Not many people have read Sarah Chalke’s new book, A CHANGED MAN. However, some have, and they are not disappointed. This is because Sarah has managed to transform herself into a sort of celebrity–a sort of female Donald Trump, if you will. And, with this newfound status, she is able to do things that most celebrities cannot: speak out about problems that affect other people, and actually make a difference.
We live in a world where anonymity is a luxury. Where celebrities can be criticized as quickly as anything on television. Where ugly comments can be thrown back at them and labeled as facile and worthless. Where the press can gleefully attack their enemies, branding them as ignorant and irrational. Many of these situations leave ordinary people feeling helpless and hurt. Sometimes, it feels like there is no hope.
In this book, Sarah Chalke decides to embrace that hope. She wants to make a difference. And she has. While making her own change has certainly helped her in the past, she knows now that it won’t be easy.
One of the most compelling aspects of A CHANGED MAN for me was the transformation Chalke experienced after her husband was killed in a horrible car accident. While she was spared from his memory, she was devastated by the loss. And so this tragic event transformed her in ways that many women cannot imagine. As a result, she decided to give back.
She found herself in New York City, looking for a new path in life. A woman, single and angry after her husband died, seeking a way to find solace and love. After a difficult time finding the right man, Sarah decided to get back what was lost and reclaim her previous life. That’s when A CHANGED MAN appeared. She was moved to New York City and found herself following in the footsteps of an older woman who was using her own life experience to help others.
Following a trail of breadcrumbs left behind by a previous victim of the same crime, Sarah finds herself in the crosshairs of a ruthless woman. And just when she thinks she’s protected, a pair of terrorists attack her family. Now Sarah must learn to protect herself while learning to love herself again. A CHANGED MAN is an engrossing, soul-searching read that will leave you rooting for Sarah Chalke.
I think part of what made A CHANGED MAN appealing to me as a female fan was the idea that Sarah was searching for a meaning in life after all she’d been through. After losing her husband and discovering a man had killed his wife, she’d lost everything. And then, she found herself in a similar position following a terrorist attack in New York. It was a chance to get everything back to find love again. I personally think the author did a great job of exploring the grief and anger Sarah felt after her husband’s death and the way that she hid it from people, but also gave a rare glimpse into the mind of a changed man. It showed us a part of life, we rarely get to experience and was very relatable.
One other thing I thought was brilliantly interesting in this book was Sarah’s transformation to a strong, confident woman who was more than happy to let loose and enjoy the good life she had once enjoyed with her changed man. We all have some parts of our life we’d like to change, or at least want to change, but it can be hard to do. The strength of character displayed in this novel is commendable and I’m sure anyone who reads it will come away changed in their outlook on life. This is a great little book to add to your reading list.
A Changed Man By Sarah Chalke
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