Among Friends

A Novel

By: Hal Ebbott

Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman

What begins as celebration gives way to betrayal, shattering the trust between two families

“Exquisitely crafted.” —John Irving

“Masterly…Ranges from the most exquisite, Jamesian discriminations to the graspable, all-American solidities of Updike and Richard Yates. This is a writer to watch, with excitement and the highest expectations.' —John Banville

“Wonderful, sly and subtle…Every sentence keeps you hanging in the air, waiting for the next punch to the gut. Wow.”—Miranda Cowley Heller

"In the way that a forceful intelligence or an infectious voice or a fresh vision can alter how we observe and answer the world, Among Friends brought me into its cool environs and made me engage my days differently. It's no small accomplishment for a first novel, or for any novel." —Richard Ford

It’s an autumn weekend at a comfortable New York country house where two deeply intertwined families have gathered to mark the host’s fifty-second birthday.

Together, the group forms an enviable portrait of middle age. The wives and husbands have been friends for over thirty years, their teenage daughters have grown up together, and the dinners, games, and rituals forming their days all reflect the rich bonds between them.

This weekend, however, something is different. An unforeseen curdling of envy and resentment will erupt in an unspeakable act, the aftermath of which exposes treacherous fault lines upon which they have long dwelt.

Written with hypnotic elegance and molten precision, and announcing the arrival of a major literary talent, Hal Ebbott’s Among Friends examines betrayal within the sanctuary of a defining relationship, as well as themes of class, marriage, friendship, power, and the things we tell ourselves to preserve our finely made worlds.


© 2025 Bo Bartlett / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Critic reviews

Praise for Among Friends:

“Stylish and assured….Ebbott’s prose is honed and aphoristic, recalling the work of James Salter and John Cheever… The sentences go down easy, like a cold gin and tonic on a hot day. The point of view glides from one character to another, backward and forward in time, but there is substance beneath the gleaming surfaces.” —Washington Post

"[A] finely calibrated début...The book is as discerning as it is pitiless about the transactional nature of human connection." —The New Yorker

“Trust us.” –Town and Country

“Subtle, keenly intelligent, psychologically deft…This is the kind of book Tom Wolfe used to write, and debut novelist Ebbott definitely has the talent and brio to carry it off. "Unflinching" is a label often applied to such works, but that word's not nearly strong enough for what happens here." —Kirkus Reviews

“Elegant…[with] refined prose that feels like a throwback to mid-20th-century psychological realism… Ebbott conjures up a world where mental machinations trump morality. It’s an alluring accomplishment.” —Publishers Weekly

“A masterly debut. Hal Ebbott ranges from the most exquisite, Jamesian discriminations to the graspable, all-American solidities of Updike and Richard Yates. This is a writer to watch, with excitement and the highest expectations." —John Banville

“Exquisitely crafted.” —John Irving

"In the way that a forceful intelligence or an infectious voice or a fresh vision can alter how we observe and answer the world, Among Friends brought me into its cool environs and made me engage my days differently. It's no small accomplishment for a first novel, or for any novel."
—Richard Ford

“A hard diamond of a novel, Among Friends is cut through with brilliant prose and unsparing insights into the parts of ourselves that usually go unsaid. Ebbott's sentences are sharp enough to wound, yet alive with tenderness. It’s rare to read a debut this exacting and vital; I have not stopped thinking of it since.” —Coco Mellors

”A wonderful, sly and subtle novel. Every sentence keeps you hanging in the air, waiting for the next punch to the gut. Wow.” —Miranda Cowley Heller

“Among Friends is a powerful, elegant novel that offers unsparing and lyrically rendered insight into the lives of others.” —Claire Lombardo

Self -reflection indulgence

Sometimes it is confusing to separate internal dialogue from actual events. I hope I don’t have friendships like these

Boring but well written

The writing and the narration was incredible but the story itself was boring and drawn out. I struggled to finish it.

stopped reading

I could not relate to the characters and found myself drifting off rather than listening.

Character development

I did not quite believe that Claire would be so devoted to the status quo that she would not support her daughter. Somehow the character of this person lacked something for my acceptance of her actions.

An interesting debut novel

This wasn’t too bad of a debut novel. The mention of rape does put a sour taste in one’s mouth to have to absorb that topic as an underlying issue these two families face. It’s sad seeing one women’s quick decision to not lose her status in life and everything it entails if she were to divorce her husband. It seemed like none of the chapters were too in-depth. Like even as Emerson was confronted, the scenarios were quick and not much exchange between the characters. I did like how the young girl, at the end, was able to confront her attacker. And the dad was an advocate for her. Her mother also tried to let the rape just be swept under the rug and to let time heal the wounds.