Friend of My Youth is a moving short story about memory, loss, and the complex bond between mothers and daughters. After her mother's death, the narrator recalls a story her mother once told her about two sisters, Flora and Ellie Grieves, members of a strict religious community. Flora sacrifices her own happiness after her fiancé marries her younger sister, yet she continues to care for them both with remarkable devotion. Through these memories, the narrator reflects on her mother's life, her own feelings of grief, and the mysteries that remain even after someone is gone.