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Changes Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Changes


Television reporter Melanie Adams falls in love with renowned cardiologist Dr. Phillip Hallam when she goes to Chicago to interview him for her channel and decide to get married. Famous news reporter Melanie Adams thinks that she has it all - a successful career, two beautiful twin daughters Val and Jess and a fabulous house in her favorite city New York. On a routine trip to Chicago to cover the heart operation of a young girl Pattie Lou, Mel meets Dr. Phillip Hallam, one of the most renowned cardiologists in the country. Mel, who had sworn off serious relationships after a bad marriage when she was young, finds herself attracted to the handsome widowed doctor. Phillip is also attracted to the compassionate reporter with a heart of gold. But soon, Pattie Lou's operation is over and Mel has to return home. Before that, she is invited to dinner at Phillip's house, where she meets his children - Pam, Mark and Matthew. Pam suspects that Mel wants to take her dead mother's place and immediately resents her.
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Mel and Phillip continue to talk to each other over the phone. When the president is shot in Chicago, Mel is asked to cover the news for her network and the two meet again. They soon realize that they are falling in love with each other. They holiday together with their children and Val and Mark end up getting attracted to each other.

Phillip gets upset with the physical distance between them and asks Mel to marry him. She turns down a promising contract at her network, sells her house and moves to Chicago with her daughters to get married to him. After her marriage, Mel understands that Phillip and Pam are still very much attached to his late wife, Anne, and they resent any change that she tries to make at home.

Meanwhile, Val gets pregnant and gets an abortion done, which almost ends in a tragedy. Mel joins a new network in Chicago, but her co-worker hates her for getting more paid. In the middle of all this, Mel discovers that she is pregnant and someone has started sending her death threats. She wants Phillip to move out of Anne's house into a new home which she can make hers, but Phillip is against it and starts asking her to quit her job to look after the baby.

Mel has to decide whether she made the right decision to change her job, leave her friends and her home and move to Chicago and most importantly, whether she wants the baby.
Best part of story, including ending: I liked this story because it explored the joys and tribulations of remarriage and step-families without losing touch with reality. The children's difficulty in accepting new people into their family and the adjustments Mel and Phillip have to go through to make sure that no one feels hurt or marginalized was very well portrayed.

Best scene in story: Val starts haemorrhaging on the slopes of a mountain when the entire family goes skiing and it is then that everyone comes to know that she had to go trough an abortion. Everyone is quick to hurl blame and insults at each other, but they are actually very much worried about Val and whether she will be able to pull through it. The traumatic experience brings them together as a family and they become more close to each other.

Opinion about the main character: Mel is an extremely positive character who is comfortable in her own skin. Her sole aim is not to look after her children and remain home. Her career is also very important to her and as much a part of her as her family.

The review of this Book prepared by Amrita Nandagopal a Level 4 Yellow-Headed Blackbird scholar

Chapter Analysis of Changes

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Plot & Themes

Time/era of story    -   1980's-1999 If one lover chases another...    -   he chases after her Children/Pregnancy    -   Yes Children/Pregnancy:    -   Get accidently pregnant    -   brat children need muzzling Matchbreaker    -   Yes Matchbreaker is    -   Son/Daughter/Brat

Main Male Character

Profession/status:    -   doctor Age/status:    -   40's-50's Sex makes him    -   arrogant Unusual characteristics?    -   Super sensitive soggy jelly muffin

Main Female Character

Age/status:    -   20's-30's Profession/status:    -   journalist Effect of sexing    -   confident Unusual characteristics:    -   Super sensitive soggy jelly muffin

Setting

United States    -   Yes City?    -   Yes City:    -   Chicago

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   no torture/death What % of story is romance related?    -   50% How explicit is the sex?    -   vague references only    -   descript of kissing Focus of story    -   equally on him and her How much dialog    -   significantly more dialog than descript

Books with storylines, themes & endings like Changes

Danielle Steel Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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