This document presents the findings of research concerning female friendship as literature portrays it. Literal sisterhood is not the focus of the report, nor is cross gender friendship. The examination rejects the suggestion that homosexuality is at the root of same sex friendship. The document touches on the enmities that may arise between female friends. It becomes clear that the treatment of women friends in literature evolves over time, from the works of Jane Austen and Sarah Orne Jewett to Joyce Carol Oates and Toni Morrison. Many works, even some psychological studies and leading novels, purport to address the issues of friendship among women. Betrayal is a common theme in literature dealing with women friends; the concept of competition among women, even among those who are friends, does not seem sufficient to explain it. The theme invites further research. A reading list includes 13 primary and 14 secondary sources and nine other articles and books. (SG)