Title: The Autumn of Ruth Winters
Author: Marshall Fine
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: November 5, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from Lake Union Publishing and Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Wholesome • Witty • Relatable

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Ruth Winters is retired, widowed, and resigned to spending the rest of her life alone in her suburban home. She likes her routine and uses it to avoid having to spend time with other people. She probably wouldn’t call herself fulfilled, but it’s too late now to go chasing happiness.

Then three things happen at a beloved niece makes a big announcement, an old flame reaches out, and her estranged sister receives life-changing news. Ruth finds herself reconnecting with people she thought were long gone from her world, as she is forced to reconsider her expectations for this phase of her life.

None of this fits into Ruth’s routine—in fact, the whole thing just blows to bits. But when Ruth starts to pick up the pieces, she discovers that maybe it’s not too late to make something new after all.

💭 T H O U G H T S

As soon as I knew The Autumn of Ruth Winters featured an older, stuck-in-her-ways main character, I added it to my list of anticipated 2024 releases. This is a subgenre I gravitate towards and typically always enjoy reading.

Ruth is one of those characters I really adored. She's not always likeable, and often slightly grumpy, yet I was along for the ride of discovering the reasons behind her harden shell. In many ways she was highly relatable and deeply human. Her relationship with the kids was one of my favourite parts of the story. Her character growth from the beginning to the end was a journey in understanding human connection. I don't know what it says about me that I'm frequently drawn to the grumpy characters.

The writing is simple and the plot is well paced, however, the ending was rather abrupt. The major themes include loneliness and forgiveness, with the main plot centering around the healing of Ruth's broken relationship with her sister, of opening herself up to new relationships, and accepting that life doesn't always go how we'd planned.

Listening to the audiobook, narrated by Joyce Bean, was an enjoyable companion to reading with my eyeballs. The narration brings Ruth's character to life and added a layer of humour I wouldn't have gotten from solely reading the words.

The Autumn of Ruth Winters is one of those gentle and easy reads perfect for the duller days of fall. It's a reminder that it's never too late to mend relationships and open yourself up to new ideas and opportunities. Marshall Fine's debut novel isn't one that will change your life and may be forgettable, yet it's worth picking up for the deeply human nature of Ruth's growth. A new author for me to keep an eye on.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• older MCs
• ordinary characters
• quiet stories

⚠️ CW: cancer, terminal illness, death, death of parent, death of sibling, grief, car accident, toxic relationship, pregnancy

The autumn of Ruth Winters - Marshall Fine -audiobook

I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did but it kinda reminds me of Ove but a woman instead.

Ruth is a childless widow and she was forced into retirement. She now watches other people’s kids and has a rather isolated life. That is until her estranged sister calls her out of the blue to ask her for a favor. To drive her to her chemo appointment…

Ruth starts to see things differently and she finds herself saying yes when she normally says no.

It was heartwarming and sad. I felt all the feels with this book. The narration was perfect. It really give the whole book a much more rounded appeal.

I loved Ruth. She went through a lot but my heart aches for her sister. So many mistakes made and so much time lost. It was a really great family drama with second chances in abundance.

I loved it. I don’t read a lot of domestic fiction but this book blew my expectations. Well paced, beautifully written and such amazing characters, I was humbled by this book and it really sent a message of hope that no matter has happened to you, you can always find the sunshine.

5 stars

3.5 ⭐️for Ruth Winters! It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it. This is a book on healing, sisterly relationships, and taking control of your life and the choices you make in it. I liked Ruth better as the story went on and I appreciated the storyline between her and Veronica and their backstory and how that affected their relationship when the book takes place. It was a good read that ended on a hopeful note.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Autumn of Ruth Winters" and all opinions expressed are my own. I have both the kindle book and audio book. I listened to the audiobook. This was a good story and I enjoyed listening to the book. The story is about grief but also forgiveness and second chances.

Super sweet and fun read. Love unique characters that end up being loved for their weirdness. Loved her finding some happiness after a hard time in life.

This was a moving debut story about estranged sisters, second chances, regrets and reconciliations as Ruth and Veronica find themselves unexpectedly reunited later in age thanks to a horrible cancer diagnosis.

The book was mainly told from Ruth's perspective, a woman who has mostly lived her life being misunderstood and ridiculed but yet always yearning for love and acceptance. I loved embarking on Ruth's journey of healing and forgiveness with her dying sister as they rehash their hurtful pasts.

Great on audio narrated by Joyce Bean and perfect for fans of books like How does that make you feel, Magda Eklund? Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

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.

"The Autumn of Ruth Winters" is an absolute gem of a book! From the very first page, I felt a deep connection to Ruth, the protagonist. Growing up as an outsider, her struggle to find her place in the world resonates deeply. Now retired, Ruth seems to accept a lonely, repetitive life, but everything changes when her sister falls ill, her niece shares exciting news, and her long-lost school crush reaches out.

These unexpected events force Ruth to confront her past and reconnect with family and friends in a truly heartwarming way. Her journey of transformation and healing is beautifully portrayed, reminding us all that it's never too late to embrace change and seek a fabulous future.

This book had me laughing out loud and brought a few tears to my eyes as well. It’s a stunning second-chance story that beautifully captures the complexities of life and love. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the chance to listen to this audio ARC for my honest review.