The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center BY Rhaina Cohen

Why do we assume romantic relationships are more important than friendships? What do we lose when we expect a spouse to meet all our needs? And what can we learn about commitment, love, and family from people who put deep friendship at the center of their lives?

In The Other Significant Others, NPR's Rhaina Cohen explores these profound questions, inviting readers into the lives of people who have defied convention by choosing friends as life partners. These friends share homes, co-parent children, and act as caregivers for one another. Their riveting stories challenge widespread assumptions about relationships, including the notion that sex is a defining feature of partnership and that co-parents must be in a romantic relationship.

Platonic partners from diverse backgrounds—varying in age, religion, gender, and sexuality—reveal the liberating yet challenging nature of embracing a relationship model unrecognized by society. They demonstrate that orienting one's life around friends is not just a nostalgic dream inspired by shows like The Golden Girls, but a viable reality.

Based on years of original reporting and striking social science research, Cohen argues that expecting too much from romantic relationships undermines them, while expecting too little from friendships diminishes their potential. She traces historical shifts, showing that society has not always prioritized marriage as the greatest source of meaning or love.

In an era where many Americans experience long periods of singleness, widowhood, or divorce, or suffer from the "loneliness epidemic," Cohen insists we acknowledge the myriad forms of profound connection that can anchor our lives. The Other Significant Others challenges us to reconsider our relationship desires, transforming our understanding of what constitutes a fulfilling life.