Husbands May Come And Go But Friends Are Forever by Judith Marshall

This is a moving, but delightful story of six girlfriends, now in their 50s who have known each other since high school.  When tragedy strikes one of their close circle, fond memories of the group’s past are awakened.  Reminisces of how the six met, how their friendship was forged, their hilarious antics, the navigation through the minefield of boys, men and marriages and many husbands are interwoven into the narrative of the present now shrouded with sadness;  these memories are seamlessly knitted into the story.  The effortlessness with which the reader is transported to the past and returned to the present is one of the reasons I liked this book so much;  in addition, the characters are believable, there is a pleasing balance of humour and sadness and the meanderings of the narrator as she recounts her own and her friends’ lives’ milestones and ups and downs are thoughtful, even profound, but never fatuous, as the tragedy forces her to contemplate and assess her life at middle-age.  This is a wonderfully easy, very, very enjoyable and excellent read.