SWITCH

by Cynthia Rogan

All Pinky Harper wants is a full-time reporting job, a faithful lover, and a guarantee that she hasn’t inherited her father’s schizophrenia. For weeks, all her daddy’s been talking about are the two young girls he’s watching over. He swears the girls—one black, the other, white—are from the year 1915 where something they found in a flowerbed magically switched them into each other’s bodies. Pinky is sure the girls are her father’s most recent hallucination until she stumbles across a clue she can’t deny. From there, her investigation draws her into the depths of racism—past and present—puts her, her father, and the girls in danger, and twists her perception of reality and fantasy until she begins to fear for her own sanity.

295 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2019

About the author

There were five kids in my family and lots of noise. I learned early on that if I woke up in the middle of the night, I’d better take advantage of the silence. I’d write under the hall light until my eyes were heavy with sleep. Back then, I had a lot to say about how I wanted things to be. Like many writers, I wrote what I couldn’t bring myself to say aloud.
Once I discovered eavesdropping, I was amazed. I realized characters are everywhere. I’m one, you’re one, the jerk you just broke up with, the girl next door with Down’s syndrome, that boy in sixth grade who blushed every time his name was called, the man behind the counter at the pharmacy. And we all have our stories and our problems and our own way of looking at the world. And we all have the ability to touch someone else. We are never really alone.
As a fiction writer, I get to fabricate everybody’s history, try to see from different points of view. But I always do my best to understand who each character is and what made them the way they are. I believe that’s why people talk about my characters after they’ve finished reading the story.
I write novels, plays, poems, essays, short stories, do a bit of acting, and am a self-proclaimed doodle-ist.

Reviews

[Leslie Hitchcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a classic story of “switching places” with mystery and twists! I knew I’d enjoy this, being that the 70’s “Freaky Friday” has always been one of my favorite movies. I love the idea of people switching bodies.

The story was fully engrossing. I was captivated until the last page. The pacing was perfect and was happy how all the storylines wrapped up at the end.

The characters were well fleshed-out. I felt like I knew each one of them on a personal level and were connected to them. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Cynthia for a while now and I can tell you for a fact: those warm, special characters you will encounter in this book are a direct reflection of the kind and beautiful person she is in real life. I hope you will pick this book up and enjoy it as much as I did. Also, make sure you eat before you read.. the food described in places was cause for a few extra reading snacks I didn’t intend to eat. Haha

Thank you for a beautiful story. I’m anxiously awaiting the next!

[Richard Brulotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book thinking it was purely a mystery, but soon realized it was much more. The phrase “walk a mile in someone elses’s shoes” comes to mind. What a wonderful read. Characters were well developed and truly captivating. Wasn’t sure how the author was going to end it, but I thought the ending was very appropriate. Do enjoy Roger’s book for yourself. You won’t regret reading it.