Best of Friends was hidden all around the UK – with a special note inside!

“The previous summer in London, she had imagined visibility was what she wanted”.

– Best of Friends, Kamila Shamsie

Happy Friendship Day! The Book Fairies have been celebrating by sharing copies of Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie – along with a little note hidden inside…!

About the book:

A dazzling new novel of friendship, identity and the unknowability of other people – from the international bestselling author of Home Fire, winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Fourteen-year-old Maryam and Zahra have always been the best of friends, despite their different backgrounds. Maryam takes for granted that she will stay in Karachi and inherit the family business; while Zahra keeps her desires secret, and dreams of escaping abroad.

This year, 1988, anything seems possible for the girls; and for Pakistan, emerging from the darkness of dictatorship into a bright future under another young woman, Benazir Bhutto. But a snap decision at a party celebrating the return of democracy brings the girls’ childhoods abruptly to an end. Its consequences will shape their futures in ways they cannot imagine.

Three decades later, in London, Zahra and Maryam are still best friends despite living very different lives. But when unwelcome ghosts from their shared past re-enter their world, both women find themselves driven to act in ways that will stretch and twist their bond beyond all recognition.

About the day:

The official UN statement about the International Day of Friendship is: “the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.”

“Always this friendship, always its light”

– Best of Friends, Kamila Shamsie

Lucky finders!

We love hearing from people who stumble upon the books we leave behind. We are delighted to have received some great messages and photos – here are our favourite!

Not lucky enough to find one?

Do not worry! This book will be available in ALL good book shops at the end of September… and if you’d rather order online, you can still support independent bookshops by ordering your copy from Bookshop.org!

Would you like to be a book fairy?

Anyone can be a book fairy, anywhere in the world! Just grab some official book fairy stickers to get started. Every order comes with a little guide to get you started!