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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'll admit that I too, was captured by the cover of this book on a desperation run to the library. Being in between books with the holiday weekend was not an option for me as i scrambled through the new release section looking for anything remotely interesting. When I found this book I also got my hopes up a little too soon- It could have been so much more than it was. I'm in agreement with others that this seems to be the first in a series because on it's own it just doesn't seem full enough. There are too many details that go no-where.
I'd be interested in reading the second book if there is one, but it's not something I would purchase. There's potential for a really good "sink yourself into it" story here and I felt a little deflated with the surface skimming the story actually turned out to be.

I initially picked up this book because I thought the cover was so beautiful. I admit it…I judged a book by its cover. When I read that it was a book laced with some magic, I knew I had to read it.

I am very confused by the whole book. It wasn’t the story that was confusing but my feelings about the book that I can’t sort out. Part of me fought the story almost the whole way through and I have no idea why. I had unwarranted high expectations and I was quickly disappointed that the writing didn’t flow as well as I was hoping. I was constantly being pulled out of the story because of some comment that didn’t seem to fit or some phrasing that just felt off.

The story is set in the town of Avening and each chapter reads like a short story. Each is about a different person. The common link between them all being Avening and magic, as well as Autumn, a woman who appears throughout the whole book.

Autumn puts an ad out in the paper which causes each of these women to become more open to the magic in their lives and encourages them to think about what that means.

Although this is not the best book I have read this year, it is a nice quick read if you are looking for some magic. The way Foster’s stories unfold began to grow on me and by the end of the book I was surprisingly pleased with how the story wrapped up. However, in general, the stories are left fairly open and I can see Foster writing a sequel to the book.

Even though I had my issues with the book, I did enjoy it. If she does write a sequel, I can definitely see myself buying it. I think I would enjoy it more now that I know what to expect from her writing. What can I say…I am a sucker for books with a little magic. ( )

When Autumn, the mysterious shaman of Avening, solicits written entries from local women vying for a position as her apprentice, she's searching for her own replacement. But what, exactly, does Autumn do? the townspeople question. No one knows. Intuitively, everyone knows Autumn corrals magic. And so, one by one, curious letters arrive in Autumn's mailbox, each with a different woman's perspective on the job in question, what it might entail, and why she wants it.

In When Autumn Leaves, Amy Foster permits guarded entrance into Autumn's magical world, where women are trained to harness different magical gifts only to separate, and even less insight into the true purpose of the enchanted world she's envisioned. Leaving room for a sequel? A distinct possibility, though Foster's lack of clarity here may hurt the future of the franchise.

Will Autumn choose Sylvie, who recently lost her mother? Ana, a teacher in love with a married man? Ellie the invisible researcher? Stella, a healer who captures lightning in a bottle? Or another. The letters continue to arrive and, as each applicant's story twines into Autumn's, the story grows taut with suspense.

Foster creates an amorphously lovely town, one that strong women find curiously inviting for no singular reason. Slightly muddled and frumpy, though beloved, Foster's characters shine with crisp edges and clear purpose. If only the plotline could stand up to her character development.

A fun fall read with finely-tuned focus on the strength of women, though the real feat here is that, despite a tightly-wrapped ending, you'll wish there was more.

Avening is a small town in the Pacific Northwest; a seemingly normal town populated by people with magical potential. Autumn is a member of the Jaen, a group who watch over and encourage humanity in us all. The Jaen have decided that it is time for Autumn to move on and have directed her to select and mentor her replacement; she has one year to pick from a group of fifty. She sets up a contest starting with an essay with the winner getting her Book of Shadows that contains magical knowledge that will enable her replacement to lead/guide the community. On Autumn's last day in town she has selected twelve people to join the Jaen but finding the thirteenth who will be her successor and the leader proves more difficult. The clock is ticking with only hours left and Autumn doesn't have a clue where to find the thirteenth.
While Avening is not an actual place, it seemed that it could be any small town with people that you have already met.