Reviews & Praise
We Should Not Be Friends is as funny, warm, brutally honest and entertaining as it is profound. It’s unlike any memoir I’ve ever read.”
Louise Penny
One of the most important—and noble—human qualities is our ability to bond with people with whom we have absolutely nothing in common. It’s pure fraternal love, entirely for its own sake. Will Schwalbe has written a gorgeous book on exactly this topic . . . what a pleasure to read about a human trait that might one day save, rather than destroy, the human race.”
Sebastian Junger
In this searching, tender, insightful, and wise memoir, Will Schwalbe traces an altogether unlikely friendship through the triumphs and vicissitudes of adult life. Reading this beautifully written and generous book, you will find yourself thinking of your own friendships and the greatest gifts we can give one another: listening deeply and taking the risk of becoming — and offering — our true selves.”
Dani Shapiro
This marvelous, warm, life-affirming book gave me a fuller understanding of the friendships that have sustained my life, and will make readers fiercely appreciative of their own chosen family.”
Isaac Fitzgerald
Schwalbe (“The End of Your Life Book Club”) has an uncanny ability to use his personal experience as a springboard for universal truths. Here he tells the story of his longtime friendship with college buddy Chris Maxey, who as an aspiring (and ultimately successful) Navy SEAL seemed an unlikely pal for the slighter, quirkier and more cerebral Schwalbe. This memoir will convince you to pick up the phone and check in on that old friend you’re always thinking of.”
The LA Times
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Salted with Schwalbe’s well-established literary intelligence and a palpable empathy.”
Alexandra Jacobs, The New York Times
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A thoughtful – and honest – examination of the times that the pals sometimes fell short of being there for one another. And how, despite those few slip-ups, they always managed to right the (friend) ship. ‘Had it not been for Maxey, the me that is here today wouldn’t be me,’ Schwalbe pens. Written like a true friend.”
Mike Householder, AP News
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‘I love seeing what happens to people over time,’ Schwalbe writes. On one level, that’s what this book is about: the long haul. But it’s also about the closely observed ups and downs of a frequently uneasy relationship, which required deliberate effort to sustain…We Should Not Be Friends succeeds, to a large extent, because Maxey comes across as a great character. He also proves himself to be a warm and devoted friend. This book is Schwalbe’s payback, his way of expressing his gratitude by using the tools with which he is most comfortable.”
Heller Mcalpin, NPR
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We Should Not Be Friends veers from this nostalgic origin story into the rushing sweep of adulthood. Health concerns, financial concerns, marital concerns, dreams realized and abandoned: All of it unfolds here, controlled through Schwalbe’s careful narration as he effectively shows how a fragile alliance in college yielded years of rewards.”
Kelley Blewett, BookPage