Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, the co-authors of Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close, exemplify the power and complexity of modern friendships. Their individual backgrounds, upbringings, education, and professional trajectories enrich their narrative and add authority to their stories as they explore the nuances of long-lasting friendship.

Sow and Friedman’s childhoods helped form their views on friendship. Sow was born in Guinea and raised in Nigeria. In Big Friendship, she shares that her upbringing in the tumultuous political climate of Nigeria in the 1990s shaped her views on the work that goes into sustaining a friendship. She witnessed her parents artfully maintain connections across the continent, in both wartime and peace, devoting much time and effort to keeping in touch with friends in different countries. This experience taught Sow that preserving friendships was important and worthwhile even in the face of difficulties.

Friedman grew up in Iowa. Her parents kept in touch with their friends from college, and her mother often wrote letters to friends. In Big Friendship, Friedman shares that while her family was Catholic, she did not adhere to religious values. However, her upbringing instilled in her the importance of hard work and maintaining relationships long-term.