The Autumn of Ruth Winters by Marshall Fine

 

4*

Ruth Winters, who is presumably autistic, had spent the entirety of her adult life putting herself last and giving up her dream of a career in the art world. She also suffers from social anxiety, which contributes to her aversion to change. However, after spending her young adulthood serving as caregiver to her incapacitated father and many more years married to her late husband who was more of a roommate than love match, she finds herself at loose ends after being laid off. So, life begins to change whether she’s ready for it or not.

Aside from the babysitting she falls into, her life is small and lonely. She only has her loving niece Chloe and a highly-contentiously relationship with her sister, Ronnie. Then, in anticipation of her 50th high school reunion, she hears from an old crush, Martin, who wants to see her. She also gets some awful news from her sister which sets them on the road to reconciliation. It’s both humorous and heartwarming watching Ruth’s self-confidence build as others come to rely on her and, with the attention from both Martin and her sister, witnessing her really come out of the self-imposed cocoon she’d been wrapped in for decades.

As a woman almost as old as 68-year-old Ruth, I could relate to so much of what she has gone through. Her transformation is really inspiring for those of us who have sacrificed so much for our children, or in Ruth’s case, for her father and late husband, especially when we find ourselves lonely for companionship, reminiscing about our youth, and questioning some of the decisions we made that have caused some degree of regret. I know I’m not alone in occasionally thinking about “the one who got away” and how it would play out if given the chance to reconnect.

I liked almost everything about this book except the very abrupt ending. I would have preferred to see more of Ruth and Martin’s relationship building and have some insight into where Ruth’s life was heading. However, it is still a worthwhile, character-driven read that has left me pondering my own life choices, which is a great way to get my mind off of current events that I can’t control. Recommended.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.