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The Changing Room
‘Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.'
- Virginia Woolf
Anna is in her sixties with her dream job and the man to match. Claire is a fourty-six-year-old philanthropist with a picture-perfect family. And then there is Molly, who has seen more strife in her twenty years than anyone should, but has more love to give than most.
When their lives are turned upside down, these women must discover how to start over amid a world of pain. Guided by Suitability, a clothing an styling service for disadvantaged women, Anna, Claire and Molly find the courage to rebuild their lives – with a few outfit changes along the way.
Inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success, The Changing Room proves that sometimes losing everything leads you towards freedom, and that hope can be found even in the unlikeliest of places.
- Virginia Woolf
Anna is in her sixties with her dream job and the man to match. Claire is a fourty-six-year-old philanthropist with a picture-perfect family. And then there is Molly, who has seen more strife in her twenty years than anyone should, but has more love to give than most.
When their lives are turned upside down, these women must discover how to start over amid a world of pain. Guided by Suitability, a clothing an styling service for disadvantaged women, Anna, Claire and Molly find the courage to rebuild their lives – with a few outfit changes along the way.
Inspired by the experiences of the women behind the charity Dress for Success, The Changing Room proves that sometimes losing everything leads you towards freedom, and that hope can be found even in the unlikeliest of places.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2019
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 27, 2020
‘It was all getting too much for her. Her life seemed out of control. There were too many mysteries, too many feelings and too much to do.’
Three very different women: Anna, in her sixties, executive assistant to her lover; Claire, married to a surgeon, driving force behind ‘Suitability’, a firm helping women dress professionally for job interviews; and Molly in her twenties with four small children.
Anna’s world is turned upside down when she loses her job. She becomes a volunteer with ‘Suitability’, a clothing and styling service for disadvantaged women which was founded by Claire and two friends some years earlier. Molly becomes a client of ‘Suitability’ when she needs suitable clothing for a court appearance. Claire’s perfect life is threatened, as ‘Suitability’ outgrows both its business premises and her husband’s patience, and she sustains an injury.
The story moves between the three women and the different challenges they each must face. On the face of it, Molly has the most difficult battle. She needs to prove that she can provide a safe home for her children. Anna, who has put her own life on hold for so many years, learns to apply her many skills in different ways. And Claire has different battles to fight.
In this novel, Ms Sykes explores several different themes including domestic violence, relationship breakdown, unemployment, ill health, love and loss. She also explores the way in which women from vastly different backgrounds and experiences can support each other.
I enjoyed this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Three very different women: Anna, in her sixties, executive assistant to her lover; Claire, married to a surgeon, driving force behind ‘Suitability’, a firm helping women dress professionally for job interviews; and Molly in her twenties with four small children.
Anna’s world is turned upside down when she loses her job. She becomes a volunteer with ‘Suitability’, a clothing and styling service for disadvantaged women which was founded by Claire and two friends some years earlier. Molly becomes a client of ‘Suitability’ when she needs suitable clothing for a court appearance. Claire’s perfect life is threatened, as ‘Suitability’ outgrows both its business premises and her husband’s patience, and she sustains an injury.
The story moves between the three women and the different challenges they each must face. On the face of it, Molly has the most difficult battle. She needs to prove that she can provide a safe home for her children. Anna, who has put her own life on hold for so many years, learns to apply her many skills in different ways. And Claire has different battles to fight.
In this novel, Ms Sykes explores several different themes including domestic violence, relationship breakdown, unemployment, ill health, love and loss. She also explores the way in which women from vastly different backgrounds and experiences can support each other.
I enjoyed this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
October 30, 2019
The Changing Room focuses on three very different women who are brought together by by their involvement in ‘Suitability’, a program the author models on Dress For Success, a worldwide non profit organisation launched in 1987 whose broadest aim is to empower and support women in need by providing them with professional attire, with whom Christine Sykes herself has been a volunteer for several years.
Conscious of her privilege as a wealthy, successful businesswoman married to a surgeon, Claire is the driving force behind the founding of Suitability.
Anna, in her late 50’s, becomes a volunteer with Suitability when she is abruptly fired from her position as an Executive Assistant and at a loose end.
Molly becomes a client of Suitability when she is in need of appropriate clothing to attend court while trying to regain custody of her four young children.
Exploring a myriad of themes women might confront at various stages of life Including relationship breakdown, unemployment, domestic violence, ill health, new love, and loss, I enjoyed the individual stories of these women. Despite their disparate circumstances and experience, Claire, Anna and Molly develop a friendship and provide support for one another when in need as their participation in Suitability proves to be a catalyst for change, occasionally in unexpected ways.
Generally I thought The Changing Room was well written, however I wasn’t keen on the over-broad speech denoting Molly’s disadvantaged social status. Not that it could be considered inaccurate as such, but it’s awkward to read and could have been toned down without compromising the character.
Still this is a strong debut from a new Australian author, and I thought The Changing Room was an engaging and ultimately uplifting contemporary women’s fiction novel
Conscious of her privilege as a wealthy, successful businesswoman married to a surgeon, Claire is the driving force behind the founding of Suitability.
Anna, in her late 50’s, becomes a volunteer with Suitability when she is abruptly fired from her position as an Executive Assistant and at a loose end.
Molly becomes a client of Suitability when she is in need of appropriate clothing to attend court while trying to regain custody of her four young children.
Exploring a myriad of themes women might confront at various stages of life Including relationship breakdown, unemployment, domestic violence, ill health, new love, and loss, I enjoyed the individual stories of these women. Despite their disparate circumstances and experience, Claire, Anna and Molly develop a friendship and provide support for one another when in need as their participation in Suitability proves to be a catalyst for change, occasionally in unexpected ways.
Generally I thought The Changing Room was well written, however I wasn’t keen on the over-broad speech denoting Molly’s disadvantaged social status. Not that it could be considered inaccurate as such, but it’s awkward to read and could have been toned down without compromising the character.
Still this is a strong debut from a new Australian author, and I thought The Changing Room was an engaging and ultimately uplifting contemporary women’s fiction novel
October 17, 2019
Well, I must say this book was a lovely refreshing debut novel. The story of three women from three backgrounds whose lives come together because of a single simple enterprise.
Molly has always had a tough life, abandoned by her mother and looked after by her beloved grandmother, she falls in with the wrong crowd and ends up the mother of four children by the time she is 21.
Anna is an efficient and reliable executive assistant to a businessman. She even has a trophy to prove it, until, because of circumstances, she finds herself out of a job.
Claire has always had a somewhat privileged life, married to a doctor and reveled in her role as the hostess with the mostess! She also is a partner in an executive coaching business with her friend Alice.
Over a glass of champagne they come up with the idea of a business that helps women who couldn't get a job or interview because they don't have the right clothes to wear. They decided to get this off the ground and call the business Suitability. This is where the three women come together.
This book was an excellent read. As well as being a page turner it covered subjects such as loneliness, domestic abuse, poverty but most importantly female friendship. An impressive debut novel from another new Australian author.
Molly has always had a tough life, abandoned by her mother and looked after by her beloved grandmother, she falls in with the wrong crowd and ends up the mother of four children by the time she is 21.
Anna is an efficient and reliable executive assistant to a businessman. She even has a trophy to prove it, until, because of circumstances, she finds herself out of a job.
Claire has always had a somewhat privileged life, married to a doctor and reveled in her role as the hostess with the mostess! She also is a partner in an executive coaching business with her friend Alice.
Over a glass of champagne they come up with the idea of a business that helps women who couldn't get a job or interview because they don't have the right clothes to wear. They decided to get this off the ground and call the business Suitability. This is where the three women come together.
This book was an excellent read. As well as being a page turner it covered subjects such as loneliness, domestic abuse, poverty but most importantly female friendship. An impressive debut novel from another new Australian author.
September 2, 2022
This was a reread for me because I get to interview Christine Skyes for the writers unleashed festival, I’m even more impressed this time around. What an uplifting debut. It’s a hopeful story of second chances and helping each other, ‘who’d a thought some clothes could do that, could give people back their dignity’
December 7, 2019
This was a lovely heart warming novel. Three very different women with very different problems, meet through a clothes for women in need ( a worthy project). Maybe it seems things turn out well so easily for them, but their struggles are real and their growth as people is well worth reading.
October 25, 2019
Copy received from Ventura/Impact Press for an honest review
Firstly - Dress for Success, the inspiration for The Changing Room has been doing wonderful things for women for many years. If you haven't heard of them, look them up.
This is Christine Sykes debut novel, and has a wonderful premise. Different women, different backgrounds, all with one common goal - getting women back into the workforce and regaining their self esteem and self worth through clothing.
Anna, Claire and Molly are all so different, yet whist forging new friendships, they are becoming more self aware and more confident.
I did find that the dialogue was a bit stilted at times, and as for molly - there is fine line between sounding Australian and coming across as boganish - and Molly unfortunately fell on the bogan side of that line. I found myself rolling my eyes and cringing as I was reading her parts.
I didn't find myself really connecting with any of the ladies - though that is to be expected I suppose when I have never been in any of their positions.
I did enjoy the story thought, and was happy with where the characters ended up in their lives.
Firstly - Dress for Success, the inspiration for The Changing Room has been doing wonderful things for women for many years. If you haven't heard of them, look them up.
This is Christine Sykes debut novel, and has a wonderful premise. Different women, different backgrounds, all with one common goal - getting women back into the workforce and regaining their self esteem and self worth through clothing.
Anna, Claire and Molly are all so different, yet whist forging new friendships, they are becoming more self aware and more confident.
I did find that the dialogue was a bit stilted at times, and as for molly - there is fine line between sounding Australian and coming across as boganish - and Molly unfortunately fell on the bogan side of that line. I found myself rolling my eyes and cringing as I was reading her parts.
I didn't find myself really connecting with any of the ladies - though that is to be expected I suppose when I have never been in any of their positions.
I did enjoy the story thought, and was happy with where the characters ended up in their lives.
September 18, 2019
I love the idea of this book. A group of women, each completely different from the others, bonding over one thing they share in common- the desire to help women to empower themselves.
Sykes was a volunteer for Dress for Success, a registered charity that ‘improves the employability of women in need’. If you haven’t heard of them you should check them out. They do amazing work!
The Changing Room is a fictional story based on the idea of DFS.
The main characters are likeable. All strong women but all with imperfections and weaknesses. I enjoyed watching them evolve and grow as their stories were played out.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the writing style was a bit lacking. I found it quite stilted, especially the dialogue, which distracted me from the main story.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book, that will be published in early November, in exchange for my honest review.
Sykes was a volunteer for Dress for Success, a registered charity that ‘improves the employability of women in need’. If you haven’t heard of them you should check them out. They do amazing work!
The Changing Room is a fictional story based on the idea of DFS.
The main characters are likeable. All strong women but all with imperfections and weaknesses. I enjoyed watching them evolve and grow as their stories were played out.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the writing style was a bit lacking. I found it quite stilted, especially the dialogue, which distracted me from the main story.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book, that will be published in early November, in exchange for my honest review.
September 28, 2019
Anna, Claire and Molly are three women from different generations, different walks of life and in vastly different circumstances. They are brought together and are then bound together by Suitability, a foundation set up to help disadvantaged women by providing clothes. Their lives are in various states of falling apart, and they have to put themselves back together piece by piece. Through their involvement with Suitability they are able to change, become stronger and more resilient. And most importantly they develop a friendship which leaves them stronger than ever and positive about their futures.
December 24, 2019
A wonderful story about Anna, Claire & Molly. Three very different ladies who form a very unique friendship. I can’t recommend this book high enough.
March 17, 2020
A fantastic debut novel with a lovely feel good story.
August 8, 2023
A pleasant exploration of female relationships and how they can support and encourage new beginnings for each other. The main characters all suffer some betrayal/mistreatment/hurt/sadness/ as a result of their relationships with men.
They are drawn together and support each other as their friendship evolves. Their personal growth mirrors the growth of their relationships and their participation in a charity focussed on helping women find their feet.
Each women has a level of self criticism which slowly dissipates through their participation and help of others via the charity they all join, either as recipients or participants in the charity.
A refreshing take on female friendships and how they can support each other irrespective of each individual’s background, class or personal history- an easy read.
They are drawn together and support each other as their friendship evolves. Their personal growth mirrors the growth of their relationships and their participation in a charity focussed on helping women find their feet.
Each women has a level of self criticism which slowly dissipates through their participation and help of others via the charity they all join, either as recipients or participants in the charity.
A refreshing take on female friendships and how they can support each other irrespective of each individual’s background, class or personal history- an easy read.
May 11, 2020
2 1/2 stars
March 20, 2023
This book was so poorly written. There were good bones but could have been developed way better and written a lot smoother.
September 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this story, can't wait to meet Christine later this month.
September 6, 2025
What a lovely story of strong, fearless Australian women helping each other navigate life’s challenges. Bravo 👏
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews