Amy S. Foster's When Autumn Leaves is reviewed by Robert J. Wiersema in the Vancouver Sun: "When Autumn Leaves is an impressive debut from a writer with a unique vision. It's a fresh look at both small-town life and the mysteries of the universe. It's a book so winsome and charming I use these descriptors entirely free of their usual snark and condescension. The novel begins with Autumn Avening, the spiritual centre of Avening, a small town nestled in the "land of cedars . . . on a piece of lush Pacific Coast." (Think of your dream vision of a Gulf Island, free of the cranky reality.) The town, it seems, is touched by magic: People are drawn to it, sometimes despite themselves.
Autumn is a wise woman, the owner of a new age shop, though some refer to her as a witch. As the novel opens, she is informed by one of her sisters in the Jaen, a mysterious spiritual order, that it has come time for her to leave. Foster is coy with the details of this leaving, but it sets the novel in motion: Autumn is given a year to find a protege from among the women of the town.
When Autumn Leaves unfolds over the following year (demarcated by the pagan calendar and its observances) and shifts focus among a selection of the women in town who seem blessed (or, in some cases, cursed) with unique abilities. We meet Ellie, who seems to be invisible; Stella, who catches lightning in a bottle with unanticipated consequences; Piper, whose survival may depend on her ability to step between worlds. Each woman's story is clearly, affectingly told and involves Autumn in some way. As the year and the book draw to a close, Autumn makes her decision, a surprise even to herself.
While there are faint echoes of "female magic" writers like the early Anne Tyler, Foster writes with a voice and a sensibility wholly her own. There is little comfort, and there are few easy answers, in When Autumn Leaves. This is a novel of heartbreak and hard questions, balanced with a haunting beauty. I found it difficult, at times, to interrupt my reading, and the ending, while it rounded out the central story nicely, left me wanting more. Fortunately, there are more Avening novels planned."
Nick Patch of the Canadian Press follows the debut of Amy S. Foster's novel When Autumn Leaves: "It's not often that an aspiring first-time novelist gets the benefit of direct feedback and advice from Oprah Winfrey. So when the talk-show queen and publishing-industry saviour recommended Amy Foster change the setting of her first book, When Autumn Leaves, from Massachusetts to her native British Columbia, Foster listened. "You can't deny Oprah," Foster said in a recent telephone interview. "When Oprah tells you to do something, you do it."
Then again, Foster isn't your typical first-time novelist. The daughter of Canadian superproducer David Foster, Amy is an accomplished songwriter in her own right, having penned tunes for Josh Groban, Diana Krall, Destiny's Child and Andrea Bocelli. Her most famous collaborations have been with Michael Buble, including "Haven't Met You Yet," the first single from his latest record, "Crazy Love." That album was released Oct. 9 and has been No. 1 on the album charts in the two weeks since in both Canada and the United States.
When Autumn Leaves was released Oct. 6. So yes, Foster has had a pretty good month. "It's like a whirlwind," said the 36-year-old. "It's the best time. It's amazing. I couldn't have planned it any better." She would certainly seem to be off to a good start in her publishing career.
When Autumn Leaves is just the first in a series that Foster says will ultimately number 14 books. She's nearly completed the next three books. The first novel centres on Autumn, a shopkeeper and member of a sisterhood of witches who oversee Avening, a quaint little fictional town nestled off the coast of British Columbia. A promotion within the sisterhood means Autumn needs to select her successor from a group of 13 local women, each of whom possesses a latent magical ability.
"I think that is really the big overarching metaphor, is that we all have these gifts, and sometimes it just takes a spark to let the magic inside of us - god, that sounds so cheesy - but to let the magic inside of us, to reveal it to the rest of the world," Foster said. "I really hope it is empowering for women. I really hope that women read this and feel like there's potential inside of them that's lurking that they might not have known. That they're stronger than they think they are." And
Avening, an impossibly picturesque hamlet, is an integral part of the book's charm. "The idea for the town was I wanted to create a place that if I went there, I would want to stay there and live there forever," she said.
That's where Winfrey came in. Foster met her once, in scenic Desolation Sound, B.C. ("I blurted that I was writing a book, and I acted like a complete moron because it was Oprah," Foster recalls.) Winfrey, admiring her sweeping surroundings, couldn't understand why Foster chose Massachusetts for the book's setting. "She said: 'So you wrote a book about magic that takes place in New England. I thought you said you were from here. Did you go to school in New England?' I said no," remembered Foster, who moved back to B.C. from Nashville earlier this year. "So she said, 'So you wrote a book about magic and you didn't set it here, in the most magical place on earth, where you're actually from?' "It wasn't like lightning bolts or anything came out of the sky when she said it - it wasn't threatening at all - but it was a very kind suggestion." Foster's father, on the other hand, doesn't have much advice for her as she enters a new stage of her career. "He gives me lots of advice, but he's a musician, he's a rock star, I don't know how much of a reader he is," she said.
From reviewer Linda White in the current issue of BookPage: "Autumn has been the resident sage of the town of Avening for longer than anyone can remember (some may call her a witch or a shaman, but really she is more of an old-fashioned wise women). When Autumn is called to find a replacement, she decides to hold an essay contest for would-be candidates. While the entries themselves prove to be both surprising and illuminating, this is not merely the story of Autumn finding her replacement—it is also a multifaceted tale of the women (and in some cases, girls) vying to take over for their beloved Autumn. Each candidate’s specific experiences unveil—or in some cases, release—the power that is deep within each of them. Above all, this magical book is a testament to the power of women. There is a great preponderance of beautiful people in the book— almost all of the women are striking, and you start to wonder if there must be something in the Avening water. But beyond that, Foster’s overall message is clear: each of us has a gift. Whether we choose to exercise it or how we choose to do so is ultimately up to us. Foster has a facility for the poetic, and her characters feel comfortable and real from the beginning. When Autumn Leaves is a fantastical coming-of-age story, but mostly, it reminds us of the importance of faith—both in ourselves and in that which we cannot see.
Library Journal has a rave review for When Autumn Leaves, the debut novel by Amy S. Foster: "In the tiny town of Avening in the Pacific Northwest, life hums with a peculiar sort of energy. Some call the town enchanted; others call it quirky. But all would agree that it is a special sort of hamlet, populated by some rather intriguing people. Perhaps the most intriguing is the town witch and wise woman. An individual of extraordinary, even magical talents, Autumn Avening is ready to retire—and must find a replacement from among the local denizens. With one year to choose, Autumn begins keeping an ever closer watch on her friends and neighbors, looking for just the right candidate. Through her eyes, we get intimate glimpses of the locals of Avening—strong men and women whose stories are both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Loose ends in Foster's strong debut indicate sequel potential for those who enjoy following characters from book to book. Fans of Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic) and Joanne Harris (Chocolat) will love getting to know the residents of this cozy, charming little town. Highly recommended."
Amy S. Foster's When Autumn Leaves is reviewed by Robert J. Wiersema in the Vancouver Sun: "When Autumn Leaves is an impressive debut from a writer with a unique vision. It's a fresh look at both small-town life and the mysteries of the universe. It's a book so winsome and charming I use these descriptors entirely free of their usual snark and condescension. The novel begins with Autumn Avening, the spiritual centre of Avening, a small town nestled in the "land of cedars . . . on a piece of lush Pacific Coast." (Think of your dream vision of a Gulf Island, free of the cranky reality.) The town, it seems, is touched by magic: People are drawn to it, sometimes despite themselves.
