Once Upon a Winter Wood: What does it take to believe in magic?

by Helen Fisher

Local legends make exciting bedtime stories. But what do you do when the people you trust suggest the tales might save the life of a loved one?

Once Upon a Winter Wood is set in the present-day village of Westhood. On the outskirts of the village is an ancient forest, about which a number of fairy tales legends that say if people or animals go into the woods on snowy evenings, they will emerge changed. The tales have been around for more than a hundred years but for the most part, the residents let them die out.

The novel centres around a group of family and friends who live and work in the village, all of whom have suffered loss of some kind and are hoping for second chances in love and life. All of them are interested in the tales of the woods, and their promise of new beginnings.

Once upon a Winter Wood explores the nature of what it means to be human - to love, to lose and to hope, with a seam of magic running throughout. After reading it, will you want to believe in the transformative power of the woods?

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2025

About the author

Helen E. Fisher is an anthropology professor and human behavior researcher at the Rutgers University and is one of the major researchers in the field of romantic interpersonal attraction.Prior to becoming a research professor at Rutgers University, she was a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

By many accounts, Fisher is considered the world’s leading expert on the topic of love. Presently, Fisher is the most referenced scholar in the love research community. In 2005, she was hired by match.com to help structure the chemistry.com pair-matching website using both hormonal-based and personality-based matching techniques.

Reviews

[Julia Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sumptuous and lushly evocative read that will speak to the child in every adult that dares to believe and hope against overwhelming odds. Set in a blissful rural village in the east of England, we meet an instantly recognisable and relatable set of quirky characters. Oak is the patriarch of the family. Kind, practical, and still mourning the loss of his wife, Oak lives for his son, his grandchildren, and his ex-daughter-in-law. Will and Sadie defied convention and managed their divorce the “proper way”, and their two children are happy and stable within the loving framework their parents provide, despite no longer being married.

When Oak receives a fatal diagnosis, though, Will and his family find overwhelming support within their close-knit community.

Then there are the local woods where Oak and Will walk the family dogs. Ancient and atmospheric, these woods are thick with legend and superstition. Can the whispers about these woods possibly be true? Will thinks not. Deeply practical, he will not allow even a flicker of hope in his heart that a ridiculous local legend might be the one thing that can save his father.

Exquisitely written, each character is a well-rounded masterpiece, and it is easy to fall headfirst into this story. I knew these people. I have met them and lived alongside them. Their motives and actions made sense to me. Oak is undoubtedly the backbone of the story. Just like the traditional British oak, which was used to create mighty sea-going vessels, he is solid and unyielding in his beliefs and principles. The outsider, Enzo, also spoke to me. An Italian trying to create a new life in this small Suffolk village, he succeeds spectacularly due to his warmth, passion, and fierce love and loyalty for his new, found family.

The author gave me the ending I did not know I needed, and this story will stay with me for a very long time. A superb 5-star read that explores what family really is at heart.

[Brianna Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will start by saying that if Helen Fisher writes it, I'm going to read it. I've read all three of her books, and every single one has been fantastic.

Once Upon a Winter Wood is such a beautiful, heartwarming story that has mystery and intrigue weaved throughout due to the magical nature of the woods. I found myself trying to guess where the story was leading and was often thinking about it when I wasn't reading it (which I love, as I know that's when a book has really engaged me).

Like Helen's other books, this book was so easy to read, kept my interest throughout, and left me wishing I had a cast of characters in my life like Oak and Will have in theirs. She creates very real, authentic, fleshed-out characters and well-developed storylines in a way that makes you want to keep turning pages.

There are heavy topics in here, but they are tackled with such beauty that even with tears streaming down my face, I also felt a sense of warmth and peace.

I had no idea how the book would end and didn't know how I even WANTED it to end, but I can say that I loved where the story went.

I highly recommend any and all of Helen Fisher's books. If you want to read a story that tackles both grief and love or a story about a father-son relationship, pick up this book. If you want a heartwarming book with a touch of magic, pick up this book. If you want a book that will leave you thinking about it long after you've set it down, pick up this book. You won't regret it.

Thank you to Helen Fisher for putting another beautiful book out into the world. I cannot wait to read your next book!

[Kimbra Drake (Kimberly Engebrigtsen) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this beautifully written, enchanting tale. Fisher skillfully and compassionately touches on grief, faith, hope and loss. Set in the charming, present-day village of Westwood, Helen's book asks what would happen if you had a second chance at life, would you take it?
The novel centers around a community of friends and family, quirky, well-rounded individuals, who live and work in the village, all of whom are struggling with their own losses and are hoping for a fresh start. Fisher has done a gorgeous job in creating this enchanting world, the snow-carpeted forests, the play of light on the buildings, the rugged landscape, and in doing so, it becomes an magical, captivating world that will carry readers away on an adventure to this area of the UK. I highly recommend this book!

[Laura Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book, I love Helen Fisher's books and initially was unsure if this one was for me when I read the premise.. When stories involve magic I sometimes lose interest but I'm so pleased that I ignored my instincts as I thought well I usually thoroughly enjoy her books so I bought it anyway and what a read! A gorgeous story about the love of all 3 generations of a family and their found family and what you would do if you thought you could save a loved one, even if it involves a bit of magic, please read this it was an absolute joy!

[Lesley Bungay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Helen Fisher’s writing. She creates memorable characters and wonderful stories. As you’d expect from the title, there’s a hint of the fairytale about this one but essentially it’s a story of family and a community you long to be part of. If Enzo ever opens a restaurant I’ll have a table permanently booked. There are themes of loss and longing, grief and acceptance, but most of all hope. Something we all need a little of at the moment and in troubled times wouldn’t we all hope for a little magic in our lives.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 ⭐️
Review to follow