The Company We Keep

From New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Elle comes a vulnerable and necessary exploration of the friendships that shape us, stretch us, and sometimes wound us—and how our healing demands that we face them all with clarity and courage

The Company We Keep is a call to reflection and action, offering readers permission to evolve—and reminding us that the people we surround ourselves with are not only mirrors, but key companions on the lifelong journey of healing, self-trust, and belonging. Elle shares her unflinching journey of learning to stop abandoning herself in the name of loyalty, to take ownership of the energy she brought into relationships, and to tell the truth—even when it cost her comfort. In choosing herself without apology, she reclaimed her peace, self-trust, and capacity for deeper love.

• This book invites readers to get radically honest about the friendships they nurture and the ones they outgrow, offering hard-won wisdom on:
• Recognizing when people-pleasing and self-silencing have become a pattern. 
• Understanding that honesty—while sometimes painful—is a bridge to real intimacy or necessary endings.
• Taking full responsibility for how we show up in our friendships and communities.
• Releasing the belief that we must earn love by shrinking, tolerating, or fixing others.
• Creating personal vows that honor our healing, our boundaries, and the relationships that nourish us.

The Company We Keep is not just about nurturing our most meaningful friendships—it’s about becoming a better friend to ourselves first. It’s a guide for anyone ready to stop settling for half-hearted connections and start building a life rooted in honesty, wholeness, and mutual care.