Friendship for Grownups

Lisa Whelchel, best known as Blair on the TV show The Facts of Life, has blossomed into a dedicated and insightful Christian woman. In the years since her acting career, she has become a speaker, author of several books, and mother of three children with her husband, who is a pastor. This book is an exploration of what she has learned about cultivating intimate friendships.

Ms. Whelchel is well known for her superb performance of the poised and strong character Blair, but she continued to portray that façade during her early life to protect her emotions in that relational minefield that surrounds childhood actors. It wasn’t until many years later that Ms. Whelchel had the faith and courage to be vulnerable with others. She is very honest about the stumbling in her quest to cultivate authentic friendships, before finding safe people with which she could share her most raw emotions. She generously shares her experiences and the wisdom she has earned to help other women learn to nurture genuine friendships without suffering the disappointments that she endured.

Ms. Whelchel wrote more than a memoire in this book: she provided an amazing appendix entitled “Practical Steps for Developing and Growing Friendships”. This appendix has suggestions and questions for reflections to practice the principles she shares in each chapter of the book. This guide would be excellent for women’s study group discussion as well as personal reflection.