There’s the kind of insight you acquire from official sources, such as school and workplace training.
Then there’s the “been-there-done-that” wisdom you glean from those you know and trust and love and relate to.
The latter is the kind Julia Boyd mines in “Girlfriend to Girlfriend: Wisdom and Affirmations from the Sister Circle” (Dutton, $15.95).
Inside are insights–on single parenthood, relationships, frustration and success–that Boyd, a Seattle psychotherapist and divorced parent, soaked up from the dozens of female friends she has met, from Alaska to Jamaica.
“These are women who are not all professionals–some are blue-collar, students . . . from 15-17 to 70s,” says Boyd. “And they’ve been there when it comes to everyday struggles.”
The book shares quotes by the women and then offers an amplification by Boyd. The result is a combination of wisdom and wisecracks that conjurs a good long comforting chat with your best friend.
“We can learn from each other,” Boyd says. “We’re not out there alone.”
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The book is aimed at black women, but it has resonance for all women, offering simple and sometimes profound messages about self-reliance and acceptance in a refreshing, non-preachy way.
“I like a little inspirational pick-me-up in the morning,” says Boyd. “And I find myself going back to these time and time again.”
You will too.