Customer Reviews

When Autumn Leaves: A Novel

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This novel is a magical and sweet story that is sure to appeal to women of all ages. I loved the characters and how the author played around with female archetypes, but mostly, I LOVED the setting! What a beautiful, sweet town this novel is set in. I was so enchanted by it that I googled the author, which I highly recommend doing if you fall in love with the town of Avening as much as I did. On her website, she has a little map of it!

Picked it up for the beautiful cover... and was so pleasantly surprised by the complex, magical yet realistic world within. I can't believe Avening, BC isn't a real place; I went as far as to look it up on the internet to see if we could visit it in case we ever go to British Columbia.

I think my favorite character was that of Piper, the children's book writer/mother of two teenage daughters. But there's certainly subtle appeal for any woman in each of the characters in this very special town.

When Autumn, the town of Avening's resident witch, gets news that she must move away from her beloved town because of a promotion to a higher coven, she must find a way replace herself as town witch. But who in Avening is in tune enough with her own personal magic to take over this huge responsibility?

Autumn has a list of likely candidates for the position, but she takes it upon herself to put an add in the paper seeking an apprentice. She has a year to find a high witch and the women who will be part of her coven - but how can she get them to open their eyes and believe in the magic in their lives?

This was actually surprisingly really good. I was a little thrown off when I realized that each chapter was a (loosely related) short story. As some of you might know, I am not a fan of short stories and after recently reading Olive Kitteridge, which sadly was a massive fail for me, I honestly thought this would fall in that same category. But, to my endless surprise, this was really good. I felt that I could relate to each story and each character in one way or another.

Throughout the book we encounter many of the town's gifted and unusual residents... but in the end who will she choose? Will it be Ellie the invisible researcher - who thanks to a magical pair of shoes becomes the life of the party? Ana - a married woman who falls in love with another woman's husband? Stella - a healer who needs change in her life and can only do that by capturing lightning in a bottle? The letters continue to arrive and, as each applicant's story entwines with Autumn's, the suspense begins to grow as to who her successor will be.

I was initially intrigued by the title and the (oh, so pretty) cover. But the tales in this book were all heart-warming, touching and, on more than one occasion, brought a tear to my eye. Although magic plays a big part in this novel, the subject matter was anything but light. These were real women, with real, everyday problems - none were perfect, but each was endearing in her own way.

As a woman, I felt that this book called to me. These women were brave, strong, and I saw aspects of myself as well as of my family and friends in some, if not all, of the characters. This is a heart-warming debut of coming to terms with the magical things we take for granted every day - our friends, our community, and, most of all, ourselves.

All in all, this is an exceptionally imaginative story riddled with vivid and quirky characters - making it a delightfully magical escape. It is a charming, cozy and very enjoyable book that I highly recommend.

Nestled in a small town off the coast of British Columbia is a place called Avening. The residents here have something special. There town is filled with magic and just near the outskirts of town lies a portal to another world. Avening is also the place where Autumn Avening calls home.

Autumn runs a new age shop called Demeter's Grove. She is also a member of the Jaen sisterhood. One day Sister Neal brings Autumn news that she has been promoted within the sisterhood. While Autumn is excited, she is quite ready to give up her duties, though she made a vow and she has to keep it. One plus is that Autumn gets to choose her replacement. She decides to make it into a competition. Who will Autumn choose? Will it be Ellie Penhaligan the shy newspapers reporter, who has the ability of invisibility? Or will it be Stella Darling, the brash loud mouth...or how about Piper Shigeru, mother of two?

When Autumn Leaves is author, Amy S. Foster's debut novel. Ms. Foster is a talented songwriter, so I was excited to see what her first novel would be like. While I didn't fully love this book, I did think Amy did a gallant effort with her first novel. I was expecting more magic to be performed in this story. Also, I felt like the first half of the book moved a little slow as it explained and talked about the different characters before I got to the meat of the story. My favorite character was Ellie. She was sweet and innocent. It was nice to see her grow as the story progressed. When Autumn Leaves did leave me wanting to see what Amy S. Foster comes up with next.

In the brick and mortar bookstore, I was lured by the cover of this book and couldn't resist buying it. I seldom buy a book based on the cover, seldom pay full price for books, and seldom purchase a book without first checking Amazon reviews and seeing if it is worth the money. I was pleasantly surprised that this novel itself was even more captivating than the front cover.

Autumn Avening lives in Avening, Washington which is the romantically magical setting for this book. The story has fairy tale qualities that adults can enjoy. Throughout the book we encounter many of the village's gifted and unusual residents and guests. The primary storyline is that Autumn is looking for an apprentice and successor, as she moves on from Avening. She has one year to do this and decides to hold a contest. Having laid that groundwork, the author then takes the reader through a journey of meeting various characters who make up the town of Avening. In the end, everything comes together and before you know it the book is over. For me, this book provided pure escapism. It was fantastical but never felt at all silly!

This was one of the rare instances that I actually cared to go to the author's website. Amy S. Foster did a great job of unfolding this unique story. I have seen references to her writing numerous times as "lyrical". With all due respect, this is not the case. Yes, the author is a lyricist and has written award-winning songs. But the language here did not strike me as lyrical, a term that I feel is widely overused today! Amy Foster's language and writing was good, solid, and fluid. It was cohesive and while she introduced many characters, there was little confusion and she took time to tell each one's backstory to the reader's satisfaction. I have read many other books that had a large cast of characters that was never developed enough to care about them or remember them--not the case here, to Amy Foster's credit. (The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble completely failed in this respect.)

_When Autumn Leaves_ succeeded in telling a great story, developing interesting characters, progressing the story and reaching a successful conclusion. I was entertained, *really* entertained. What I loved about this book was the setting--very well done by the author--the characters were great, I loved that it was a book about women, and it created a magical escape without feeling juvenile or ridiculous! This was a charming, cozy, enjoyable book.

Don't judge a book by it's cover! But I bought this book because of it's interesting cover....The town of Avening is filled with magic...from the drug store that dispenses love potions, to the cobbler who can change personalities by wearing his shoes. The witch, Autumn, who is the heart of the town must leave, and she must find her replacement. Many of the women in town are good candidates, but they also have their shortcomings. The book is made up of small vignettes of each woman's current struggles with life, and how they overcome them. It is a light, quick, pleasant read. The cover, however, will have you daydreaming of Halloween decorations and smelling pumpkin pie.

I can see why Amy foster is an award winning lyricist, her words flow effortlessly and magically on the page, you get caught up in her fantasy, and forget it isn't real. Every character has a personality and texture, and I found myself feeling as though I would love
Living in avening. The only disappointing part was that the book wasn't longer. I hope she rights another book based in avening and telling is what has evolved with each of the characters. If you like any of Addison books like garden spells, ypunwill love this book!

I fell in love with this book, pure and simple. I can't choose a favorite character--each of the women had at least one quality that I could relate to. I loved that the magical and the very realistic aspects of this town and its inhabitants were interwoven throughout the story. The thing I loved the most about this story is the way the author describes the magical events that occur. She writes about them in a way that seems matter-of-fact, so that the reader accepts it without question, the way the reporter who visits Piper does in the novel.

The book is fast-paced and compelling, but it also had some real substance to it--it's much more than just a beach book or a quick summer read. I truly didn't want it to end and wished it were longer. Maybe Amy S. Foster will write some more novels that take place in Avening--I can only hope!

When Autumn Leaves is a tale of the strange things that happen in small towns, often overlooked by the inhabitants. Autumn is the local guide and healer, a so-called witch to some. It's time for Autumn to leave (a so-called promotion) from her curent position, and she's in desperate need of an apprentice. She has a year to find her replacement, but doesn't know how she can convince her prospective candidates to accept the magic that is woven into their own lives.
Each chapter of the book is written in the form of a short story, which leads the reader to better comprehend each character that enters into Autumn's tale.
An exceptionally well written and magical novel, filled with imagination and wonder.

Title: When Autumn Leaves
Author: Amy S. Foster
Grade: A
Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls, 16 - Adult

Summary: Avening is a small, secluded town, but one that is undoubtedly magical. One of its residents, the equally magical Autumn, is a Jaen sister, but it is time for her to find thirteen new members, including one leader to be her successor. She has one year to search, and while doing so the reader learns about the lives of the endearing citizens of Avening.

We read about Ellie, who has always felt invisible and unnoticed, and her journey to find friends and a life for herself. We read about Ana, who is torn between her family and the love of her life. We meet more characters, who are all being considered in Autumn's search, including the vivacious Stella and the heartbroken Parker.

While Autumn helps the women find love and comfort within their lives, she has struggles of her own. Does she have enough time to find thirteen capable Jaen sisters? Even more to the point: is anybody in Avening worthy of being the new leader?

My thoughts: Foster's melodically written tale is heartwarming and inspiring. The characters connect very closely to the reader, and when the main plot slows, there are multiple subplots that move the story along.

Older teens and adults will enjoy reading and re-reading When Autumn Leaves, the perfect novel to celebrate the now-upcoming winter.