The following version of the novel was used to create this study guide: Gruen, Sara. Flying Changes. Harper Collins e-books, October 13, 2009. Kindle.

Flying Changes, by Sara Gruen, is the second novel in the Riding Lessons series. As the novel begins, Annemarie Zimmer is approaching her fortieth birthday. She yearns for a purpose in her life. Divorced, she makes her living by teaching riding lessons at her family's stable. She believes her boyfriend, Dan, will propose to her during her birthday dinner and is devastated when she misunderstands his gift of diamond earrings. To make matters worse, Annemarie’s daughter, Eva, makes a terrible showing in her second horse show. Eva wants to quit the elite training program that just accepted her. If Eva quits the program, Annemarie fears that her daughter will begin getting into trouble again, as she has done in the past before training. The family’s priorities suddenly change when a fatal car crash leaves Eva’s half-brother an orphan, making them realize the importance of family and giving Annemarie a new purpose for her life.

Annemarie and Eva are both surprised that Roger, Eva’s father and Annemarie’s ex-husband, is not present at the first show in which Eva competes as a student of Nathalie Jenkins. Eva is so upset by his absence that she makes the lowest score in the dressage portion of the show. The following day it is raining for the jumping portion of the show. Eva and her horse, Smoky Joe, slide into a fence in the mud. Joe tries to jump the fence anyway, throwing Eva and reminding Annemarie of her own accident. Eva and Smoky are not injured, but Eva blames Annemarie for keeping her from finishing the course. Eva insists on going home even though Nathalie warns Eva that if she leaves without supporting her fellow riders in the following day’s competition, she will be dismissed from the training program. Eva leaves anyway.

At home, Annemarie’s mother, Mutti, tells Annemarie that Roger, his new wife Sonja, and their infant son Jeremy were hit by a tractor-trailer. Sonja is dead, and Roger is in critical condition. The baby is stable. Because Roger had no family other than his daughter, Mutti, Annemarie, and Eva go to the hospital. Shortly after they arrive, Roger dies of his injuries. Jeremy is okay, but Roger and Sonja had never made arrangements for Jeremy’s guardianship.

Hoping to keep Jeremy from being placed in the foster care system, Annemarie calls Roger’s partner at a law firm. The executor of Roger and Sonja’s will is a federal judge who uses some political contacts to get emergency custody of Jeremy given to Annemarie. In the meanwhile, Dan comes to see Annemarie at the hospital where she and her family are staying with the baby. He explains he had intended to propose to her at her birthday dinner and gives her the ring that he had baked into a chocolate soufflé. Dan tells her he had always assumed they would adopt a child. Annemarie tells him she wants to adopt Jeremy.

Back at home, Annemarie approaches Nathalie about Eva re-entering the training program. Nathalie is forgiving when she learns that Eva’s father and stepmother were killed in a car crash. She and Annemarie arrange for Eva to begin training on a limited basis. Annemarie learns Nathalie had an ulterior motive for wanting Eva back in the program. Eva and Smoky Joe are invited to participate in the Rochester Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Eva and Smoky's last jump on the course in that competition is an oxer. It is similar to the jump that caused Harry’s death and Annemarie’s broken neck. Annemarie is afraid. However, for the first time, she allows herself to watch as the pair clear the jump cleanly. Eva wins the competition. The following morning, Annemarie demonstrates she has overcome her fear of jumping when she jumps Hurrah for the first time.