What is the secret to true friendship? Is it really love's quieter relation or something stronger and more profound? And where does the line between the two lie? Rose Tremain looks at two unlikely lifelong friendships, which – though tested – prove unbreakable. Thought-provoking and life-affirming, this is at once an examination and a celebration of friendship in all its glorious complexity. Selected from the books Restoration and The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain. "Vintage Minis": great minds. Big ideas. Little books. Also in the "Vintage Minis" series: Love by Jeanette Winterson Language by Xiaolu Guo Desire by Haruki Murakami Freedom by Margaret Atwood