Books
On New Year’s Eve of 1961, while visiting family in England, sisters Sophie and Olivia’s lives change forever with the ill-fated discovery of a sapphire and diamond bracelet gifted to their mother, Elizabeth Grace Bennett Bannister. Their mother, a Baron’s daughter within the English aristocracy, grew up roaming the vast and beautiful estate of Harrington Hall. After the events of that evening, Elizabeth Grace all but disappears from their lives, and the sisters are left to figure out why their mother never returned home to Toronto, Canada.
Three friends, three decades, one shared journey.
In 1995, Nicole, Dianne, and Kate gather for their annual girls’ bike ride. Nicole is managing through a past with secrets and stunted opportunities, Dianne is grappling with seeking the truth while protecting people from it, and Kate is navigating a fast-moving career alongside the love of a much younger man.
This story traces the lives of these three women over three decades as they share their paths through youth, marriage, motherhood, careers and death. As the story builds a murder and unsavory characters appear. However, the true drama is within the unraveling stories of their ambition, love and friendship.
Testimonials
Bev Davidson
Gwen Harvey’s The Girlfriend Book was a pleasure to read. Her style of writing is entertaining, full of drama, irresistible surprises, witty conversations and emotional truths. It’s fast moving and I couldn’t stop reading or caring about the juicy and dysfunctional family relationships.
Victoria E. Pullen
Our book club read and enjoyed Gwen Harvey’s The Girlfriend Book. The author struck a chord with our group of fifteen women who have shared hard-earned wisdom, joy, heartbreak, and crossover life experiences. These fictional “girlfriends” became powerfully relatable as the author built their personal stories of love, loss, and the evolution – and demise of lifelong friendships.
Judy Jarvis
With each turn of the page, I found myself immersed in a world where female characters faced adversity, showcased strength, and challenged each other. The writer's skillful storytelling and attention to detail breathe life into her creations.
Marg Franklin
It takes a keen observer and equal measure of passion and dispassion to capture the arc of three girlfriends through the decades, as individuals and as a collective. Say what you will, women’s friendships are essential, complex, frustrating and so worth it. Very few authors can capture that. Gwen Harvey does this is spades.