People Change

LoveReading Says

At once a moving, personal story of friendship, love, and fighting back, Sara Jafari’s People Change also presents a powerful portrait of contemporary Britain, what cancel culture really means, and how far we still have to go to combat racism. It’s an outstanding novel — a taut, perfectly-plotted page-turner brimming with finely-tuned characters. It also confronts how notions around freedom of speech are abused at the expense of others.

Ten years have passed since Shiran last saw Kian back home in Hull. He was “the boy she used to skip class with, all those years ago”, the person who “got into so much trouble for her and who she barely even thanked.” When they bump into each other at a house party in Brixton, with Shiran now working in her dream publishing job as an editorial assistant, and Kian on the road to success as an artist, painful long-buried memories and feelings of guilt burst to the surface.

Their gripping story unfolds between the present and the past Shiran is struggling to deal with, notably the racism she endured at school and the incident that left her broken. Meanwhile, in the present-day, Shiran experiences racism at work. She’s overlooked and uncredited. And then the unimaginable happens when the worst of her past slams into her present-day professional life, leading her to see “the power that certain white men have…that they can stand there and say freedom of speech is more important than treating people fairly and with respect.”

Powerful on friendship and finding the strength to speak out, fight back, and forge a fresh start, this remarkable story is also a must-read for everyone who works in publishing. The portrayal of poor diversity and inclusion efforts, the way voices invited to the table are ignored, and the ethically dubious acquisition decisions serve as a powerful wake-up call, and Shiran’s showdown moment is sublime. 

Joanne Owen

Find This Book In