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The Heart of Winter
The extraordinary new novel by Jonathan Evison, about a married couple in their golden years, from when they met across big ups, deep downs, and survive-it-all, opposites-attract love
Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke were never meant to be together—at least if you ask Ruth. Yet their catastrophic blind date in college evolved into a seventy-year marriage and a life on a farm on Bainbridge Island with their hens and beloved Labrador, Megs. Through the years, the Winters have fallen in and out of lockstep, and from their haunting losses and guarded secrets, a dependable partnership has been forged.
But when Ruth’s loose tooth turns out to be something much more malicious, the beautiful, reliable life they’ve created together comes to a crisis. As Ruth struggles with her crumbling independence, Abe must learn how to take care of her while their three living children question his ability to look after his wife. And once again, the couple has to reconfigure how to be there for each other.
In this bighearted and profound portrait of a marriage, Jonathan Evison explores seventy years of big moments in subtle ways, elegantly braiding the Winters’ turbulent history with their present-day battles, showing us how the oddly paired college kids became parents, fell apart and back together, andgrew into the Abe and Ruth of today. Endlessly heartwarming and moving, The Heart of Winter is a reminder that true love lives in small, everyday moments.
Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke were never meant to be together—at least if you ask Ruth. Yet their catastrophic blind date in college evolved into a seventy-year marriage and a life on a farm on Bainbridge Island with their hens and beloved Labrador, Megs. Through the years, the Winters have fallen in and out of lockstep, and from their haunting losses and guarded secrets, a dependable partnership has been forged.
But when Ruth’s loose tooth turns out to be something much more malicious, the beautiful, reliable life they’ve created together comes to a crisis. As Ruth struggles with her crumbling independence, Abe must learn how to take care of her while their three living children question his ability to look after his wife. And once again, the couple has to reconfigure how to be there for each other.
In this bighearted and profound portrait of a marriage, Jonathan Evison explores seventy years of big moments in subtle ways, elegantly braiding the Winters’ turbulent history with their present-day battles, showing us how the oddly paired college kids became parents, fell apart and back together, andgrew into the Abe and Ruth of today. Endlessly heartwarming and moving, The Heart of Winter is a reminder that true love lives in small, everyday moments.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2025
576 people are currently reading
26548 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Evison
17 books1,221 followersJonathan Evison is the New York Times Bestselling author of All About Lulu, West of Here, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, This is Your Life, Harriet Chance!, and Lawn Boy.
In his teens, Evison was the founding member and frontman of the Seattle punk band March of Crimes, which included future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Born in San Jose, California, he now lives on an island in Western Washington.
In his teens, Evison was the founding member and frontman of the Seattle punk band March of Crimes, which included future members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
Born in San Jose, California, he now lives on an island in Western Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,245 reviews
March 31, 2025
A week ago, my husband and I took a day trip to Solvang (CA) with our corgis, Oliver and Oscar. It was my first time in five years venturing out of our county since Covid began. But mostly, it was our reward to ourselves for the grueling couple of years we have endured between us, with our own medical challenges.
A couple of years ago, my husband was fighting a parasite that ended up costing him his gall bladder, and also leaving him with a vertigo condition, now gratefully under control. Then I got cancer, which fortunately is in remission and is currently being monitored. So, having this opportunity to celebrate this freedom from revolving door doctor’s visits, on a beautiful sunny day was a delightful treat.
As we drove the hour and few minutes towards our destination, we talked about what we appreciated about our marriage. How important communication is between us. It was easy to share how much we valued our friendship and companionship and deep love for one another. And, especially noting how important this is for a couple in achieving a long-term commitment to one another.
Which leads me to this book and the couple, in this story, Abe and Ruth Winter who have been married to one another for 70 years. Imagine 70 years!
But first let us talk about the title of this book. The Heart ♥️of Winter. When you meet this couple and begin reading about them, the title will become clearer to readers. And, reading this during the winter, makes it feel even that more cozy.
We start the story with Abe feeling his 90 years, and amazed at the energy and abilities of his beautiful 80+ year-old wife, Ruth, who he is thinking will do just fine without him, as he keeps feeling that he has not much longer for this earth. Until suddenly they are faced with her cancer. If this is the case, Abe can’t leave now. She will need him.
Now, reading about Ruth’s cancer, I needed to pause a moment. It seems lately I have been drawn to books with older protagonists, facing their end-of-life and debilitating dis-eases. What is with me, these days and this attraction to these-type- of-stories?
Actually, although this subject would appear maudlin, I find it just the opposite. The characters are truly inspiring. Thoughtful. Real. Heart-felt. In many ways, they calm me. Help me to relax about my own health challenges. Recognize how living and be-ing in the moment can create a balance and appreciation for life.
And, as readers navigate their long and imperfect life through the eyes of Abe and Ruth, we can’t help but feel our own mortality in a similar way. Grateful for each day we are here. Appreciating the special moments.
“What made life truly precious could not be measured by achievement, or even service. To live fully was not an obligation or an act of faith, it wasn’t a state of being at all, but a capacity, a willingness to engage the smallest and most unexpected aspects of being alive, to remain curious and open to the unforeseen and hitherto unrecognizable. …To live fully was to recognize and acknowledge the tiniest of beauties, those ever present, immutable though often elusive truths, pure and simple as a raindrop on a daisy.”
A raindrop on a daisy. Pure and simple moments. Yes. Be-ing in the moment. Exactly why I love books like this one.
The story takes us back and forth in time so that readers get a sense of the fullness of Abe and Ruth’s lives. Including how Abe and Ruth came into their relationship, their family, friends, their losses, heartaches, disappointments, and all the challenges, sometimes sadness, even indiscretions, and heart-felt moments, prior to the present.
“Time did not march on methodically, minute by minute, day by day; it sprinted away from us in mad bursts, a thief in flight.”
But it was mostly being in the present that I appreciated.
Maybe I just wanted to know what would happen. How their adult children would be for them. How they would be for their adult children. But mostly how they would be for each other. Because, whether I wanted to admit it or not, I believed even fiction books could be great teachers for readers. And, in that regard, this book does not disappoint. Even, the love of their dog Megs is felt deeply. Keep the Kleenex close.
A couple of years ago, my husband was fighting a parasite that ended up costing him his gall bladder, and also leaving him with a vertigo condition, now gratefully under control. Then I got cancer, which fortunately is in remission and is currently being monitored. So, having this opportunity to celebrate this freedom from revolving door doctor’s visits, on a beautiful sunny day was a delightful treat.
As we drove the hour and few minutes towards our destination, we talked about what we appreciated about our marriage. How important communication is between us. It was easy to share how much we valued our friendship and companionship and deep love for one another. And, especially noting how important this is for a couple in achieving a long-term commitment to one another.
Which leads me to this book and the couple, in this story, Abe and Ruth Winter who have been married to one another for 70 years. Imagine 70 years!
But first let us talk about the title of this book. The Heart ♥️of Winter. When you meet this couple and begin reading about them, the title will become clearer to readers. And, reading this during the winter, makes it feel even that more cozy.
We start the story with Abe feeling his 90 years, and amazed at the energy and abilities of his beautiful 80+ year-old wife, Ruth, who he is thinking will do just fine without him, as he keeps feeling that he has not much longer for this earth. Until suddenly they are faced with her cancer. If this is the case, Abe can’t leave now. She will need him.
Now, reading about Ruth’s cancer, I needed to pause a moment. It seems lately I have been drawn to books with older protagonists, facing their end-of-life and debilitating dis-eases. What is with me, these days and this attraction to these-type- of-stories?
Actually, although this subject would appear maudlin, I find it just the opposite. The characters are truly inspiring. Thoughtful. Real. Heart-felt. In many ways, they calm me. Help me to relax about my own health challenges. Recognize how living and be-ing in the moment can create a balance and appreciation for life.
And, as readers navigate their long and imperfect life through the eyes of Abe and Ruth, we can’t help but feel our own mortality in a similar way. Grateful for each day we are here. Appreciating the special moments.
“What made life truly precious could not be measured by achievement, or even service. To live fully was not an obligation or an act of faith, it wasn’t a state of being at all, but a capacity, a willingness to engage the smallest and most unexpected aspects of being alive, to remain curious and open to the unforeseen and hitherto unrecognizable. …To live fully was to recognize and acknowledge the tiniest of beauties, those ever present, immutable though often elusive truths, pure and simple as a raindrop on a daisy.”
A raindrop on a daisy. Pure and simple moments. Yes. Be-ing in the moment. Exactly why I love books like this one.
The story takes us back and forth in time so that readers get a sense of the fullness of Abe and Ruth’s lives. Including how Abe and Ruth came into their relationship, their family, friends, their losses, heartaches, disappointments, and all the challenges, sometimes sadness, even indiscretions, and heart-felt moments, prior to the present.
“Time did not march on methodically, minute by minute, day by day; it sprinted away from us in mad bursts, a thief in flight.”
But it was mostly being in the present that I appreciated.
Maybe I just wanted to know what would happen. How their adult children would be for them. How they would be for their adult children. But mostly how they would be for each other. Because, whether I wanted to admit it or not, I believed even fiction books could be great teachers for readers. And, in that regard, this book does not disappoint. Even, the love of their dog Megs is felt deeply. Keep the Kleenex close.
December 14, 2024
I’m so surprised how much I loved this story of Abe and Ruth. This is a beautiful look into a long marriage with ups and downs and so many in between moments. Enduring marriages are fascinating to me and it was lovely to read about these well developed characters.
Clean language/content and one to recommend!
Clean language/content and one to recommend!
January 20, 2025
Folks, there’s an awful lot of horrid stuff going on in this world, so I will not apologize for reading a book now and then that could be viewed as “fluff”. It’s something I require now and then because—in all honesty—it’s how I stay sane. It’s how I calm my anxiety.
The Heart of Winter is about Abe and Ruth. They met on a blind date while attending the University of Washington in the early 1950s. They were opposites. He was old-fashioned; she was a free-spirit. He was a Republican; she was a Democrat. For him, it was love at first sight; for her, not at all. But eventually—thanks to his good manners and persistence—she came around, and soon they were pregnant and married (in that order). As the book begins, he’s turning 90; she’s just a couple years behind. They have three remaining adult children and problems like anyone else. She’s just had a cancer diagnosis and the kids threaten to move her into a home! But Abe and Ruth Winter have been married an astonishing 70 years. And nothing’s going to come between them now!!🧑🤝👩
Like an only child is drawn to large families, I’ve always been drawn to long marriages! So this book seemed like just the ticket for me. The Winters have been together forever. They raised four children (sadly, one died as a teen), in a large farmhouse on several acres of land off the coast of Washington. To me, that sounds like a big happy family, and one I'd find comfort in. (I think it would be wonderful to be raised in a family like that!) But the Winters’ marriage is NOT perfect. There are days—sometimes even weeks—when Ruth can’t stand Abe! And he feels the same way. But they never, ever give up! They're in it for the long haul, so they both have to compromise now and then. They have their troubles, but they always work them out. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had a marriage like that? I gave up on my marriage but, I had to, and ever since, it's made me sad to watch young couples giving up on marriage so quickly. Packing it in at the first sign of trouble isn’t a good way to go. Take it from the Winters. There can be little more satisfying than sharing your life—both the ups and the downs—with someone who truly is your better half. The foundation of a great marriage is a true friendship.
I have to admit now that this book is absolutely NOT “fluff”. It’s a solid story about a great marriage between two very interesting people, and I highly recommend it.
5 “Friends-for-life” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Heart of Winter is about Abe and Ruth. They met on a blind date while attending the University of Washington in the early 1950s. They were opposites. He was old-fashioned; she was a free-spirit. He was a Republican; she was a Democrat. For him, it was love at first sight; for her, not at all. But eventually—thanks to his good manners and persistence—she came around, and soon they were pregnant and married (in that order). As the book begins, he’s turning 90; she’s just a couple years behind. They have three remaining adult children and problems like anyone else. She’s just had a cancer diagnosis and the kids threaten to move her into a home! But Abe and Ruth Winter have been married an astonishing 70 years. And nothing’s going to come between them now!!🧑🤝👩
Like an only child is drawn to large families, I’ve always been drawn to long marriages! So this book seemed like just the ticket for me. The Winters have been together forever. They raised four children (sadly, one died as a teen), in a large farmhouse on several acres of land off the coast of Washington. To me, that sounds like a big happy family, and one I'd find comfort in. (I think it would be wonderful to be raised in a family like that!) But the Winters’ marriage is NOT perfect. There are days—sometimes even weeks—when Ruth can’t stand Abe! And he feels the same way. But they never, ever give up! They're in it for the long haul, so they both have to compromise now and then. They have their troubles, but they always work them out. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had a marriage like that? I gave up on my marriage but, I had to, and ever since, it's made me sad to watch young couples giving up on marriage so quickly. Packing it in at the first sign of trouble isn’t a good way to go. Take it from the Winters. There can be little more satisfying than sharing your life—both the ups and the downs—with someone who truly is your better half. The foundation of a great marriage is a true friendship.
I have to admit now that this book is absolutely NOT “fluff”. It’s a solid story about a great marriage between two very interesting people, and I highly recommend it.
5 “Friends-for-life” stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 5, 2025
Ruth Warneke and Abe Winter were never destined to be together. With different opinions on everything from life to politics, these two couldn’t be more opposite. But a disastrous date in college leads to seventy years of marriage, through the toils and tribulations that come with it. When a loose tooth turns into a cancer diagnosis for Ruth, their beautiful life together is threatened.
This book. I knew it would be impactful from the second chapter when I teared up as I realized that the Heart of Winter was going to be so much more profound than at first glance. I felt incredibly sad as I read their beautiful love a lifetime story, and yet I was so compelled to keep going (almost a parallel to their marriage). This book covers important life themes including love and loss, forgiveness, loss of self, the hardships of parenting, etc. But at its very core is a simple love story that spans generations.
This is a very quiet book, perfect to binge on a cold winter’s day. I do not want to say more as this is a book you should read without a lot of backstory, however, let’s just say this is a must read. And if you are so inclined, the audiobook is absolutely fantastic.
CW: There are a few. Please check prior to reading if you are sensitive.
✨ Favorites of 2025
Read if you like:
▪️quiet reads
▪️family centered
▪️lovable characters
▪️historical fiction
▪️books about marriage
▪️dual timeline
▪️The Notebook
Thank you Dutton Books and PRH Audio for the gifted copies and The Alisᵗᵐ for the buddy read.
This book. I knew it would be impactful from the second chapter when I teared up as I realized that the Heart of Winter was going to be so much more profound than at first glance. I felt incredibly sad as I read their beautiful love a lifetime story, and yet I was so compelled to keep going (almost a parallel to their marriage). This book covers important life themes including love and loss, forgiveness, loss of self, the hardships of parenting, etc. But at its very core is a simple love story that spans generations.
This is a very quiet book, perfect to binge on a cold winter’s day. I do not want to say more as this is a book you should read without a lot of backstory, however, let’s just say this is a must read. And if you are so inclined, the audiobook is absolutely fantastic.
CW: There are a few. Please check prior to reading if you are sensitive.
✨ Favorites of 2025
Read if you like:
▪️quiet reads
▪️family centered
▪️lovable characters
▪️historical fiction
▪️books about marriage
▪️dual timeline
▪️The Notebook
Thank you Dutton Books and PRH Audio for the gifted copies and The Alisᵗᵐ for the buddy read.
October 30, 2024
Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke met on a blind date in college, Abe was smitten from the start and Ruth found him annoying. Seventy years later Abe is about to turn ninety and Ruth is eighty seven and they look back at the highs and lows of their marriage.
They bought a farm on Bainbridge Island a ferry ride away from Seattle, here they raised their four children, Ruth tended her garden and chickens and joined the local church and Abe was a successful insurance salesman’s.
Ruth has a sore tooth, she thinks it’s because of her age and she’s shocked when it turns out to be something serious. Abe always thought he would be the one to go first and he would rather it be him, and Ruth is facing major surgery and a long recovery and the loss of her independence. The couple’s children think they should sell the farm, Abe and Ruth won’t hear of it, they love the place, and they dig their heels in.
Like many men of his generation Abe has been looked after by his wife and domestic duties are new concept to him, this is about to change and he has to fend for himself and look after Meg the dog while Ruth’s in hospital and he will have to take care of her when she returns home and his kids don’t think a frail ninety year old is up to the task.
I received a copy of The Heart of Winter from Edelweiss plus and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. In his latest novel, Jonathan Evison explores a couple who are now in their twilight years looking back at their courtship, marriage and raising their children. Their achievements and highlights, struggles and mistakes they made, and how two people who are the complete opposite of each other can live together for seven decades and not without heartbreak and drama.
This is the first book I have read by Jonathan Evison, it won’t be my last and a narrative with so many things I could relate to, my parents are in their early 80's and my-in-laws are in their late 80's, one is doing better than the other and five stars from me.
They bought a farm on Bainbridge Island a ferry ride away from Seattle, here they raised their four children, Ruth tended her garden and chickens and joined the local church and Abe was a successful insurance salesman’s.
Ruth has a sore tooth, she thinks it’s because of her age and she’s shocked when it turns out to be something serious. Abe always thought he would be the one to go first and he would rather it be him, and Ruth is facing major surgery and a long recovery and the loss of her independence. The couple’s children think they should sell the farm, Abe and Ruth won’t hear of it, they love the place, and they dig their heels in.
Like many men of his generation Abe has been looked after by his wife and domestic duties are new concept to him, this is about to change and he has to fend for himself and look after Meg the dog while Ruth’s in hospital and he will have to take care of her when she returns home and his kids don’t think a frail ninety year old is up to the task.
I received a copy of The Heart of Winter from Edelweiss plus and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. In his latest novel, Jonathan Evison explores a couple who are now in their twilight years looking back at their courtship, marriage and raising their children. Their achievements and highlights, struggles and mistakes they made, and how two people who are the complete opposite of each other can live together for seven decades and not without heartbreak and drama.
This is the first book I have read by Jonathan Evison, it won’t be my last and a narrative with so many things I could relate to, my parents are in their early 80's and my-in-laws are in their late 80's, one is doing better than the other and five stars from me.
January 15, 2025
When I went to log this as a Currently Reading I started to freak out a bit about the high rating . . . but then I noticed only a couple hundred people have read it so maybe I won’t end up being such a wrongreader this time around after all.
Let’s talk a second about ratings. Mine come strictly from how much I enjoy a book. I don’t read a lot of “smart” things, but when I do I don’t find them deserving of any more stars than a trashy popcorn thriller if I feel my time was wasted. That’s sort of how I feel about this one.
The story here is about a marriage and it jumps from the present back to significant moments of Abe and Ruth’s past. I failed to connect to the story instantly because if I’m on the cusp of 90 and get diagnosed with a cancer that will not only be hard to treat, but also leave me disfigured? Yeah, I’ll take the four to six months of quality life and not even consider the alternative. This also lost me when it came to the family. Only the (senior citizens themselves) children are a part of the story – no grands or great-grands. I’m chalking this up to either lazy writing or an author who doesn’t understand how big families work. There’s no chance NONE of the kids of kids or kids of kids of kids wouldn’t eventually come visit. ESPECIALLY AT CHRISTMAS! What the actual eff? And then there’s Abe and Ruth. Ugh. They were both so selfish and unlikeable.
Your mileage may vary, but I wish I would have left this one at the library.
Let’s talk a second about ratings. Mine come strictly from how much I enjoy a book. I don’t read a lot of “smart” things, but when I do I don’t find them deserving of any more stars than a trashy popcorn thriller if I feel my time was wasted. That’s sort of how I feel about this one.
The story here is about a marriage and it jumps from the present back to significant moments of Abe and Ruth’s past. I failed to connect to the story instantly because if I’m on the cusp of 90 and get diagnosed with a cancer that will not only be hard to treat, but also leave me disfigured? Yeah, I’ll take the four to six months of quality life and not even consider the alternative. This also lost me when it came to the family. Only the (senior citizens themselves) children are a part of the story – no grands or great-grands. I’m chalking this up to either lazy writing or an author who doesn’t understand how big families work. There’s no chance NONE of the kids of kids or kids of kids of kids wouldn’t eventually come visit. ESPECIALLY AT CHRISTMAS! What the actual eff? And then there’s Abe and Ruth. Ugh. They were both so selfish and unlikeable.
Your mileage may vary, but I wish I would have left this one at the library.
January 17, 2026
3.75💫
a sad and heartwarming story about an older couples marriage and the ups and downs they face.
i found this story a little slow at times and thought it dragged on a little, but i still very much enjoyed! i wish we got more depth into the things that happened, not just “this is what happened and this is my reaction” but i still appreciated the honest insights and real life problems that are faced.
it was sweet to see how much they loved each other and their willingness to get through every battle together. ruth was so so stupid at times, but abe loved her nonetheless and it was heartwarming to see couples work through things instead of just divorce.
overall, i enjoyed this one and thought the story was beautiful and sad. i am glad i switched to the audiobook because it was pretty slow, and definitely recommend the audiobook to everyone!
a sad and heartwarming story about an older couples marriage and the ups and downs they face.
i found this story a little slow at times and thought it dragged on a little, but i still very much enjoyed! i wish we got more depth into the things that happened, not just “this is what happened and this is my reaction” but i still appreciated the honest insights and real life problems that are faced.
it was sweet to see how much they loved each other and their willingness to get through every battle together. ruth was so so stupid at times, but abe loved her nonetheless and it was heartwarming to see couples work through things instead of just divorce.
overall, i enjoyed this one and thought the story was beautiful and sad. i am glad i switched to the audiobook because it was pretty slow, and definitely recommend the audiobook to everyone!
March 28, 2025
This is a novel of a long marriage (70 years!). Abe is 90, Ruth is 88. They were opposites in everything except commitment to each other. A 70 year marriage is bound to contain a lot within it because life is difficult at the best of times. Throw 4 children into the mix, only 3 of whom are living, and you have a recipe for heartbreak and joy and everything in between.
Spanning the years 1953 - 2024, we get a lot of social and political movements and events portrayed through flashbacks interspersed with real time problems of aging and surgery and cancer treatments. I can't imagine how a man as young as Evison looks from his book jacket photo can get it so right, but he did. My own marriage is one of 40 years, not 70, and I'm a bit younger than Abe and Ruth, but I'm closing in, and trust me, he gets it right.
This is not a depressing book, just a realistic one, and the ending is as perfect as it gets. The ending is why I went that extra star. His writing reminded me of an Anne Tyler book, because his characters are real but flawed, just like all of us, but that doesn't mean our lives are devoid of drama. I have another contemporary author I can turn to now, and he has a backlist that I can look for.
Spanning the years 1953 - 2024, we get a lot of social and political movements and events portrayed through flashbacks interspersed with real time problems of aging and surgery and cancer treatments. I can't imagine how a man as young as Evison looks from his book jacket photo can get it so right, but he did. My own marriage is one of 40 years, not 70, and I'm a bit younger than Abe and Ruth, but I'm closing in, and trust me, he gets it right.
This is not a depressing book, just a realistic one, and the ending is as perfect as it gets. The ending is why I went that extra star. His writing reminded me of an Anne Tyler book, because his characters are real but flawed, just like all of us, but that doesn't mean our lives are devoid of drama. I have another contemporary author I can turn to now, and he has a backlist that I can look for.
July 12, 2025
[Abe] could have sworn that Pastor Persun was talking directly to him and Ruth when she read from Ecclesiastes: "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other."
Abe Winter had just celebrated his 90th birthday when his wife, Ruth, was notified that her troublesome tooth was the sign of a larger health problem. Abe wants to take care of his wife as she recovers from her treatment, but their children doubt his ability to be a caregiver.
The story alternates between the couple after 70 years of marriage, and their earlier times together starting with a disastrous first date and eventually raising four children on Bainbridge Island.
Ruth commented on their long-lasting marriage:
It's not news to anybody here that Abe and I haven't always seen eye to eye. The Democrat and the Republican. The flaky liberal and the stodgy conservative. The poet and the pragmatist. The wave and the rock. So, how did we make it work in spite of all their differences? The answer is acceptance. And patience. And yes, sometimes, compromise. What we call balance is not always symmetry. Sometimes we need a complement, a contradiction, a counterpoint, to be our best selves.
The book is a heartfelt look at a long marriage that has weathered many difficulties. I enjoyed the beginning and the end of the book, but sometimes found the middle of the story depressing as they encountered challenge after challenge. The author shows the points of view of both Ruth and Abe, and interjects some gentle humor. It was heartwarming to learn that the author wrote the book as a tribute to his mother who is doing well after facing a health problem similar to Ruth's diagnosis.
Abe Winter had just celebrated his 90th birthday when his wife, Ruth, was notified that her troublesome tooth was the sign of a larger health problem. Abe wants to take care of his wife as she recovers from her treatment, but their children doubt his ability to be a caregiver.
The story alternates between the couple after 70 years of marriage, and their earlier times together starting with a disastrous first date and eventually raising four children on Bainbridge Island.
Ruth commented on their long-lasting marriage:
It's not news to anybody here that Abe and I haven't always seen eye to eye. The Democrat and the Republican. The flaky liberal and the stodgy conservative. The poet and the pragmatist. The wave and the rock. So, how did we make it work in spite of all their differences? The answer is acceptance. And patience. And yes, sometimes, compromise. What we call balance is not always symmetry. Sometimes we need a complement, a contradiction, a counterpoint, to be our best selves.
The book is a heartfelt look at a long marriage that has weathered many difficulties. I enjoyed the beginning and the end of the book, but sometimes found the middle of the story depressing as they encountered challenge after challenge. The author shows the points of view of both Ruth and Abe, and interjects some gentle humor. It was heartwarming to learn that the author wrote the book as a tribute to his mother who is doing well after facing a health problem similar to Ruth's diagnosis.
April 10, 2025
This is my first book by Jonathan Evison. He has Ruth and Abe describe their 70 year marriage. The story begins with Abe turning 90. It seems this will be his last year. Then, suddenly Ruth is diagnosed with a very serious cancer that affects her jaw, teeth, and tongue. Her face must be reconstructed and she needs radiation as well. Life is suddenly turned upside down. It shows that no matter what age you are, you are not prepared to be seriously ill and possibly lose your life or vitality.
This is a study of a marriage. Ruth is the Artist and loves Poetry and Discussion. Abe is the practical one and sells Life Insurance. So, it seems at first that even though they are quite different, that clearly they have mastered marriage for a very long time. Yet, the book updates us on Ruth in the present day and also goes back throughout their life. From meeting at college, to having four children, the issues for Ruth with her identity as she lives on a beautiful farm in Washington tending to her kids, Abe’s ambition to excel at work and making that his focus, losing how to attach to Ruth and his children. Listening it sounded so real. Both Ruth and Abe bothered me at times as did their children, but that is like real life. It goes from Idealistic youth to the painful vulnerability of finally getting near finishing life. So, much happens in between that time. It is all understandable. Can Ruth and Abe find that connection and hold on to it? This is questionable at times.
Quite Enjoyable. Feel Tender toward both Ruth at 87 and Abe at 90. My parents just went through this. Wanted them to live Independently even when illness approached. It is something that is not always there. To assume that older people lose a desire to control their own life or be able to contribute is wrong. Have to learn to lean on someone else at times though. This can be hard. This can be difficult at any point in life. Complete understanding between two is worked on and does not always just show up. Sometimes, you simply get through things and often alone. What one says such as all is ok and what one actually thinks can be completely different. Learn so much from
Had a long Drive and Happy I selected this Audio. Excellent.
This is a study of a marriage. Ruth is the Artist and loves Poetry and Discussion. Abe is the practical one and sells Life Insurance. So, it seems at first that even though they are quite different, that clearly they have mastered marriage for a very long time. Yet, the book updates us on Ruth in the present day and also goes back throughout their life. From meeting at college, to having four children, the issues for Ruth with her identity as she lives on a beautiful farm in Washington tending to her kids, Abe’s ambition to excel at work and making that his focus, losing how to attach to Ruth and his children. Listening it sounded so real. Both Ruth and Abe bothered me at times as did their children, but that is like real life. It goes from Idealistic youth to the painful vulnerability of finally getting near finishing life. So, much happens in between that time. It is all understandable. Can Ruth and Abe find that connection and hold on to it? This is questionable at times.
Quite Enjoyable. Feel Tender toward both Ruth at 87 and Abe at 90. My parents just went through this. Wanted them to live Independently even when illness approached. It is something that is not always there. To assume that older people lose a desire to control their own life or be able to contribute is wrong. Have to learn to lean on someone else at times though. This can be hard. This can be difficult at any point in life. Complete understanding between two is worked on and does not always just show up. Sometimes, you simply get through things and often alone. What one says such as all is ok and what one actually thinks can be completely different. Learn so much from
Had a long Drive and Happy I selected this Audio. Excellent.
March 19, 2025
Spanning several decades, The Heart of Winter follows Abe and Ruth, a couple who met in college and have been together more than 70 years. They’ve faced highs and lows in their relationship, through marriage, parenting, and careers, and now, in her late 80s, Ruth is facing her greatest health challenge.
I enjoyed reading about the past and present dynamic between Abe and Ruth, and the life they built together. The Heart of Winter is a moving, heartfelt story and a reminder of all the day-to-day moments and relationships to be grateful for.
I enjoyed reading about the past and present dynamic between Abe and Ruth, and the life they built together. The Heart of Winter is a moving, heartfelt story and a reminder of all the day-to-day moments and relationships to be grateful for.
January 11, 2025
Thank God it’s done!
Insufferable, awful characters. Truly awful people. Pretentious writing.
It’s like a manual on how not to behave as a spouse because these people are awful.
Insufferable, awful characters. Truly awful people. Pretentious writing.
It’s like a manual on how not to behave as a spouse because these people are awful.
February 6, 2025
This is a book about two different personalities creating a marriage together. Abe and Ruth first met each other in college. Abe was besotted with Ruth from their first date on. Ruth, on the other hand, saw Abe as too conservative and stodgy for her, symbolized by the bow-tie that he wore. Ruth had grown up in a small town and hungered for the sophistication and excitement of big city Seattle and new experiences (particularly with the arts and poetry). Abe however, valued reliability and hard work. Change unnerved him. He was happy to stay at home and relax. Ruth had a strong faith in G-d. Abe was an atheist.
Abe saw Ruth as beautiful, intelligent and sophisticated. Abe was convinced that they had enough common values underlying their differences to make a go of it. Through Abe's persistence, he wooed Ruth until she agreed to marry him. Together, they had four children. The book opens with Abe's 90th year birthday celebration. The novel describes their marriage and life together.
The book is written in a nonlinear way. There is a present day timeline and a timeline that takes the reader through Abe and Ruth's courtship and marriage up to the present time. Both Abe and Ruth are fully fleshed out and believable. They weather many struggles, some more severe than what befall the average couple. Their trust in each other and honesty are what ultimately hold them together.
I enjoyed getting to know Abe and Ruth as people and found the book to be beautifully written and absorbing. I hated to see it end.
4.5 stars
Spoiler Alert: Cancer and Suicide
Abe saw Ruth as beautiful, intelligent and sophisticated. Abe was convinced that they had enough common values underlying their differences to make a go of it. Through Abe's persistence, he wooed Ruth until she agreed to marry him. Together, they had four children. The book opens with Abe's 90th year birthday celebration. The novel describes their marriage and life together.
The book is written in a nonlinear way. There is a present day timeline and a timeline that takes the reader through Abe and Ruth's courtship and marriage up to the present time. Both Abe and Ruth are fully fleshed out and believable. They weather many struggles, some more severe than what befall the average couple. Their trust in each other and honesty are what ultimately hold them together.
I enjoyed getting to know Abe and Ruth as people and found the book to be beautifully written and absorbing. I hated to see it end.
4.5 stars
Spoiler Alert: Cancer and Suicide
January 9, 2026
The Heart of Winter is just my kind of book, right there in my literary comfort zone. It is Jonathan Evison's ninth novel, but the first of his I've read. If his previous novels are this good, where in the world have I been?
This is the story of Ruth and Abe Winter and their nearly 70-year marriage, despite their very different personalities and viewpoints. Ruth has always been the caretaker of Abe and the family they made together, but 90-year old Abe finds himself in a reversal of roles when Ruth is diagnosed with oral cancer.
Evison wrote this novel, For Mom. My mini deep dive on the author's life proved what I began to think as I became more and more immersed in the story, that his own mother battled oral cancer. He writes from a place of knowing and I felt it keenly. He also spent his growing years in Bainbridge Island in Washington, where Ruth and Abe have lived since the early years of their marriage. The setting is realistically portrayed with each passing decade.
I marked so many passages as worthy of sharing in this review, but now that I'm writing it I see that there are just too many in this short space. There are some nuggets of wisdom that made me deeply reflect on not only my own almost 37-year marriage, but also in how I treat others.
That people think of us when we're not around, that they go out of their way to do little things simply because they hope to please us, we sometimes take for granted. They may not always be matters of great inconvenience, these small acts of consideration, but they add up to a great deal.
Abe found that it was actually refreshing not to voice his opposition, particularly to things of such little consequence. He came to realize that it wasn't always necessary to voice an opinion at all. Nobody had to be right or have the last word. ...Sometimes playing well with others was as simple as getting out of your own way.
These passages alone may make the novel seem sappy and sentimental, but that is not the case at all. In fact, it's the opposite. It's the story of two very different people, flaws and all, who endure loss and discontentment to form a deep and abiding love for each other. Simply, it's the story of a marriage.
This is the story of Ruth and Abe Winter and their nearly 70-year marriage, despite their very different personalities and viewpoints. Ruth has always been the caretaker of Abe and the family they made together, but 90-year old Abe finds himself in a reversal of roles when Ruth is diagnosed with oral cancer.
Evison wrote this novel, For Mom. My mini deep dive on the author's life proved what I began to think as I became more and more immersed in the story, that his own mother battled oral cancer. He writes from a place of knowing and I felt it keenly. He also spent his growing years in Bainbridge Island in Washington, where Ruth and Abe have lived since the early years of their marriage. The setting is realistically portrayed with each passing decade.
I marked so many passages as worthy of sharing in this review, but now that I'm writing it I see that there are just too many in this short space. There are some nuggets of wisdom that made me deeply reflect on not only my own almost 37-year marriage, but also in how I treat others.
That people think of us when we're not around, that they go out of their way to do little things simply because they hope to please us, we sometimes take for granted. They may not always be matters of great inconvenience, these small acts of consideration, but they add up to a great deal.
Abe found that it was actually refreshing not to voice his opposition, particularly to things of such little consequence. He came to realize that it wasn't always necessary to voice an opinion at all. Nobody had to be right or have the last word. ...Sometimes playing well with others was as simple as getting out of your own way.
These passages alone may make the novel seem sappy and sentimental, but that is not the case at all. In fact, it's the opposite. It's the story of two very different people, flaws and all, who endure loss and discontentment to form a deep and abiding love for each other. Simply, it's the story of a marriage.
May 28, 2025
A beautiful book! The author captured this couple and their life perfectly. It was believable and thought provoking. I thought I was going to cry from beginning to end but I did get some reprieve and had some laugh out loud moments. This book may be my favorite of 2025. It’s overwhelmingly a beautiful story.
March 4, 2025
This book promised a moving tale of real, familial love...and yet… I'm BEGGING this kind of love never finds me. lol
(Rant warning!)
First off, Abe & Ruth seem so oddly averse to their kids visiting, even as one recovers from life-threatening surgery. Maybe I’m just spoiled with loving parents (lucky me!), but mine practically beg for visits/phone calls? I have a 90-year-old grandma who's the same with my dad. The way these two talked about their kids made it seem like they didn't even like them— something I could’ve swallowed if the book didn't claim the opposite.
(Also, not a single grandchild opts for Christmas with their cancer-stricken grandma? Wtf?)
(Also, why is the 90-year-old cancer-stricken grandma opting for a high-risk surgery instead of peacefully living out her remaining days?)
Then, as we dig deeper into Abe & Ruth’s relationship, the question becomes: why are these two even together? Abe clings to the idea of Ruth while largely ignoring who she actually is, and she spends 80% of the book resenting, hating, and cheating on him. Sure, marriage isn’t all romance, but wouldn’t you at least want to be with someone you remotely like? Lol.
As the kids grow up, they’re either portrayed as awful or incapable. Two of the daughters are downright terrible. One is remembered as "the best of" the family—but then is actually intolerably awful in all the flashbacks. She goes on to have a death so wildly dramatic it feels out of place in a book that really seems to want to be relatable.
(Jonathon Evison might actually just hate women, though, because Ruth is also portrayed quite badly. He constantly refers to her as politically “naive” when she’s really just liberal, along with being unfaithful, grumpy, entitled, and always verging on a midlife crisis.)
I was expecting something like the film Boyhood—a messy, imperfect family tale that shows the beauty of life’s ups & downs. Hell, I would've settled for The Notebook, romantic but not realistic.
Instead, I got this. :/
Apparently, there’s another book where an older couple reflects on the ups and downs of their love. The main character is also named Abe in that one. (Weird how that happens?) Maybe I’ll find some redemption there.
(Rant warning!)
First off, Abe & Ruth seem so oddly averse to their kids visiting, even as one recovers from life-threatening surgery. Maybe I’m just spoiled with loving parents (lucky me!), but mine practically beg for visits/phone calls? I have a 90-year-old grandma who's the same with my dad. The way these two talked about their kids made it seem like they didn't even like them— something I could’ve swallowed if the book didn't claim the opposite.
(Also, not a single grandchild opts for Christmas with their cancer-stricken grandma? Wtf?)
(Also, why is the 90-year-old cancer-stricken grandma opting for a high-risk surgery instead of peacefully living out her remaining days?)
Then, as we dig deeper into Abe & Ruth’s relationship, the question becomes: why are these two even together? Abe clings to the idea of Ruth while largely ignoring who she actually is, and she spends 80% of the book resenting, hating, and cheating on him. Sure, marriage isn’t all romance, but wouldn’t you at least want to be with someone you remotely like? Lol.
As the kids grow up, they’re either portrayed as awful or incapable. Two of the daughters are downright terrible. One is remembered as "the best of" the family—but then is actually intolerably awful in all the flashbacks. She goes on to have a death so wildly dramatic it feels out of place in a book that really seems to want to be relatable.
(Jonathon Evison might actually just hate women, though, because Ruth is also portrayed quite badly. He constantly refers to her as politically “naive” when she’s really just liberal, along with being unfaithful, grumpy, entitled, and always verging on a midlife crisis.)
I was expecting something like the film Boyhood—a messy, imperfect family tale that shows the beauty of life’s ups & downs. Hell, I would've settled for The Notebook, romantic but not realistic.
Instead, I got this. :/
Apparently, there’s another book where an older couple reflects on the ups and downs of their love. The main character is also named Abe in that one. (Weird how that happens?) Maybe I’ll find some redemption there.
February 11, 2025
Jonathan Evison does it again! If you want to read the perfect love story to get in the mood for Valentine's Day, give this one a try — not because it will give you the sugary sweet high of a Hallmark love, but because it perfectly illustrates the realistic rollercoaster of a deep-lasting commitment. This book cuts deep and you'll be left cheering for the characters and their relationship as if it were your own.
Abe and Ruth have been together since shortly after they met in college. Now, just after Abe's 90th birthday and 70 years of marriage together, Ruth discovers that what she thinks of as just a sore tooth is instead a malignant medical emergency. With everything he loves at risk, Abe must learn how to care for Ruth and protect the life they have built in ways he never has before.
Evison has said in many interviews that he wrote this book for his mother, to "give her the love story she deserved." What's most noteworthy and admirable is that he didn't spin this sentiment into a picture-perfect romance. Instead, he created something for her that is both deeply flawed and yet enduring, which is realistically all that any of us can hope for. I appreciated, too, Evison's reflections on aging and independence for the elderly.
Ruth and Abe's lifetime together is tender and beautiful and I found myself reaching for the Kleenex many times — consider yourself warned.
Abe and Ruth have been together since shortly after they met in college. Now, just after Abe's 90th birthday and 70 years of marriage together, Ruth discovers that what she thinks of as just a sore tooth is instead a malignant medical emergency. With everything he loves at risk, Abe must learn how to care for Ruth and protect the life they have built in ways he never has before.
Evison has said in many interviews that he wrote this book for his mother, to "give her the love story she deserved." What's most noteworthy and admirable is that he didn't spin this sentiment into a picture-perfect romance. Instead, he created something for her that is both deeply flawed and yet enduring, which is realistically all that any of us can hope for. I appreciated, too, Evison's reflections on aging and independence for the elderly.
Ruth and Abe's lifetime together is tender and beautiful and I found myself reaching for the Kleenex many times — consider yourself warned.
June 26, 2025
Time did not march on methodically, minute by minute, day by day; it sprinted away from us in mad bursts, a thief in flight.
70 years is a lifetime, and it can go by in the blink of an eye! In this story of a 70-year marriage, we are introduced to the most unlikely of couples, Abe and Ruth, a pair of complete opposites in every way possible. Their relationship should never ever work, but somehow, through the highs and the lows, losses and secrets, Ruth and Abe figure out how to make this partnership work.
90-year-old Abe is practical, often dull and conservative-minded while Ruth is a free-spirited lover of the arts and a liberal thinker. Abe dislikes the fanfare, and Ruth appreciates making a fuss over celebrating milestones like a 90th birthday! They often do not see eye to eye yet their love for each other and their respect for one another is what carries them through the confusing and difficult moments in their marriage. They are brought back to the knowledge of this love when Ruth is faced with a cancer diagnosis that will ultimately alter her physically and change her emotionally. This couple comes face to face with hard decisions and urgent questions that center around Ruth’s mortality. Abe is faced with being in charge of her care despite the anxiety their adult children have about this.
I enjoyed how the book moved between the past and the present in order to give us a picture of Ruth and Abe’s relationship as they moved through all the various stages and phases of marriage. We look back at them as newlyweds and then young parents who eventually deal with teenagers and finally as empty nesters. Ruth struggles at her role of stay-at-home mom while Abe manages a workaholic lifestyle finding comfort in his insurance business. We see how a couple like this reacted to tragic losses and instances of infidelity and resentments. What makes this story different is knowing that they are still together after these difficult moments which makes this a more hopeful and positive read.
Life was a relentless war of attrition, to love was torturous, for love ravaged you and brought you to your knees; it broke your will, over and over, until death seemed like a merciful conclusion.
Evison gets it right on many levels when it comes to the interplay with adult children and navigating making the best choices for aging parents. He allows us to see how Ruth and Abe change as they get older and adapt to life’s challenges. They even grow closer and Abe, in my opinion, makes the most dramatic changes within himself. This is one for those who enjoy the everyday, ordinary lives of people kind of story. It’s really done well!
A marriage is not built in a day to last. Rather, it is shaped gradually and methodically to withstand the ruinous effects of time and outside forces beyond the control of its principal players. Like all institutions, a marriage requires maintaining, and amending, for it is more than a binding commitment, it is a process, one that demands participation, a willingness to absorb, to accept, to reassess.
70 years is a lifetime, and it can go by in the blink of an eye! In this story of a 70-year marriage, we are introduced to the most unlikely of couples, Abe and Ruth, a pair of complete opposites in every way possible. Their relationship should never ever work, but somehow, through the highs and the lows, losses and secrets, Ruth and Abe figure out how to make this partnership work.
90-year-old Abe is practical, often dull and conservative-minded while Ruth is a free-spirited lover of the arts and a liberal thinker. Abe dislikes the fanfare, and Ruth appreciates making a fuss over celebrating milestones like a 90th birthday! They often do not see eye to eye yet their love for each other and their respect for one another is what carries them through the confusing and difficult moments in their marriage. They are brought back to the knowledge of this love when Ruth is faced with a cancer diagnosis that will ultimately alter her physically and change her emotionally. This couple comes face to face with hard decisions and urgent questions that center around Ruth’s mortality. Abe is faced with being in charge of her care despite the anxiety their adult children have about this.
I enjoyed how the book moved between the past and the present in order to give us a picture of Ruth and Abe’s relationship as they moved through all the various stages and phases of marriage. We look back at them as newlyweds and then young parents who eventually deal with teenagers and finally as empty nesters. Ruth struggles at her role of stay-at-home mom while Abe manages a workaholic lifestyle finding comfort in his insurance business. We see how a couple like this reacted to tragic losses and instances of infidelity and resentments. What makes this story different is knowing that they are still together after these difficult moments which makes this a more hopeful and positive read.
Life was a relentless war of attrition, to love was torturous, for love ravaged you and brought you to your knees; it broke your will, over and over, until death seemed like a merciful conclusion.
Evison gets it right on many levels when it comes to the interplay with adult children and navigating making the best choices for aging parents. He allows us to see how Ruth and Abe change as they get older and adapt to life’s challenges. They even grow closer and Abe, in my opinion, makes the most dramatic changes within himself. This is one for those who enjoy the everyday, ordinary lives of people kind of story. It’s really done well!
A marriage is not built in a day to last. Rather, it is shaped gradually and methodically to withstand the ruinous effects of time and outside forces beyond the control of its principal players. Like all institutions, a marriage requires maintaining, and amending, for it is more than a binding commitment, it is a process, one that demands participation, a willingness to absorb, to accept, to reassess.
October 7, 2025
Well, I wanted to wait until I finished weeping to write this review but I may never stop so I may as well write it now. This was a tender, beautiful exploration of marriage. It’s not always pretty, it’s not always gentle, its not always perfect- but oh is it a love for the ages. Must listen on audio. 😭😭
January 10, 2025
⭐️ I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! ⭐️
Thank you PRH Audio for the early listen.
Is it too early to declare my favorite book of 2025? 🎉
Last year, my first read ended up being my favorite book (James) of 2024 so maybe this is a thing?!
The Heart of Winter
Jonathan Evison
Read by Kimberly Farr
5 Stars
If you’ve followed along this week in my IG stories, you know I’ve been raving about this book!
I wanted to be sure I wrote a full review, not only to encourage you to read it, but so I can remember at the end of the year that my first read may have been my best read.
“A marriage is not built in a day, it is shaped gradually and methodically to withstand the ruinous effects of time and outside forces. It is more than a binding commitment, it is a process that demands participation.”
This book has all the qualities I love in a good book - an endearing story, a curmudgeon, and a nostalgic tone. The novel starts at a man’s 90th birthday and continues forward and back through time as he and his wife reminisce on their life and marriage.
“Looking back, it’s easy to forget the troubled parts. But they tested us again and again. I wouldn’t trade those challenges for anything.”
As the novel shifts from present day health struggles to past pivotal moments in their life, I couldn’t help but get emotional as I pondered my own winding path through marriage, parenting, and life. What a miracle it is when two totally different people come together to make a life and choose each other again and again, against all odds.
“The flaky liberal and the stodgy conservative. The wave and the rock.”
How does it work? The advice of marriage is the advice of life.
“Acceptance. And patience. And compromise.
Balance is not always symmetry.
Sometimes we need a counterpoint to be our better selves.”
This is a book I want to gift to every married couple I know. To everyone with aging parents. To everyone with a heartbeat.
This was beautiful and remarkable, quiet and lovely.
My one quibble is with the audio narrator missing regional details. Everyone in the Pacific Northwest calls the University of Washington "U Dub", not the "UW". And islanders call it "Bainbridge" not "Bainbridge Island".
BUT...as the book says:
“In light of all that beauty, their differences seemed trivial.”
I loved this story!
Coming Jan 7, 2025.
Thank you PRH Audio for the early listen.
Is it too early to declare my favorite book of 2025? 🎉
Last year, my first read ended up being my favorite book (James) of 2024 so maybe this is a thing?!
The Heart of Winter
Jonathan Evison
Read by Kimberly Farr
5 Stars
If you’ve followed along this week in my IG stories, you know I’ve been raving about this book!
I wanted to be sure I wrote a full review, not only to encourage you to read it, but so I can remember at the end of the year that my first read may have been my best read.
“A marriage is not built in a day, it is shaped gradually and methodically to withstand the ruinous effects of time and outside forces. It is more than a binding commitment, it is a process that demands participation.”
This book has all the qualities I love in a good book - an endearing story, a curmudgeon, and a nostalgic tone. The novel starts at a man’s 90th birthday and continues forward and back through time as he and his wife reminisce on their life and marriage.
“Looking back, it’s easy to forget the troubled parts. But they tested us again and again. I wouldn’t trade those challenges for anything.”
As the novel shifts from present day health struggles to past pivotal moments in their life, I couldn’t help but get emotional as I pondered my own winding path through marriage, parenting, and life. What a miracle it is when two totally different people come together to make a life and choose each other again and again, against all odds.
“The flaky liberal and the stodgy conservative. The wave and the rock.”
How does it work? The advice of marriage is the advice of life.
“Acceptance. And patience. And compromise.
Balance is not always symmetry.
Sometimes we need a counterpoint to be our better selves.”
This is a book I want to gift to every married couple I know. To everyone with aging parents. To everyone with a heartbeat.
This was beautiful and remarkable, quiet and lovely.
My one quibble is with the audio narrator missing regional details. Everyone in the Pacific Northwest calls the University of Washington "U Dub", not the "UW". And islanders call it "Bainbridge" not "Bainbridge Island".
BUT...as the book says:
“In light of all that beauty, their differences seemed trivial.”
I loved this story!
Coming Jan 7, 2025.
February 7, 2025
What a lovely – and sometimes heartbreaking – description of a marriage this novel is! I have been a Jonathan Evison fan since West of Here, but this story of two people navigating life together really touched my heart. The reader first meets the main characters, Abe and Ruth at Abe’s 80th birthday (in 2023). The novel then moves back and forth between Abe and Ruth’s life as “old people” to their college years, marriage, raising children, professional lives and interests. Abe and Ruth were an unlikely couple, with very different personalities and priorities, yet through the novel we see how they loved, focused on different aspects of life and drifted apart, came back together emotionally and ultimately supported each other in old age and illness. Some of these issues have been well worked over (such as the husband who works long hours while the mother raises young children), but in Evison’s hands these issues take on their own unique twists and turns. I always wanted to see just how Ruth and Abe would handle the choices and curve balls that life threw their way.
The other main theme of the novel dealt with Ruth’s diagnosis and treatment. Again, the way in which one spouse wants to care for the other vs that spouse’s ability to care for his/her partner has been dealt with before, but Evison took these issues to a beautiful and wonderfully emotional level. He also masterfully dealt with the way in which adult children interact with, and give advice to, their aging parents. If you have adult children, you will recognize that Evison “got it”.
And last, but certainly not least, is the theme of fighting cancer. Evison wrote this novel as a tribute to his mother’s battle against this incredibly challenging disease. Bravo and thank you, Jonathan Evison.
The other main theme of the novel dealt with Ruth’s diagnosis and treatment. Again, the way in which one spouse wants to care for the other vs that spouse’s ability to care for his/her partner has been dealt with before, but Evison took these issues to a beautiful and wonderfully emotional level. He also masterfully dealt with the way in which adult children interact with, and give advice to, their aging parents. If you have adult children, you will recognize that Evison “got it”.
And last, but certainly not least, is the theme of fighting cancer. Evison wrote this novel as a tribute to his mother’s battle against this incredibly challenging disease. Bravo and thank you, Jonathan Evison.
February 22, 2025
4.5 stars From the first page I knew this was going to be my kind of book. The story of Abe and Ruth, is a beautiful, yet difficult journey. But, aren’t all marriages full of challenges. Abe and Ruth are very different personalities, one a conservative republican, the other a democrat, yet they make it work. Towards the end something comes out of nowhere and sorta left me scratching my head as to why. Seems the case with most books I read lately. It’s the only reason for not giving this book 5 stars. The last chapter will rip your heart out, as well as other moments throughout the story. Have tissues close. The passage below was one of my favorites and really spoke to me.
“ as she clutched the journal, there was a slight welling in Ruth’s chest. That people think of us when we are not around, that they go out of their way to do little things simply because they hope to please us, we sometimes take for granted. They may not always be matters of great inconvenience, these small acts of consideration, but they add up to a great deal.”
“ as she clutched the journal, there was a slight welling in Ruth’s chest. That people think of us when we are not around, that they go out of their way to do little things simply because they hope to please us, we sometimes take for granted. They may not always be matters of great inconvenience, these small acts of consideration, but they add up to a great deal.”
January 30, 2025
4.5 stars
Oh my heart. I was surprised how smitten I was by the story of Abe and Ruth. On the surface it's a heartwarming and heartbreaking story of a decades long marriage. But layered beneath is a quiet yet poignant look at how all those everyday moments, big and small, create a life. Marriage, family, love & parenting alongside pain, loss, aging & struggles. It's just lovely.
"𝘛𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦."
I love the audio narration. I also appreciated the Bainbridge Island setting and recognized the Poulsbo location in particular. I enjoyed the glimpses between present and past. I personally identified with how Abe and Ruth navigate their political and ideological differences over time.
Oh my heart. I was surprised how smitten I was by the story of Abe and Ruth. On the surface it's a heartwarming and heartbreaking story of a decades long marriage. But layered beneath is a quiet yet poignant look at how all those everyday moments, big and small, create a life. Marriage, family, love & parenting alongside pain, loss, aging & struggles. It's just lovely.
"𝘛𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦."
I love the audio narration. I also appreciated the Bainbridge Island setting and recognized the Poulsbo location in particular. I enjoyed the glimpses between present and past. I personally identified with how Abe and Ruth navigate their political and ideological differences over time.
November 14, 2024
This is the third of Jonathan Evison's novels that I've read, and as with the others, he displays a deep knowledge of the ways of the heart and the importance of community and of connection. All of his people are in relationships that while not conventional, harbor similarities, and feature growing appreciation for others who may not be on the same page at all, gaining a wider world view in the process. In this exploration of a 70-year-old marriage, Evison has created two characters, Abe and Ruth, and has trained his focus completely on them. Unlike other authors who branch out their works by giving inner lives to supplemental characters, Evison presents the story of the couple only from each of their point of view, much the same as he did in Small World. Wonderful use of Bainbridge Island where they own a farm, as well as the part of the Puget Sound locale. Highly recommend.
January 9, 2025
I’m not sure how more people aren’t talking about this book yet? Is it too early in January to say I have a favorite of 2025?
This is the third of Jonathan Evison's novels that I've read and I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I loved this story of Abe and Ruth Winter.
In The Heart of Winter we meet Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke who went on a blind date back in the 50’s in college. Abe falls for Ruth on day one and Ruth feels just the opposite. Seventy years later Abe is about to turn ninety and Ruth is eighty-seven and they look back at the highs and lows of their marriage.
Jonathan Evison explores a couple who are now in their twilight years looking back at their courtship, marriage and raising their children. Their achievements and highlights, struggles and mistakes, and how two people who are the complete opposite of each other can live together for seven decades.
Evison displays a deep knowledge of the ways of the heart and the importance of connection and community, all the while highlighting decades long changes in the world and individuals.
This book is why I love reading. The deep connection between Ruth and Abe will live within me. There is sacrifice, betrayal, authenticity, and compromise.
There is a scene where Ruth and Abe visit Paris that to me is quintessential marriage and compromise - the blending of what spouses do for each other and how each allow the other to grow and learn.
The Heart of Winter is a beautiful look into a long marriage with ups and downs and so many in between moments. It was special to peek into this enduring marriage of two well-developed characters. Cannot recommend this book enough!!!
This is the third of Jonathan Evison's novels that I've read and I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I loved this story of Abe and Ruth Winter.
In The Heart of Winter we meet Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke who went on a blind date back in the 50’s in college. Abe falls for Ruth on day one and Ruth feels just the opposite. Seventy years later Abe is about to turn ninety and Ruth is eighty-seven and they look back at the highs and lows of their marriage.
Jonathan Evison explores a couple who are now in their twilight years looking back at their courtship, marriage and raising their children. Their achievements and highlights, struggles and mistakes, and how two people who are the complete opposite of each other can live together for seven decades.
Evison displays a deep knowledge of the ways of the heart and the importance of connection and community, all the while highlighting decades long changes in the world and individuals.
This book is why I love reading. The deep connection between Ruth and Abe will live within me. There is sacrifice, betrayal, authenticity, and compromise.
There is a scene where Ruth and Abe visit Paris that to me is quintessential marriage and compromise - the blending of what spouses do for each other and how each allow the other to grow and learn.
The Heart of Winter is a beautiful look into a long marriage with ups and downs and so many in between moments. It was special to peek into this enduring marriage of two well-developed characters. Cannot recommend this book enough!!!
April 26, 2025
The simply told story of a longtime marriage with all its flaws and beauty.
January 29, 2025
I feel awful not giving this a better rating because many hundred people clearly really loved this book, but I just don't get it. When I first started the book, I was so excited to love these characters and this couple so much and thought it might be a book I was going to love. There were times when I did like them, don't get me wrong. I did love that their love shockingly survived and they were kind of sweet to each other in their older years. I typically love books about older people and couples' enduring love through ups and downs, but I'm sorry...Abe and Ruth were kind of awful the entire book, each in their own ways, and also kind of awful together. And not in an endearing old curmudgeon awful kind of way. Ruth cheated on Abe multiple times, was never happy, was so dang rude to him more often than not and Abe was supposedly just okay with it each time and constantly took the blame for her infidelity and unhappiness. Abe was no saint with his lack of emotional and physical availability and stubborness, but I liked him better than Ruth. And then add on their kids and their obnoxious behavior too. I kept waiting for it to get better and this book was dang long enough that I figured it would get better in there somewhere, but every time it went into their past, I disliked them even more. I finished the book purely because I kept thinking it HAD to end better to have such great reviews, but in the end, I was just glad it was done
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2024
Jonathan Evison has the ability to flesh out his characters so well that it feels like one is peering into a friend's life. The Heart of Winter is a beautiful story about Abe and Ruth, two complete opposites, who, despite their differences, create an enduring marriage. This story is the antithesis of trite romance books; this story shows that love doesn't just happen. It is the result of a lifetime of many factors. One of my favorite quotes: "How did we make it work in spite of all [our] differences? The answer is acceptance. And patience. And yes, sometimes compromise. What we call balance is not always symmetry. Sometimes we need a complement, a contradiction, a counterpoint to be our best selves."
April 6, 2025
Not a love story but more like a manual of how to endure being in a mainly loveless marriage. The characters were basically stereotypes and none came across as being at all likable.
February 25, 2025
“ two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall one will lift up the other”
Winter is coming.
Winter is often presented as a snow storm and we have to brace for the bone chilling cold. Gather the amour of scarves, gloves, coats and ensure we are warm and ready for low temps.
That’s metaphorical for the fight for an enduring, endless love. In the sanctity of marriage, you protect it and guard it at all costs with love (heart) at the root.
The Winters have been married for 70 whopping years! And how, when they were complete opposites in every imaginable way?
We get glimpses into the different phases of their marriage over the course of 7 decades and the challenges that they face and overcome, together.
The Heart of Winter attests to the phrase "marriage is hard work". Love will conquer every internal and external threat, shifts in interests, change, children, decisions, even the spouses themselves.
I really loved seeing them work through the kinks of marriage, understanding each other, growing individually and collectively. Times were bleak and uncertain at times, but together they persevered. They braved winter, chose each other and lived up to their vows. Put some respect on love!
Abe was the star! His love was solid from the beginning. He wasn’t afraid of the pursuit and didn’t let pride stop him from going after what he wanted. Abe’s love for Ruth oozed from his pores.
The one thing that irritated me some was Ruth. She was prickly, mean and on edge for most of the story. But, she grew on me as the story progressed and she evolved into a more loving and caring wife.
It also focused on aging. How lonely it can be, how scary it can be. “After what amounts to a long full life the fall of darkness seems mercifully, ambiguously brief.”
Winter was similar to one of my favorite books, The Days I Loved You Most. Remarkably beautiful and full of powerful emotions. I love love, and these are the stories that always win my heart.
I loved this story so much and even moreso after a fun and engaging book club chat! Highly recommend!!
Winter is coming.
Winter is often presented as a snow storm and we have to brace for the bone chilling cold. Gather the amour of scarves, gloves, coats and ensure we are warm and ready for low temps.
That’s metaphorical for the fight for an enduring, endless love. In the sanctity of marriage, you protect it and guard it at all costs with love (heart) at the root.
The Winters have been married for 70 whopping years! And how, when they were complete opposites in every imaginable way?
We get glimpses into the different phases of their marriage over the course of 7 decades and the challenges that they face and overcome, together.
The Heart of Winter attests to the phrase "marriage is hard work". Love will conquer every internal and external threat, shifts in interests, change, children, decisions, even the spouses themselves.
I really loved seeing them work through the kinks of marriage, understanding each other, growing individually and collectively. Times were bleak and uncertain at times, but together they persevered. They braved winter, chose each other and lived up to their vows. Put some respect on love!
Abe was the star! His love was solid from the beginning. He wasn’t afraid of the pursuit and didn’t let pride stop him from going after what he wanted. Abe’s love for Ruth oozed from his pores.
The one thing that irritated me some was Ruth. She was prickly, mean and on edge for most of the story. But, she grew on me as the story progressed and she evolved into a more loving and caring wife.
It also focused on aging. How lonely it can be, how scary it can be. “After what amounts to a long full life the fall of darkness seems mercifully, ambiguously brief.”
Winter was similar to one of my favorite books, The Days I Loved You Most. Remarkably beautiful and full of powerful emotions. I love love, and these are the stories that always win my heart.
I loved this story so much and even moreso after a fun and engaging book club chat! Highly recommend!!
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