The Change by Kirsten Miller
Format: Audiobook
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery
“Why do you think women are designed to outlive men? Why do we keep going for thirty years after our bodies can no longer reproduce? Do you think nature meant for those years to be useless? No, of course not. Our lives are designed to have three parts. The first is education. The second, creation. And in part three, we put our experience to use and protect those who are weaker.”
The Change by Kirsten Miller is about just that: women changing their perspective, the way they see and fit in the world and also the change that comes upon women in their late 40s. While society encourages women of this age to retreat slowly into the background and “age with grace,” this story shows three women harnessing the power that comes with experience and wisdom through magical realism and robust character development. I laughed, cringed (in the best way) and cheered my way through this book, which was enhanced even more by the fabulous performance of January LaVoy.
Jo, Nessa and Harriett, are drawn together by fate and a force larger than themselves to expose and avenge the mysterious murders of young girls taking place near their town of Mattauk, Long Island. Through their investigation they find that they are equipped with the power to right the wrongs that a corrupt and flawed legal system can not, or will not address. Nessa is the seer, a gift possessed by certain women in her family and passed down through her grandmother. Jo is the protector, a women-only gym owner possessed with a deep-burning power inside, a proclivity for swearing and the ability to kick some serious ass. And Harriett is the avenger, a former advertising executive turned horticulturist who uses plants to cure or kill, depending on the circumstance.
The writing in this novel is vivid and captivating, making the story one that seems clearly suited for the silver screen. I even thought of the actresses I would cast for this one: Angelina Jolie as the devious plant goddess, Harriett, Octavia Spencer as the sensitive, perceptive Nessa and Kate Winslet as the fiery redhead, Jo. Can you tell I had a great time with this book?
While the middle third of the book slowed from the big, active storytelling of the beginning and end, the writing held my interest throughout. The chapters were interspersed with the back stories of key characters and provided their motivations and turning points. The mystery that the story centered on was engrossing, complete with unexpected plot twists, but the book was bigger than a mystery, as it contained important themes of the treatment, expectations and value of girls and women in our society. Brava, Kirsten Miller and January LaVoy!
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