Today is the day. Finally. The HerStories Project: Women Explore the Joy, Pain, and Power of Female Friendship
I just wrote, “finally,” but I know that in the real world of publishing, the months that we have spent working on the book are nothing compared to the years that many writers endure to get their book through the endless traditional publishing process. I just met a children’s book writer yesterday who submitted her book in 2005, and it was just published last May!)
Maybe I’m wrong and this will seem just as unseemly and self-indulgent as if I had written the entire book myself, but I can’t say enough wonderful things about the stories and writers in this book.
Here are five reasons why I love this book:
1. The writing reflects a range of styles and voices. There are serious pieces, there are funny pieces, there are deeply sad pieces. I love the diversity of themes, writing styles, and experiences reflected on these pages. We worked hard to make sure that our writers were from many different writing communities and niches.
2. Friendship between women is rarely examined in its true complexity, and I love that our book does this. The writers don’t sugar coat how difficult and painful female friendships can be, but they also don’t simplify these relationships into stories about “mean girls” and “frenemies,” cliches that we see too often in the media and in entertainment.
3. This book can help women understand themselves and their situation better. We certainly didn’t intend to write a self-help book — and it’s definitely not that — but we’ve already heard from early readers that these stories have helped them to process and to understand their own experiences.
4. Motherhood is important to women’s lives, but it’s not everything. Yes, a large portion of the book relates to how becoming a mother changes friendships and creates new ones. Yet there are also stories about so many aspects of women’s lives — women as workers, as sisters, as daughters, as students, as girlfriends, as brides, and as writers.
5. Our book has created connections. It has built a friendship between Stephanie and me, but also between some of the contributors in this book. It’s been truly inspiring to watch the support and relationships develop (online, of course) between many of these 50 writers.
We’d love to hear your reactions to the book. Tell us here or write a review on Amazon. Is there a story to which you especially relate? Are there writers that you know what to read more from? Do these stories reflect your own experiences of female friendship?
The book is available as a paperback and as an e-book on Amazon. As a special promotion for our release, the e-book is available on Amazon for free from December 2nd to December 4th. So try it out, see if you like, and if you do, we think it would make a great holiday gift for friends and other loved ones.
I’ll have to add this book to my reading list. I long for female friendship these days – and often get in spurts – but with a full-time working gig and three young kids, I feel like it is challenging to squeeze in time for friends. I chat with women in the neighborhood, on the sidelines, in the office – but I rarely get out for “girl time.” Maybe this book will inspire me. Congrats on publishing – what an amazing accomplishment!
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I have never heard of this before today… i will pass it onto my wife.
Just ordered the book and can’t wait to read it! My female friendships are super important to me so I know this is a book I will enjoy…congrats to all of you!!
A HUGE thank you to you and Stephanie for all you have done to make the book a reality! Congratulations!!! 🙂 xoxo
Jessica,
I’m so very honored to be a part of this book. My copy arrived today, and, for various reasons (ok one – I managed to break my hand and have been dealing w docs, referrals, surgeons, blech insurance), receiving it made me so happy happy! HUGE congrats to you and Steph! You two rock!!!
I am so excited to buy this book and read it! I can only imagine the amazing stories and the beautiful message it must hold- there are so many incredible contributors!! Congratulations on success to book publishing!
Congratulations! It sounds amazing, I’ll have to check it out.
xoxo
Congrats, Jessica! You did it! You and Stephanie did such an amazing job with this project and I am honored to be a part of it! Thanks for all your hard work! The book is fantastic!!
So proud of you and thrilled to have joined you on this journey!
I love it for all these reasons too. Thank you so much for choosing me to be a part of this grand adventure. I’m loving every minute of it.
I intended to read the book straight through, but I found myself skipping around. Last night I read the very end, with the conversations between you and Stephanie. What a wonderful way to end the book – I was smiling the whole time! Thank you for inviting me to be in the company of 49 fabulous women – I’m honored and thrilled to be a part of this book.
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This is an amazing book and you certainly deserve to be proud of it.
I found myself relating to several of the stories. It transported me back in time and made me reflect on my own friendships over the years. It is a wonderful collection. Well done!
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