Good Friends are Hard to Find

'Cheap Cabernet'
By: Cathie Beck


Format: ARC
Published: Voice; July 2010
Pages: 336


Synopsis: A newly-dumped empty nester at only 39, Beck could do whatever she wanted, but had no friends with whom to do it. She needed pals, so she placed an ad in a Colorado newspaper to form a "smart, sassy women's group," with no idea what sort of response she'd get. A bevy of women responded, and Beck winnowed the lot of potential partners in crime to a half-dozen. One of them would change her live forever, and their friendship is the subject of Beck's mood-hopping memoir. They seemed to have little in common at first glance; Denise Katz was sophisticated, glamorous, successful, while Beck saw herself as a "stubby Catholic girl with thin hair." But the two struck up a fast friendship rife with adventure, even as Katz slowly succumbed to the debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis.

My Take: I love books about friendships and memoirs about friendship, even better. They often ring true to me. What woman can't relate to finding, keeping and maintaining good female friends? Women and their friends go hand in hand in life. We love our men, but we need our friends. Cathie Beck's book is a testament to the power of friendship.

Beck's life was not an easy one to read about. The road she came from was difficult but inspiring. She had two children by the time she was in her early twenties and her husband had left her. Her early years she spent scraping money together and raising her kids, just trying to survive. She didn't have time to maintain friendships. I think there are many women with young children who can probably relate to that. However, once she reached a comfortable point in her life when her children entered college and she was an empty nester she was ready to get out there and experience the things in life that many of her friends were able to get out of their system when they were in their late teens and early twenties and she never got to. And what did she need in order to do this? Gal pals of course! But she didn't have any so a hunt began.

In order to find some girlfriends, Beck came up with a pretty ingenious idea. She put an ad in the paper for a made up women's group called "WOW...Women on the Way". She got an amazing response. Since it was 1994 I can only assume this was the age before craigslist. When I moved to San Francisco and knew very few people I looked up activities on craigslist (no not dirty ones. Things like book clubs and kickball games. You know group activities where you could meet people). It's what lots of people do now to meet new people when they don't know anyone but this was in the 'olden days' and so I like this idea too! And it worked. 

From this group, Beck was able to meet some amazing women but one really struck a cord with her, Denise Katz. These two become fast friends. The kind that you might call besties. Someone you can call up anytime, pal around with whenever. Both of these women found each other at a time in their lives when they really needed it and I think both of them didn't have a friend like that before. You could see they filled a void for each other. It was a beautiful thing to read about. I think a lot of us get so busy that sometimes friendships can become hard to maintain. Reading this book was a great reminder to pause and really invest time in your friendships because they really are a meaningful part of your life.

Katz has multiple sclerosis. This is difficult for both of the women. It's difficult for Katz for obvious reasons. At first, Beck hesitates to get involved in the friendship because she doesn't want to have to 'mother' anyone. She is done with that phase of her life but she can't resist. Her draw to Katz is too strong. I don't want to go to much more into the plot of the memoir from here because this where the story gets good and the meat of the friendship develops. It's a sweet story and a true one.

Cover Lust: I loved it! I think it really fit with the name and the theme of the book. Of course two women will have many chats over a bottle of wine and to have faux wine glass stains over the book was a really cute touch.

*If you would like my gently used ARC just leave a comment with your email letting me know. I am happy to ship this anywhere in the US. I will draw a name on Sunday*

(Thank you to LibraryThing EarlyReviewers for sending me this book)