Can Your Race Determine the Believability of Friendship?

On tomorrow there is a planned discussion of the novel Tripping Prince Charming to be held on my Facebook page. http://facebook.com/EyWade.author.publisher A reader, who will not be able to attend, sent a few questions a head of time. They pertain to friendships, culture, and whether or not close female relationships are a Black thing or is it possible within all races. I hadn't ever thought about it, seeing it as a natural thing. But hat if you hadn't built friendships,  relationships such as the girls have in Tripping Prince Charming.  Would you find such closeness an oddity?  I can understand her question from her point of view as it is coming from 1) A loner 2) A person of noncolor and 3) As she termed it, a Canadian culture who is not that blunt.
What is your take on this?

Following are her questions please join the discussion.

"First let me explain something about my own life that may be relevant. I grew up moving constantly so got to the point where I really did not have any close friends like the trio in your book. So part of my confusion may come from that. 

But, I also wonder if my question stems from a cultural/racial difference. My problem is that I don''t know how to decipher which is which. The relationship between the three women is so close and so candid . Their dialogue is very direct. This is not in any way a criticism. I thought it was very well written - but it didn't feel "real" to me. So my question is, 

"Do young African American women actually form bonds that close and are they really able to be so frank with each other? Is that really how such friendships work?" Or am I the anomaly and, "Do all young women who form close friendships as teens and interact that way with each other?" 

Is there a cultural difference, subtle though it may be, between how Black women relate to each other in the U'S. and how white women do in the same society? 

Third, what about cross racial friendships. Are there differences?

This really struck me as I was reading because I felt like I was looking into a foreign culture. It was richly and beautifully portrayed but I had difficulty relating to it. I'd love to touch on this when I write my review but it would help if I got a better insight into my questions. In other words, is it just me, because I've been isolated and never formed such friendships, or is this really a cultural difference that you have illustrated so well?

That's what made the discussion on the thread so interesting. It is these subtle differences that can't be grasped unless you have grown up in a particular culture. For me, unless, as I said, I am the odd one out, (definitely possible) if your trio had been white I would have found your story far less believable.

I would truly love to pursue this question in the discussion, both because I think it would get into some really interesting ideas but also because I will learn from it.

Now, do you see why #WeNeedDiverseBooks ?

My answer would have to be, friendship and the reaction to them are a personal thing. I believe one may have a stronger bond with a friend or friends than they have with a sibling. Even in the dynamics of a group friendship the bond may be stronger towards one certain individual.
Whether or not it is believable to an outsider depends on what that person has experienced in their life and relationships.