'Wonderful and intimate portrayal. A story is as universal as it is revolutionary' HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

A close friendship is one of the most important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But most people don't talk about what it takes to stay close for the long haul.

Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another's lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they've become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship-its joys and its pitfalls. Through interviews with friends and experts, they come to understand that their struggles are not unique.

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of friendship, this book will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.

'Here, friendship gets the emotional and intellectual respect it deserves; and like any truly great love story, Ann's and Aminatou's is a page turner. I love this book' REBECCA TRAISTER

'A deeply funny and immensely heartfelt look into what makes a friendship last despite time, distance, trials and major life changes' ELLE

'An argument for taking all amicable relationships more seriously' VOGUE

AMINATOU SOW is a media personality and entrepreneur. Her work has won awards at the Cannes Lions and the Webbys. She's spoken at various industry events including SXSW and is the founder of Tech LadyMafia, a group that increases visibility and opportunities for women in Tech. She is also a member of the Sundance Institute Director's Advisory Group. Previously, she led Social Impact Marketing at Google, and prior to that, she was the Digital Engagement Director at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, where she spearheaded powerful, innovative storytelling projects and raised so many dollars for veterans and their families. Forbes has named her one of the 30 under 30 in Tech. Aminatou also hosts On She Goes, a travel podcast for all women of colour, and Color Full Lives, a podcast that empowers listeners with the knowledge, tools and motivation they need to increase their financial IQ. She writes for Shondaland & GQ and lives in Brooklyn.

ANN FRIEDMAN is a journalist and essayist. She is a contributor to New York magazine's The Cut, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and a contributing editor to The Gentlewoman. Her work has appeared in Bookforum, Guardian, ELLE, Washington Post, Marie Claire, Glamour, New York Times Book Review, The Times, New Republic, and more. Every Friday, she sends an email newsletter to 31,000 subscribers, who rely on her for links to the most interesting stuff on the internet. She also makes hand-drawn pie charts that are essentially funny little personal essays presented as data visualizations. Before she became the self-employed CEO of Ladyswagger, Inc., Ann was the executive editor of GOOD magazine and, before that, an editor at The American Prospect. She lives in Los Angeles.