Well written with well-developed characters, a believable, multifaceted plot and great dialogue. The only draw back is that it drags on a little too long.

I liked this story but I feel like it's been done before. The no-nonsense octogenarian role has been played out and I don't think this stands out.

reading a novel of a woman getting on well in her years, who by all means at this point in her life should have been ground into the mold that fits what the world has been wanting for decades - from manners and vocabulary, to ipads and emails - while staving off her own wants... reading this woman do her best and come out on the other end relatively successful and unscathed and so dignified. so, as the novel once puts it, self-possessed. it gives courage. ruth winters has only ever been herself, and she has stood out and strong this long. that has to count for something.

when the time comes for grief and change, for loss, for the steady reveal of this not-quite-expected sisterhood... the way it all helps her change, and accept change, and accept that she can get what she wants, is so warm, even in the story's saddest moments.

it feels a gift to have read such a bright, genuine, sensible, sharp life.

Lately, there seems to be an abundance of books on the market featuring “older” main characters. Maybe they have always been there, but I’m noticing them more because I am now becoming “older” myself. Conundrum!

This is Ruth's story. You could call it her “coming of age” story even though that term usually applies to a young person coming into adulthood. Ruth, a retired lady, has led a very straight, structured life. She is not social at all. She only speaks when she has to. She lives by her own rules. She is quite introverted. But, she's not unhappy. This is just her life. She doesn't want to call attention to herself. She has aged out of her job that she held for 40 years as a bookkeeper.

As usual in this trope, the transformation starts. It's fun to watch Ruth's personality and life change. She is a likeable woman, to begin with, but she discovers that life can be a social experience. She discovers emotion. She discovers fun. Ruth is surprised to discover that she is enjoying herself.

There is a a more serious portion of the story, involving a sister, with whom Ruth has had a contentious relationship for many years.

I really enjoyed this book. The only criticism I might give is that once the transformation of Ruth started, it happened very quickly, instead of gradually, which would have been more realistic. But, I can choose the believe that this social persona was just under the surface of Ruth's psyche, just waiting to burst forth. It's never too late for second chances.

Entertaining and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I enjoyed this one. The writing had a nice flow to it and I always wanted to keep reading. This is the author's first published novel although he's an award-winning journalist.

Ruth is 70 years old. She leads a rigid and carefully structured life. Perhaps she's a bit of a recluse. She's widowed and retired. To help supplement her income she babysits preschoolers in her neighbourhood. One day she receives an unexpected phone call from her estranged sister who needs her help. This will slowly change her life as she will come face to face with past grievances. More changes are still underway for her as someone from her past will re-enter her life and add some excitement.

It's a story about family, love, loss and grief. Most of all it reminds us that you are never too old to make changes! It's a good one!

Ruth is the main character and this story involves an old flame and also Ruths sister discovers she is ill. The story is so good and very relatable if you have had difficult situations with a sibling.
Ruth has made the best of her life so far and yet her sister manages to disrupt everything.
The author Marshall Fine is brilliant at bringing this tale to life. His accuracy about oldish ladies is superb. Great read.

Ruth Winters’s dreams of working in an art museum fell apart when, following college, she became her father’s full-time caregiver. She is now a widow who worked as a bookkeeper and does a bit of babysitting. There has been little joy in her life. Suddenly, she is called upon to help her long-estranged sister, who needs a ride to chemotherapy.

As decades of disputes, secrets, and missed opportunities unwind, perhaps it will be possible for Ruth to find a life that offers second chances.

I was a St. Louis Park classmate of the author, but … in a class of nearly 800 … you lose track of people. He has enjoyed a career that has landed him in Wikipedia. This is his first novel, but the skills developed in filmmaking and journalism serve him well.

I am really pleased to be able to recommend this novel.

A lovely, charming story about second chances. I read this one in a single sitting. Ruth is a character that will stick with me for a while.

The Autumn of Ruth Winters is a heartwarming tale that shows it's never too late to reinvent your life. Marshall Fine does an amazing job of showing the beauty in tragedy through the reunion of Ruth with her sister, Veronica. This book is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Berg or Anne Tyler. A great read!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ruth Winters is an elderly widow who is an introvert and set in her ways. Then her world is shaken by a phone call from her estranged sister and a message from an old school friend.
This is a charming novel that explores the themes of family relationships, forgiveness and second chances.
Be prepared for some heartbreaking scenes and a rather abrupt ending.
This would make a good book club read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated that the main character in this book was in her sixties. Everything I want to say about why I enjoyed this book would give spoilers, so just go read it! :)

I love books about ordinary people doing ordinary things. I didn't like Ruth Winters very much at first but as she grew as a person she grew on me. (you are never too old to change) Ruth has had a lot of trauma in her life and her relationship with her younger sister, Veronica has suffered because of it. When Veronica becomes ill and needs Ruth for rides to her doctor appointments the two start on a journey of forgiveness.

During this time Ruth's fiftieth high school reunion is coming up and an old school chum she went on a date with once contacts her. I loved reading about Ruth acting like a teenager and trying on clothes getting giddy for her date. It was so charming when she and her sister acted like the young girls they used to be.

I am so into books about other people's family drama and once again I find myself loving a book with realistic, older characters. And even though Ruth has to deal with her sister's illness this was still a feel-good story in the end. A story about a second chance at love, loss, family and teaching an old dog new tricks and one that deserves all the stars.

An unexpectedly glorious book about new seasons in life, repairing things that have been broken, and discovering that there is more inside of you than you realized, even (especially) in the later years when we are taught not to expect new possibilities. In other words, I loved it. This is a poignant, thoughtful, and thought-provoking book, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. The characters are so richly drawn, their interactions deep and surprising, and the inner life of the protagonist, Ruth, is vivid and filled with sly moments of humor. Five stars, and I look forward to more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the opportunity for me to review this book.

Marshall Fine creates an engrossing story of a woman nearing 70, faced with changes beyond her control. Early in life, Ruth Winters suffered the tragic loss of a parent and the sacrifice of her dreams in order to be the caregiver for years to the other parent. From then on, a rigid, bitter estrangement with her sister ensued and hardened right up to the present. Even through Ruth’s becoming a widow, her sister’s multiple marriages, and a beloved niece’s determination to keep connected with Ruth, that fragile relationship stayed broken. Ruth’s way of surviving was to live as risk-averse as possible through the use of the armor of barbed communications and fending off attention. In the present time when her sister contacts her, asking for help for the first time, Ruth’s defense shield is no longer viable – and she is with her sister during a life-threatening illness. Both Ruth and her sister face the decades of lost time and try to find a way to embrace each other and the present together. Their late-in-life, poignant, changing relationship is palpably portrayed, right up to the end.

The story deftly shifts back and forth from her early life to the present. While this can be seen as a “second chances” tale - which it is, it is more than that. An old school friend reconnects with Ruth, bringing up feelings and memories of their special attachment. It is about perceptions and in one’s firmly-held fixed beliefs and self-justifications – and the revealed cost as their validity erodes. Ruth faces a choice of sticking with the self-made fortress of her old life or opening up, even blossoming, to possibilities ahead. For those of us in Ruth’s age range, this writer’s story resonates well.

I am grateful to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley, and Marshall Fine for early access to this book. This opinion is all my own.

A feel good story about second chances.i would definitely recommend this. .

Thanks publisher and netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

Für Fans von "Eleanor Oliphant is conpletely fine" - schrulliger liebenswerter Charakter, zart und wärmend.

A heartwarming read all about families and second chances. It reminded me of a few other books I’ve read but it was still a sweet story. There were times I felt like it got a bit stuck but overall I’m glad I pushed through and finished it. A lovely feel good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is a story of second chances and forgiveness. Ruth is a retired, widowed lady who has decided she will just live the rest of her life alone. This book is about some unexpected changes in her life and how they give her hope for a second chance at life. I liked this story. I was glad Ruth was so open to new things in her life and looking to the future.

"That wasn’t Ruth's problem; she understood emotions all too well—lived in fear of them."
- The Autumn of Ruth Winters.

Thanks to #Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book called #TheAutumnofRuthWinters before its publication in exchange for an honest review. 

'The Autumn of Ruth Winters' by Marshall Fine is that kind of book that I have never read before. It's a lot different from the books I read.

This book is about Ruth Winters, a lady who is 'retired, widowed, and resigned to spending the rest of her life alone in her suburban home.'

This is a heartwarming story as we see Ruth learns and tries to live a life the way she wants and make peace with her past, as she hasn’t had a comfortable past.

She has never had this perfect relationship with her sister, but now her sister is dealing with a major illness, and we get to see Ruth feel tons of emotions for her, and for the first time, her sister relies on her. Even though, you think you don't care for someone, time tells you that you do, you do care for that person.

Ruth, in this journey, finds herself and reconnects with the people she thought were far away from her world. Being an introvert, not liking to do things without any routine, she learns to pick up the broken pieces of her heart and life, gets a second chance in life, and learns that as long as you are here in this journey called life, it's never too late to start something new and live for yourself. Once you understand that, it's never too late, and at the same time, there is never enough time. So you gotta live when you realize that you haven’t lived, even if you find yourself as someone who is so much behind in life. Because you are actually not. Life happens to people at their own pace. 

It's got 3.5/5 stars.🌻

This is a well crafted tale of second blooming. As we get to know the story of this reserved, quiet, unassuming woman you get the feeling that there is a strength and depth that has never found fertile soil from which she could grow and discover herself. Circumstances including a troubled sibling relationship, loss of one of her parents and the self-assumed obligation to care for the other combine to constrain Ruth's world. Marshall Fine paints finely detailed pictures as Ruth struggles to understand her sister and herself. Ultimately forgiving and acceptance becomes her key to reawakening a broader vision of herself, open to new experiences and new love from an unexpected source.