Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

Female friendship often gets a backseat in literature but Rebecca Wells’ 1996 New York Times bestseller brings the motif to life in glorious technicolour. A group of fiercely loyal and eccentric women navigate the highs and lows of life in small-town Louisiana, drawing from a lifelong connection that will ring true with anyone who’s experienced the joy of sisterhood.

There are gorgeous scenes here of cocktails by the river, and rooftop swims by twilight, interweaved with the moving story of a mother and daughter struggling to mend their rift. Fans can move onto Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg, which explores similar themes of female friendship in an earlier era.

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Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

In many ways, Half of a Yellow Sun is an incredibly sad book. So heart-wrenching, in fact, that some would argue it doesn’t qualify as feel-good material. But, as is the case with many great novels, the love depicted amid the turmoil (love between husband and wives, love between lovers, love between mother and child, and love between sisters) is so bright and relatable, it trumps all else. The Orange Prize-winning book is set during the Nigerian-Biafran War of 1967-70, and follows the story of twins Olanna and Kainene, whose lives will change forever by the conflict.

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7 feel-good books by female authors to devour in one sitting