By Jonathan Evison – Dutton, 2025
From the start—a blind date—Abe and Ruth were opposites, a conservative pragmatist and a free-spirited poetry lover. But even through the devastating loss of a child, infidelity and personal sacrifices, their love has endured for 70 years. As the book begins, he’s turning 90; she’s just a couple of years behind. One timeline is the present day, another explores their history, filled with heartbreak and joy.
Abe and Ruth have three living adult children who—like anyone else—face challenges but are committed to each other, even when they disagree. Just when Abe accepts that he’s enjoying his last birthday, ever-independent Ruth receives a debilitating cancer diagnosis. As her treatment leaves her physically dependent on Abe for the first time, the children threaten to move her into assisted living, doubting the best intentions of their father.
Set on their Bainbridge Island farm, this is a story of the ebb and flow of a decades-long marriage. It reminds us that a relationship is not made up of the number of years together, but of the seemingly incidental moments and experiences that are shared.
