Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation. – George Washington

In the age of social media, the ferocity of opposing political views throughout the campaign season and election of 2016 tested friendships. Sadly, many relationships fell apart over posts and tweets. It seems fitting to quote America’s first President on the subject of friendship to remind us it is a test.

So many great stories have been written about the trials and triumphs of friendship. They can remind us why it’s worth the effort to work through the differences and how to recognize real friendship from the illusory desire of connection. Here’s to some of the most telling friendships through centuries of great literature; how many of these books have you read?

Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes (1605)
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (1813)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer – Mark Twain (1876)
The Folded Leaf – William Maxwell (1945)
The Golden Notebook – Doris Lessing (1962)
Crossing to Safety – Wallace Stegner (1987)
A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry (1995)
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini (2003)
The Help – Kathryn Stockett (2009)
In Twenty Years – Allison Winn Scotch (2016)

If you lost a friend due to the passions of your politics, you may (in time) reconsider if there is something worth salvaging. Like all good literature, we begin with words.

Good books, good friends, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. – Mark Twain