This quote describes the process of personal transformation that a woman undergoes, emphasizing that it is not a sudden change as depicted in fictional books, but a gradual and challenging journey that takes time.
The phrase "she changed but not overnight like in the books you read" acknowledges that real growth and change in a person's life are not instantaneous, unlike the quick transformations often portrayed in literature. Instead, it takes a considerable amount of time and effort.
The line "over a year, slowly and painfully, sometimes brutally, but she did" conveys that this woman's evolution was a prolonged and difficult process. It involved facing hardships, confronting painful truths, and enduring challenging situations.