there as we were such a small school. I remember having the teacher work with students using the I Wonder, I Wonder book for a special lesson in sex education. That was all such a new piece in education at that time. I laughed when I read of the response the girls had on their walk home. Teachers, especially of elementary students, are curious as to how the information is assimilated by the students.

I so enjoyed learning from these women and reflecting on my own experiences in life as I have lived in Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin along with growing up with my own friends. I must say that in each of moves, it was vital to find women friends to support my journey of life.

I too have served as a friend support to someone who died of breast cancer. Even that could not be done alone, but needed other women friends to work though the years of support. Women are vital to each other.

Thank you for a wonderful read! It is thrilling for a teacher to read about the children they worked with to learn what wonderful people they have become. Each small community that is made has unique individuals who together comprise a beautiful bond of people.

I will continue to monitor your website and keep praying for Angela as she continues her journey through that ugly cancer!

My son gifted me this book for Mother's Day because he said it reminded him of my lifelong friends. I am one of 7 high school friends (2 of us go back to 6th grade). We have gone from calling ourselves the Golden Girls to the Ya-Ya's and now have settled into being the Mag 7 (Magnificent 7 like the 1960 movie with Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen) and we wear matching Tiffany bracelets engraved with M7, 50th birthday presents to each other. All of us live within 30 minutes of each other in Illinois; one lives out west. The local girls meet monthly for dinners and the 7th friend joins us annually for our girls' weekend in August. This book reminds me of the Mag 7. In reading it I would see one of my friends in one of the Ames girls/women.

But as I neared the end of the book and read how Kelly then Angela were diagnosed with breast cancer, the women of Ames became the women of DGS. Our stories are the same...one of my friends was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy and then just 7 months later the 2nd of the Mag 7 was diagnosed with breast cancer undergoing a mastectomy, turning our worlds upside down.

The Mag 7 have bonded over shared meals, cosmos, shopping, laughter, dancing....cancer. We are each other's strength, support and sister!

I just finished reading The Girls From Ames and it so reminded me of the friendships I have with 7 women who grew up together in Marion,Ohio. Several of us have been friends since we were 5 and we're now 63.We travel together,attend special events, and get together several times a year. In August we are headed to our 45th class reunion from Marion Harding High School. One thing that caught my eye in the text was that with the girls I never have to explain. We refer to ourselves as the Ya Yas now, but my father, now deceased, always called us the girls, no matter how old we were. The book brought back so many wonderful memories of our forever friendships.I have recommended the title to all the girls.

I just finished reading The Girls from Ames. It was a Mother's Day present from my daughter. She purchased it knowing I would identify with it as there are 8 of us "forever friends." But we are 65 and 66 years old now! Most have known each other since kindergarten. Two of us joined the group in 7th grade. We had a round robin letter for years and next month are going to take another trip together to Colorado. We have been doing this for a number of years. There is so much value as the book says in these wonderful, long-lasting friendships! Thanks for doing this book!

WOW! I am really envious of these women!

I was the type of kid, (and am that same type of woman), who has few CLOSE friends.

I keep in touch with 3 women from my childhood; one that was my age; the other two one year older, and a neighbor; and the third, 6 yrs. older and a neighbor as well.

I've been trying for years (without success)
to locate several of my other friends from high school.
They are the gals I would have been writing about, in a book like this! I had just
always thought we would be forever friends,
but, for some reason that was not to be!

I must tell you though, about the one good friend I am in contact with!

In high school, Sherry and I were Best Buds!
I introduced her to a guy I knew, and they started dating, which was ok with me.
As they dated and fought with each other,
he started coming by my house to vent about their problems. Well, of course, one thing led to the next and we started to date, only
SECRETLY!! WHAT A MESS I was in now!!
Our friendship ended very badly & quickly! (More's the pity!)

Well, he and I ended up parting ways; they got back together; she got pregnant by him.
She & I fought nastily one day, about whether or not they would marry!!!!
They did not! She had and kept their son, and raised him with tons of help from her parents!

Well, eventually he & I married!!!!
For 16 years! After which, I became VERY
happily divorced! LOL!!!!

With the invention of computers, I decided
to attempt locating all of my former HS buddies, (via classmates.com & reunion.com)
to no avail! Until Oct. 2005!! Sherry had listed herself on classmates! FINALLY!!!!
So, I sent her an Email, asking if she would be interested in renewing a long~lost friendship? She said YES!! I was thrilled!
So, we began writing each other, via EM's, and at first, it was a lot of painful venting of truth~letting, and questions that neither of us wanted to ask or answer, but did! It was hard, but well worth it.

In early 2006 I mentioned that we were driving to Oregon that summer, and would she be interested in meeting face~to~face?
Once again, the girl said yes! We both had a lot of nervy~ness, that was not even there, 37 years ago! (Wish it had been!)
So, after leaving my Mom's, in Medford, OR, we went to visit Sherry in Riverside, CA!
OMG!!!!!! I am so very glad we did!
It was like we had never been apart from each other! We acted just as crazy as we had in HS days! (WE STILL DO!!!!) LOL!!!
Oh, sure, there were some stiff moments of
talking about 'HIM', but, once we cleared the air, and got 'HIM' out of the way, we
were best buddies again, before we left her house!
Recently, we have both been going through a lot of medical issues, (she, tons more than I;) and we have been there for each other!!
She writes letters, (snail~mail), I EM more often. We also call each other, whenever something MAJOR comes up; we are both great comforts to each other, as well as GREATLY comforted by the other! I LOVE HER LIKE A SISTER AGAIN!!!!!

We are still those two high schoolers from Mayfair High, in Lakewood, CA!

So, thank you all so very much for this book! It was a terrific read, and will always hold a place of honor and warmth,
in both my bookshelf and my heart!

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ONE & ALL!

Oh, by the way: Several weeks ago, I was a willing and able~bodied participant in the
local Relay For Life Walk, put on by the ACS. I kept you all in my heart as I walked!
Most especially you three: Karla, Angela, and Kelly. I am so glad you all have each other, but, MOST especially that YOU THREE HAVE EACH OTHER!
MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THIS FRIENDSHIP!

Much love and
many blessings,

Rita Leid

I eyed the book for about 2 weeks in Target and am glad I finally bought it! I have a group of 6 girlfriends I've know from middle school on. We all graduated in 2000 from an all girls Catholic school in Memphis, TN and have stayed best friends after college. We have friends we made in college as well, but its not the same. Right now everyone is married, getting married, hoping to get married (ha). It's exciting to see us grow together and this book made me value our friendship even more and realize the importance of keeping it up after we enter the next phase of life involvng husbands and kids. By the way, the boyfriends/husbands in our group have most all come together as great friends as well instead of the girls being pulled into the guys lives and friends! Thanks for writing this book and thanks to the girls for sharing their stories!

I really enjoyed the book! I am older than the Ames Girls, (high school class of '68), but feel like we have so much in common! I would love to meet them all. I have a few girlfriend groups from different times in my life and I love each and everyone of them - we take trips together, have reunions,celebrate birthdays, etc. I hope there is another book in a few years so that we can be updated on everything in the Ames Girls lives. I wanted to know more about the ones who didn't have as much written about them as some of the others. Thanks again for such a wonderful read!

Hello--I was just given this book to read by a friend. While I was reading the book, I was drawn to the name Marilyn; her story seemed so familiar. After perusing my old albums, I found that Marilyn and I worked at Snow Mt. Ranch in Colorado in 1982. Small world---I haven't finished the book but I had to reach out to one of the girls!
It truly is a "sisterhood" book!! We all can live and bond with these women that have walked different roads but tell the similar stories to which we all relate!! I would love to hear from Marilyn! Becky

Loved it! Read it in 2 days. I grew up in northern IL and had a lot of family in IA, Lake Okoboji is one of my favorite places to visit in the summer. I've had 5 close friends since jr high and even when we can't get together, there is always a comofort and closeness that can't be matched. I have been blessed with another close knit group of girlfriends in AZ for the past 9 years - and we are lucky that our husbands love eachother as well. Thank you for this tribute to women's friendships. I feel like I have 10 new friends now! Angela and Kelly, I'll think of you on my next Susan B. Komen race - keep fighting!