The Change

If I am being totally honest, I had never heard of this book, or of Kirsten Miller, until about thirty seconds before I started reading it. I’d watched an Instagram Reel about books to read if you’re feeling the feminist rage, and right now that sums me up perfectly! The Change was mentioned on there and it certainly piqued my interest- feminism, murder, revenge, misogyny, witchcraft, destroying patriarchal systems… with tropes like that I could’ve written it myself as they cover my favourite things, or the things that boil my blood the most! The bonus was that it was on Spotify Audiobooks so I could get straight into it during a long journey up the M6!

The novel centres around three women, all in their late 40s, who find each other at just the right moment in their lives. One of the first points of attraction for me was reading a novel in which the protagonists are all middle-aged and totally INCREDIBLE. I think that women in their 40s and 50s are fascinating, and I’m saying this as someone who is creeping towards 41 (still my early 40s, right?). I’m sick of seeing female characters in books or on screen who are diminished, timid and mousy once they hit 40… or even worse, they’re portrayed as hags who are dried up and past it, and the butt of all jokes. It’s not reality now, and I don’t think it ever was!
We have Nessa, the Seeker, Jo, the Protecter, and Harriet, the Punisher who come together to protect young girls and get to the bottom of what, or who, is harming them in their town. Nessa lives alone near the ocean and hears voices belonging to the dead. They’ll only speak to her. Jo has always been at war with her body but is discovering to channel the rage that turned up with menopause. And Harriett, approaching 50, has undergone a great metamorphosis and is embracing not giving a … The women, guided by the voices Nessa hears, find the body of a teenage girl and begin to investigate what happened to her, as the police seem to be protecting the villains, not the victims. This is their story about avenging the innocent and punishing the guilty.

The storyline is compelling and harrowing. Unfortunately, this piece of fiction bares more than a passing similarity to a certain island and certain files, truly exposing and mirroring real life. It’s disturbing to thing about how many young girls are trafficked, abused, mistreated and left to rot. The book should come with some trigger warnings, with references to rape, kidnappings, abuse, murder, misogyny. It is dark in places but also empowering to see three women fight for justice and revenge.

Miller’s writing style was perfect for the story she wanted to tell here. The encapsulates the pain and suffering whilst also leaving the reader with hope that things might be righted somewhat by Nessa, Jo and Harriet. I would be incredibly surprised if she wasn’t inspired to write this after the Epstein Files were released. Either that, or she has an uncanny sixth sense for the depraved realities of the billionaire classes.

The Change was a powerful read which is extremely socially and politically relevant. Don’t let this stop you from reading it, if it’s not usually your thing, as at the centre of the novel is a very engaging story about the power of female solidarity.