The Changer, the first novel by distinguished Oregon poet David Hedges, tracks the sudden breakdown of society sparked by a collision between government corruption and nature''s wrath, further fueled by the actions of a band of Native American ecowarriors.

The title springs from a Salish myth that predicts, in the words of protagonist Jay Joseph, "the end of this world, the beginning of the next," where nature restores a balanced biosphere, and survivors live in harmony.

What triggers the Change, who drives it, and how it unfolds will keep you turning the pages of this innovative book as it builds to an explosive climax that is both conceivable and preventable.