Let me say that I adored Ruth Winters!
She is an elderly widow who has lived her whole life alone except for the children she babysits now. It is a comfortable life.
She was married, has an estranged sister and has a wonderful niece that she loves, but she is set in her ways to a fault.
The past for Ruth was never easy. There weren't many friends.. She never moved out of her comfort zone to make acquaintances or try new things. She always did the right thing.
Failing was not an option, yet, was she ever happy?

But, times change and it is never too late to try and forgive the people she knew and make new choices to find joy..
This is Ruth Winter's time to move forward and it is wonderful!
I enjoyed going back to Ruth's young days as I remember my own.
I simply admired her for who she is now and then! I am quite sure many will also like this story and Ruth Winters.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Lake Union Publishing for thie ARC and allowing to read and review this novel.
Well Done!

The Autumn of Ruth Winters comes from a competent pen. Ruth Winters is a septuagenarian, who has lived her life asserting her boundaries.
She rethinks her reclusive life, choices, the circumstances that had led her to where she is as she reconnects with her nemesis (no spoilers), her other family members and older acquaintances.
Interestingly, except for the things that Ruth could not control and the fact that she had to give up some of her dreams because of those obligations and circumstances, I found her to be a developed character from the start.
It was lovely seeing her what she can and wants to change. but my takeaway was mostly about her reflections and assertion.
Characterisation 5/5
Plot 4/5
Writing 4/5

This novel follows Ruth, a 70 year old woman, who is sort of sleepwalking through life. She doesn't have much contact with people outside of her side gig of babysitting. That is until she gets a call from her estranged sister with the news that she's sick with liver cancer. Ruth slowly mends her relationship with her sister and starts to spend time getting to know her niece. The transformation of Ruth was so inspiring, this book was so enjoyable to read.

This book follows an original premise, we are following a retiree that goes through a shift in her routine-based lifestyle, after receiving life-changing news from her sister, who she hasn’t spoken to in quite a while. The character growth is immense as she learns to adapt to an ever-changing world.

I think many readers would love this novel, as it brings out so many emotions and reveals how hard life can be, even as you grow old. A glimpse of romance brought light to the story and would please any romance lover. It is also a very unique story, as it follows an older woman who is surrounded with grief, which is not as common in fiction, I thought it was well written and personally really enjoyed it.

I really liked the story structure, with a mix of memories, letters to the present time. I really enjoyed the inner voice, revealing Ruth’s emotions, beliefs and feelings. Especially to get a glimpse at her view on herself as well as others, and the view others have on her. I like the pun in the name/title, with the seasons.

I really enjoyed being able to relate to the character, even though I am not a retiree, Marshall Fine did an excellent job in making the characters feel their age, not younger or older.

I quite enjoyed following Ruth’s emotions, I think the writing style enables us to see how people you might not expect to experience pain, still do. Which makes sure you are able to feel compassionate, frustrated and much more for many characters throughout the story. I also really enjoyed that the conversation of the difficulties women faced after losing their husband, when they had not done any of the administrative chores within the household.

I appreciate the ending, which is a hopeful and positive, with a lot of character growth. This was an amazing read and I would recommend it to many.

As children, Ruth and her younger sister, Veronica were playmates and enjoyed each other. As adults, they hadn’t spoken or seen each other for several years. Ruth, age 70, a widow and retired, childless herself, babysits for preschool age children in her neighborhood to supplement her income. Ruth is somewhat of a recluse, keeping to herself, doesn’t give anyone her phone number or e-mail address. She keeps her cell phone, the only phone she has, in a kitchen drawer since she had little use for it.
The day an unexpected phone call comes from her sister, completely changes her life. Veronica asked Ruth to drive her to her chemotherapy appointment. Ruth was shocked to learn that her sister has liver cancer. Ruth struggled with the old feelings of resentment towards her sister but made the decision to step out of her comfort zone and help her.
Ruth begins to blossom as she opens her heart to her sister, spending time with her and her niece, Chloe. It is also the year of her 50th high school reunion. She’d never been to a reunion yet and certainly wasn’t planning to attend this one. In high school she’d had one date with Martin Daly, who then moved away, never to be heard from again, until he tracks her down to inquire if she’ll be attending the reunion. Veronica encourages Ruth to attend so she can tell her all about it, commenting she’ll never get to go to her own reunion.
This is a beautiful, heartfelt story of forgiveness and second chances. The characters are loveable and unforgettable. After the last page was turned, this heartwarming story stayed with me.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

An absolutely beautiful novel! As a reader of a "certain age" I both fell in love and was inspired by this woman whose life at this age is rapidly changing.

The author has skillfully woven in the biography of Ruth and her reasonable dissatisfaction with her life. But, he also gives us reason to understand that her life isn't over and LOVE, many kinds of love, can help her reinvent herself.

I can't wait to share this with my reading groups. We have so much to discuss about Ruth and so much to talk about in her future!

Thank you Netgalley for this exquisite novel.

The concept for this book was very intriguing and (I hoped) heartwarming, but something about the way it was presented just didn’t do it for me. I found the writing quite “choppy”, in that sometimes it would bounce from idea to unrelated idea with no warning. I also am not sure that the author’s narrative voice is best suited to the main character - her thoughts/dialogue felt cliché and uninspired. I would’ve liked a bit more of something new and different in that regard. I found the author’s voice was also a bit inconsistent; while I understand this may be on account of the main character’s neurodivergence, some things felt so out of place, and going from using plain language to casually dropping “inveterate autodidact” in a sentence can really throw readers off.

Ruth Winters doesn’t like change, thank you very much. Widowed 20 years, she babysits and lives a small life. This book is about the autumn of her life, reconnecting with her sister, who left her to care for their ailing father after Ruth graduated. Ruth believes the right thing is always the hardest thing to do.

It’s a character study of an introverted, rigid, empath. Ruth is really devoted to the stories she has about herself, and over the course of the story, little by little, these start allowing her to finally grow. She even attends her 50 year reunion.

It is a quick read, not triggering, but not what I would call heartwarming, it lacks the emotion for that. I found myself rooting for Ruth, but didn’t find myself terribly invested in any other characters.

A solid effort for a debut novelist.
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.
Book will be released November 4, 2024.

I enjoyed Ruth’s story of transformation very much! I wanted more of Ruth with the children and with the neighborhood mothers especially Jane. I thought there was too much backstory, particularly about Veronica’s life and husbands. I love a story with an older woman main character (hey, she’s exactly my age!) and to have a romance added in just added the icing on the cake.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this story. Ruth was someone I could see a lot of myself in and that scared me. I loved her growth as a character and seeing her grow into herself. My sisters and I have such a strong bond it is scary to think what would happen if our relationship became strained. It's not a quick easy read, but definitely a nice one that follows Ruth's life showing the good, the bad, and the unfortunate.

Following her journey and seeing her heal her relationship with her sister was heartwarming and something I really wanted to see.

This might sound silly but I originally decided to read this book because I have two middle names “Autumn Ruth” and those are the words that stuck out to me in the title. I had a feeling I just had to read this novel. And I’m really glad I did.

This book tells a story of a woman named Ruth Winters. This is a story about second chances, about family and how it’s never too late to find yourself/ enjoy life. Ruth is an older woman who retired and spends her days alone at home. This might not be what she dreamed off but she was content with the routine she found herself in. Until a few things happen that shakes things up for her. She is then to forced to slowly change her view of how her life could be. We got to see Ruth blossom into an incredible, loving character. This book really touched my heart in so many ways. And I think it’s one that I’ll think about for a long time.

Wow what a one of a kind story!
One that will stay with you forever.
Ruth Winters is truly an amazing woman that I admired greatly. Especially her patience. I loved "watching" her turn into the butterfly I knew she could be.
I believe this book will soon be a timeless classic that readers will come to love.
Family is everything and so are second chances.
Timing is everything and in the Lord's own timing. Ruth is beautiful proof of that.
This was an amazing read and one that I truly savored because I didn't want it to end.
I was curious about the song the Spanish Flea that Ruth's dad seemed to like so I found myself listening to it. Pretty cool and very close to the Big Band sound that my grandparents grew up with.
5 stars for a wonderful historical read that I learned much from and also kept my attention.
I highly recommend this story.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I really enjoyed this book. Well written, and really examined old thoughts, feelings and memories, and how different reality was from those memories. This book will stay with me.

This was such a good book. The story was well developed and enjoyable. I would recommend this book! Pick it up on pub day.

Absolutely love this book. I think it reflects what alot of older women go through. The author does a great job of making the characters realistic and you generally want to see them succeed.

Absolutely love everything about the message of this book. Just when you think everything is slowing down you’re just getting started! Beyond excited to share my full thoughts and review on this book. I apologize I’m a bit behind on reviews due to an unexpected health issue but I’m slowly catching up and cannot wait to share my thoughts and get this into readers hands. Perfect for a book club