Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Platonic Relationships in Books

Greetings, book lovers! It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday, thanks to That Artsy Reader Girl, and today’s topic is Platonic Relationships in Books. In other words, non-romantic relationships. And so today, I have a wide variety of non-romantic relationships to share with you, all involving some manner of friendship from familial right through to Bible study groups!

Anne Shirley and Diana Barry

Who wouldn’t want a bosom buddy like Diana Barry?

The March Family

I just finished reading this for the first time recently (I know, *gasp*) and loved the relationships between these sisters and their mother, and of course Laurie. The girls learn lots of lessons about friendship and love (romantic and platonic) as they grow older.

The Nightshade Team

If you know me at all, you knew this was coming! One of the reasons I LOOOOOOOVE Ronie Kendig’s books is the comradery of the teams she writes about. And there is definitely a special kind of comradery involved in military teams. If you ever want to know what it means to “have someone’s back”, look no further.

Barclay Pearce and His Family

Barclay Pearce is the father-figure-slash-big-brother for a rag-tag bunch of orphans in London, and in this third book in the Shadows Over England series we really get to see him in action. He’s also a reformed thief and a gentleman by nature, if not by status. He’s the kind of big brother anyone would be proud to have.

Grandmother Geesje de Jonge

Everyone needs a Geesje de Jonge in their life, whether it be as a grandmother or simply as a wise friend. Her wisdom comes from life experience and a deep love of her Saviour, and it is invaluable to all who know her.

Bible Study Group

One of the things I’ve enjoyed about Toni Shiloh’s Freedom Lake series is the Bible study group these friends have formed. Their study is time is always so applicable to the struggles they are working through in their lives. What an excellent way to grow in your faith!

Delilah Evans and Emma Mullet

This was a wonderful novel for many reasons, but one of those reasons was watching the unlikely friendship develop between Delilah Evans, a grief-embittered black woman, and Emma Mullet, a reclusive Amish woman, at a time when racial, social, and religious tensions were high (1950s America).

Sylvie Sutton, ex-CIA grandmother

She’s the wackiest grandmother on the block, but she’s also one of the reasons why this series is such a fun read. Sylvie Sutton and her best friend, Frannie Nelson, are retired CIA operatives, and let’s just say some habits die hard! And since her granddaughter Paisley seems to find herself embroiled in murder and mayhem, she comes in very handy. Or not… 😂

The Barrett Family

The Barrett family, headed up by the very memorable Nate Barrett, is everything a big Appalachian family should be: full of love and laughter, and ready to welcome you into the fold (even if you’re a British fancy pants 😉).

Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins

“Come, Mr. Frodo!” he cried. “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.”

If a friend in need is a friend indeed, then Samwise Gamgee is the prototype—one that would be difficult to improve on. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a more faithful friend to be found in fiction.

Do you have a favourite non-romantic relationship in fiction? I’d love to hear about it!