Changing Tides

Author: Devora Weiner
Publisher:
Released:
Genre: Jewish Women's Fiction

When I first picked up the book Changing Tides, I prepared myself for a good laugh. Not because the author meant to be funny, but because the other books by Devora Weiner that I've read have been laughable - ludicrous. I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself liking the characters and getting drawn into and involved in their stories!

The premise reminded me of Sara Wiederblank's Just Between Friends - four friends having a reunion, then going on with their own lives, each with their own problems. The difference is that Just Between Friends deals with girls in their upper twenties, while Changing Tides is about women turning forty. It was interesting to see life from that perspective.

The characters are all complex (well, actually, two or three secondary characters are somewhat flat, but with such a large cast of characters, it's still good). Especially the four main characters have ins and outs to their personalities, and their reactions to every situation seem real and authentic to their characters.

The plot(s) are interwoven nicely, with the interaction between friends causing overlaps in each one's life story. What I found was that, although there are four separate lives to keep track of (more, counting some daughters whose voices are heard), it was easy to remember which life goes to which woman. That's a pretty hard thing to do, but Devora pulls it off!

Overall, this is a nice book to relax with and maybe provoke a little thought and introspection.