Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan examines the lives of two women: one a new mother and the other a student at an all-girls college in New York State.

Elisabeth, a journalist before she moved from New York City to a small town, is adjusting to being a new mother and finding it hard to find time to write her next book. Sam, a college senior, who happens to love children and spent the summer as a nanny to twins, is looking for a part-time job.

Elisabeth struggles with issues with her parents and sister as well as with pressure from her husband to use their two IVF embryos. Sam grapples with making up her mind about what she is going to do after graduation: follow her ambition or marry her long-distance boyfriend?

In time, Elisabeth and Sam become friends, which is somewhat uncomfortable for Sam since she is employed by Elizabeth to take care of her baby. While the women believe they have many things in common, as time goes on, they grow aware of their differences.

J. Courtney Sullivan, a writer of women’s fiction, lives in New York with her husband and two children. Friends and Strangers is her fifth novel.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting June 15, 2020.

I would like to thank the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Friends and Strangers hones in on the lives of two young women: Sam, a senior at the local women's college, and Elizabeth, a journalist and novelist from Brooklyn, who lives with her husband Andrew and newborn son Gil near the college. Sam and Elizabeth's lives quickly become intertwined when Sam begins babysitting for Gil; she and Elizabeth become fast friends and the line between employer/employee starts to fade; Sam now spends time with Elizabeth's father-in-law as he and his elderly friends discuss "the Hollow Tree", a concept which George has spent a lot of time researching and living. And Elizabeth tries to guide Sam as she navigates a long-distance relationship with an older man. This novel further explores the divisions among us -- in our families, in our workplaces, in our schools, in our communities, and the secrets that can connect us or further divide. Told in alternating perspectives, Friends and Strangers will definitely keep you reading!

J. Courtney Sullivan writes interesting characters with depth and nuance. This book was no different and I very much enjoyed different chapters from different perspectives.

I love this author. She's an excellent writer and so good at creating three dimensional characters. This book is about a new mom who tries to get used to her recent move to the suburbs while dealing with family issues. It's also about her babysitter, a young college student with an older, overseas boyfriend. Unfortunately, there really isn't much of a plot. Hence just 3 stars from me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a big fan of this author’s previous books and was very excited to receive a copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Unfortunately this was not a book I will be recommending to friends like I have with her previous works. While there were interesting characters and I didn’t mind spending time with them, there really didn’t seem to be a plot. It seemed like the author had a lot of ideas she wanted to write about and worked to fit the characters around the ideas, instead of making them seem more organic.

I read this at the start of #quarantime and it was fine, but didn't stick with me. I think I might have liked it better if I hadn't recently read Such a Fun Age, which I thought dealt with mom/nanny relations in a slightly more interesting way. I did think this book dealt with class thoughtfully and interestingly, but ultimately it wasn't that memorable.

Last month I was vibrating with excitement over receiving advance copies of J. Courtney Sullivan and Curtis Sittenfeld new titles. Both were disappointments. I'm trying to figure out whether their worked has changed, if I've changed that much as a reader, or most likely, a combination of both.

Friends and Strangers tells the story of two women at a crossroads in their life. Sam, a senior at an all girls college, has signed on to babysit Elisabeth's baby, Gil, part-time. The women indulge in a quick friendship, relying on one another for honest insight as Sam prepares to adjust to a new more grown up life outside of college and Elisabeth adjusts to her new life in a small town. Both women, however, find themselves dealing with personal demons, elitism and privilege.

Sullivan's latest novel comes from the point of view of both women, telling a tale of a relatable coming of age story with decisions and situations from two separate points in a person's life. She does such a spectacular job drawing you into the lives of Sam and Elisabeth that you feel like you know these people personally. I had a hard time letting go of this novel, so much so that I found myself up at all hours to finish it! An easy and insightful read, Sullivan fans will not be disappointed.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Elisabeth meets Sam when she hires her as a part-time sitter for her infant son. They forge a friendship that changes both of their lives.

Sam is vulnerable and sees herself as less privileged than her wealthy classmates. As someone who worked in the college cafeteria, she identifies witn the cooking staff. She tries to help them in their struggles with administration, and things do not go according to her plan. In return. Elizabeth's helping Sam doesn't go according to plan either.

I identified with the characters and could see my own actions in some of their manipulations done in the name of love and perhaps unwitting selfishness as well

This is a book where there are no "good guys" and no "bad guys". Good people do bad things, maybe for the right reasons, and there really is no one that is the antagonist--it's kind of the circumstances of the times that the characters have a problem negotiating. The book has an array of characters in different places in their lives and it explores how they negotiate the paths their lives take. My only disappointment was the ending of the book--I wanted to know how Willa came to be and how Elisabeth handled it when she was born--but I suppose that could be a whole book in itself. (I would read it if it was written.)

Rating 4.5. A near perfect return for J. Courtney Sullivan after the disappointing 2013 The Engagements. Hilarious and poignant look at female relationships as seen through the eyes of a transplanted Brooklyn-ite and her college aged babysitter. Asks the question, "Even when we intertwine our lives and become dependent on another, how well do we really know them or ourselves? Are we friends or are we really strangers?"

The magic of Sullivan, is her talent at character cultivation. While her writing is sparse, readers are invited in and meet characters in incredibly deep ways. Another fantastic read by the author of Maine. About family, loss and what we owe one another.

Another hit from a favorite author. One of the best J. Courtney Sullivan books I've read. I will definitely be recommending to my library patrons.

I have enjoyed everything J. Courtney Sullivan has written and this did not disappoint. I loved the dynamic between Elisabeth and Sam. It had such an authentic feel to it. Andrew's father was also a well developed character. It was a very enjoyable read-- it's feels "less than" to call it a summer or beach read because I think there's a lot of substance to the book but I also think it would appeal to the thirty and forty something moms in the throes of motherhood and looking for a relatable book. The description of the Facebook group cracked me up. I recall spending many hours on these types of forums, less for advice and more for humor and the book captures that part of motherhood perfectly.

I have found the author's books to be either really light reading or deeply satisfying. This was in some ways both. In the end, it made for an enjoyable weekend read.

Fun, fast read with a thoroughly modern and likable cast of characters. The female relationships in this story are complex, realistic and compelling. J. Courtney Sullivan proves yet again that she is a master of human dynamics and elevating everyday lives into fascinating dramas.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very well-written and character-driven novel about two women, each at different stages in their lives. Elisabeth is well-off and married with a baby, while her babysitter Sam is in college and struggling with a long-distance relationship. They become unlikely friends, and their differences become quite obvious throughout the novel.

This was a slow-moving book in which not a lot happened. I also felt like the point the book was trying to make on classism wasn’t quite made - it didn’t hit hard enough. However, I still enjoyed reading it very much. The author is very good at writing believable characters and dialogue.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3269371858?book_show_action=false
I received an early copy via Netgalley. I'm a fan of J. Courtney Sullivan and enjoyed this story of a new mom and her college-aged nanny. The details about mommy Facebook groups feel are pretty funny. A fun read to escape into other people's problems for a few days and all the secondary characters are well developed.

was fortunate to receive an ARC of J. Courtney Sullivan’s latest book, Friends and Strangers. I’m a big fan of Sullivan’s earlier works and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s a powerful story of friendships, women, society, families, love, marriage and the overlapping communities that exist among all these relationships. Elisabeth, a respected author, has just moved from Brooklyn to a small college town where her husband grew up. Approaching middle age and after IVF they are parents to an infant son. Adrift and needing to start on a third book, she hires Sam, a college student, to babysit. Both are a little star struck with the other’s familial relationships and lives. And the friendship develops into more than an employer/ employee relationship. But cracks and deception creep into the picture creating a hard to out down story that will deeply resonate with the reader. Loved this one.

Friends and Strangers dwells on many topics of interest and debate in our society today. I tend to root for the underdogs but so many times they do not win as in this book. Class, money, and society dominate in our world as seen in this novel, but do they bring happiness, not always. I enjoyed the book because it reminded me of how much friends can be strangers.