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Frances Garrood
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Ruth Robinson's Year of Miracles: An uplifting and heart-warming read Kindle Edition

by Frances Garrood (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,726 ratings
A heart-warming read full of quirky characters! Perfect for fans of Gail Honeyman, Rachel Joyce, Joanna Cannon and Graeme Simsion…

All Ruth Robinson ever wanted was the man of her dreams. But she lost the man, and got a baby instead…

Six months ago, Ruth Robinson had a regular job, a monthly salary and a comfortable flat to go home to.

After quitting her job ready to go travelling, a momentary lapse of judgement put a major spanner in the works…

Now Ruth has a baby on the way and no place to call home…

With the father of her child AWOL and her parents less than impressed, Ruth decides to move in with her eccentric uncles.

And when the Virgin Mary appears in their hen house, it is clear Ruth’s unplanned pregnancy isn’t the only ‘miracle’ she’ll be encountering this year…

RUTH ROBINSON’S YEAR OF MIRACLES is a hilarious, off-beat, (anti) romantic comedy full of quirky characters and family dramas. It is an uplifting read - perfect for the holidays - that is full of humour, wit and tear-jerking reality, from a strong voice in women’s fiction.

'a most engaging novel... Frances Garrood is a talented writer' - Andrew Davies

‘Frances Garrood is a magnificent writer’ - thebookbag.co.uk
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  1. Print length
    356 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    August 9, 2018
  4. File size
    1.1 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07F6HL2NB
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sapere Books (August 9, 2018)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 9, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.1 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 356 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,726 ratings

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Frances Garrood

Frances Garrood

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,726 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book's humor, with one mentioning it made them laugh and cry. The book features memorable quirky characters.

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5 customers mention "Humor"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous, with one mentioning it made them laugh and cry.

"...This book is funny and has a lot of life lessons intertwined. It's a light read, but one that is hard to put down...." Read more

"...’ reading in one way; but at the same time, in the midst of hilarious absurdities it also offers some “food for thought” about relationships, values..." Read more

"...It made me laugh and cry, and I will happily recommend it to all my friends." Read more

"...A thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of humor, love , great characters and a perfect ending" Read more

4 customers mention "Character variety"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of memorable quirky characters in the book.

"...All in all an enjoyable romantic comedy with some memorable characters, details and turns of events. ‘..." Read more

"...Filled with quirky and eccentric characters and set in the English countryside, this book is beautifully written...." Read more

"...A thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of humor, love , great characters and a perfect ending" Read more

"This was a totally consistently fun read. Wonderful narrator, quirky characters, and excellent pacing that kept the story rolling along." Read more

Keeping Family Bonds Is A Miracle
5 out of 5 stars
Keeping Family Bonds Is A Miracle
I received this ebook from NetGalley, I like books with the word "Miracle" in the title and this one was true at its word. A woman's story, raised in a strict Catholic environment ....where her violin is her best freind and life, and disappointing her parents ends up pregnant , searching on her future what to do...and finds family is an important role that year and the bonds that help her find herself as she is going through the process. Her uncles,who are twins, play a main event in not only her life but all the visitors who come stay with them,their cottage farm is almost like a Bed and Breakfast house except they get to stay all year. They wear their heart on their sleeve,accepting every family member with open arms no matter what their flaws are. Being a twin myself, I can relate to the uncles (the twins) antics and roles,and Ruth,the main character becomes very fond of them and understands their twin bond. AN eccentric woman,Blossom...who is a true beleiver of the Virgin Mary image that appears in the Hen House wall, fights every moment for it not to be removed. Deep down, I found myself understanding her bitterness for people but deep down she loves being in this environment of family all around. The humor and eccentriness in some of the characters keeps the reader glued to the chapters. The ending have a surprise twist and will keep you wanting to read more about these families. I recommend this book if you want a good happy romance story to read.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • PTCruiser
    5.0 out of 5 stars When life gives you lemons, make lemonade ...
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Poor Ruth, if being snubbed by her boyfriend , then getting fired, then having to change a long awaited world adventure wasn't enough, finding out she was pregnant put the icing on the cake. With no home, no support from her parents, and no clue what she was going to do, she finds shelter and love from her twin, eccentric, older uncles. She ultimately accepts her new lifestyle and finds herself learning how to simplify and live on a shoestring budget.

    Ruth appears to be in complete denial that she will be a mother and only a week before her due date does she decide to think about preparing for the inevitable.

    This book is funny and has a lot of life lessons intertwined. It's a light read, but one that is hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you do as well.
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  • MT
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable British rom-com with memorable quirky characters
    Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Ruth Robinson is about to take a sabbatical year and go travelling around the world with a friend, when an unexpected pregnancy turns all her plans upside-down. Already having let out her flat, she has nowhere to go but to go and stay with her twin uncles in their house out in the countryside. She knows who the father of her baby-to-be is, but they were not in a relationship, and as he is off travelling to unknown destinations as well, Ruth has no way of getting in touch with him. Her parents aren’t being helpful either, as they still regard it as a disgrace to have a child out of wedlock. Lucky for Ruth, her two eccentric uncles take a different attitude. While staying with them, she also makes a few other new friends and acquaintances; each with their own individual quirks. And as if life wasn’t complicated enough already, one day there is the mystic appearance of a perfect image of the Virgin Mary on the wall of the hen house, attracting a growing stream of pilgrims…

    All in all an enjoyable romantic comedy with some memorable characters, details and turns of events. ‘Light’ reading in one way; but at the same time, in the midst of hilarious absurdities it also offers some “food for thought” about relationships, values and beliefs (or, in short – life!).
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  • Margo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I haven't read such a truly funny story in a long time. Filled with quirky and eccentric characters and set in the English countryside, this book is beautifully written. It made me laugh and cry, and I will happily recommend it to all my friends.
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  • *TUDOR^QUEEN*
    3.0 out of 5 stars Eccentric characters unite for improbable story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018
    Thank you to the publisher Sapere Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

    In the last year I have read two 5 star books in succession from this author. So, after reading "Dead Ernest" and "Cassandra's Secret", I came to expect great things from author Frances Garrood. However, her last two books that I have read, "Women Behaving Badly" and this one, have sadly disappointed me.

    This story takes place in England (a delightful staple of Garrood's books) and centers upon the main character of Ruth Robinson. Ruth plays the violin and has had some mediocre success in this profession. With the benefit of a small financial legacy from a deceased grandmother, Ruth decides to treat herself to a belated "gap year" trip. To that end, she lets her home to a family of Norwegians while she's away. However, fate steps in to shelve her plans. Over the years she has been friends with a bearded trombonist named Amos, and they eventually have an intimate night together. Following this event, Amos sets out to the Bahamas on a cruise ship as part of a musical ensemble.

    Ruth Robinson is pregnant! Initially, she decides to abort the pregnancy. But, following anesthesia and as she is being wheeled away, Ruth has a sudden revelation. She envisions a sort of seahorse/rabbit apparition representing the life growing inside her, it scrambling from the ceiling to the window and dissipating into a puddle of ectoplasm. Following this hallucination of sorts, Ruth finds the strength to voice her desire to stop the abortion.

    Ruth's parents are strict Catholics, and unable to stop the letting of her small house to the Norwegians, Ruth hopes to find refuge with her family. Her father in particular is horrified at Ruth's condition, and very worried about the neighbors finding out. To that end, a solution is arrived at to send Ruth to stay with her twin uncles Silas and Eric who live a a rambling and cluttered Victorian home named Applegarth. Things only get weirder from here. We meet one eccentric character after another. There is Blossom, the Catholic woman who rides a bike each day to Applegarth to clean the house. She's not a very good cleaner, and is very abrupt and non-communicative. In fact, she often takes out the vacuum to put an end to conversations. She has a beautiful daughter Kaz who is a pole dancer and a bulky son (from an affair) named Lazzo who is on government assistance for questionable reasons. Uncles Silas and Eric are also very eccentric. They never worked at an actual job, but seem to be able to survive on a family legacy as well as from farming. Another eccentric quality one of the twins has is his penchant for taxidermy. With no actual formal training, he makes repeated attempts at this endeavor, often over-stuffing or not applying the correct fake eyes to the object. Also, dead animals can often be found wrapped up at the bottom of the regular family refrigerator for later taxidermy projects! Another eccentric quality of one of the twins is an obsession with potential health problems. He has a book of medical symptoms and is always self-diagnosing based on what he has gleaned from the book.

    Coming out of left field (to add to this book's quirky nature) is the discovery by Blossom that the Virgin Mary seems to be etched into an area on the outside of the chicken coup. Blossom has big plans to publicize this discovery for those who wish to make pilgrimage to the miracle. However, the owners of the house, Silas and Eric, are not Catholic. In fact, one of the twins has had an elaborate and ongoing project to challenge the notion that Noah's Ark could have existed.

    Ruth has decided to have the baby, but seems distracted by other things and not really focused on the imminent arrival of her baby. As time goes on she decides that she would like to locate Amos (who has no idea of the pregnancy) and perhaps give an enduring relationship with him a chance.

    I keep using the word "eccentric" because this was a very odd cast of characters adding up to a very improbable story. With each of Garrood's books I delve into, they bend increasingly this way until I feel they have slipped off the deep end. This was kind of cute and mildly interesting, but I probably would have stopped reading if I wasn't provided an arc for review.
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  • Carmela Devito
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A 35 year old unemployed violin player discovers she’s pregnant and with few options available to her since her parents are not supportive for a a number of reasons she is welcomed by her eccentric uncles to stay at their farm Here Ruth flowers in the attention given to her and her unborn child by her uncles and others on the farm yet is obsessed with finding her baby’s father. There are several events that hamper Ruth’s ne2found happiness:he mother’s impromptu appearance, a disastarous dinner with her father and her Uncle Slas’ health. Add to this the appearance of the Virgin Mary on the hen house walls and devoted followers seeking the apparition What does this all add up to? A thoroughly enjoyable read with lots of humor, love , great characters and a perfect ending
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great combination of characters and situations
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This was a totally consistently fun read. Wonderful narrator, quirky characters, and excellent pacing that kept the story rolling along.
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  • Becky Steman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fine
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Fine
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  • Annette Johnson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018
    I really enjoyed this quirky little story! I liked all the characters and all their individual ways.
    I liked it!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sharon
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read
    Reviewed in Australia on February 28, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is a really different story which I thoroughly enjoyed. I could imagine the characters so well as they were really brought to life by the author. It made you laugh at times and nearly a tear or two as well. I thought perhaps it did end a little abruptly but on the whole a great read.
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  • Meks Librarian
    5.0 out of 5 stars My Favourite So Far!
    Reviewed in Germany on November 17, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    "Ruth Robinson's Year of Miracles" is, as far as I know, Frances Garrood's fourth novel, and also the fourth I have read. In short: I think it is my favourite!
    I really enjoyed meeting the cast of characters. Everyone came across fully fleshed-out, with their own personality. Most of the story takes place at a more or less rundown country house with a collection of ramshackle outbuildings. While I don't think I could stand the unkempt state of the house, it is described in a way that makes it feel like a true home.

    At first, I did not have much sympathy for Ruth. A grown-up woman who is capable of holding a regular job and a flat ends up with an unplanned pregnancy - in this day and age, that is simply not necessary.
    But Ruth is the kind of person you can not help liking after a while, although she never tries to elicit compassion from anyone.
    Circumstances make it impossible for her to stay at her own flat or move back in with her parents, and so there is just one option: her uncles' country house.
    Now, these uncles are as important to the story as Ruth herself. I won't tell you more about them, only that I hope you will like them as much as I did, and I am sure Frances had a lot of fun with them while she was writing about them.

    After many more things happening - some of them dramatic, others comical -, the main storyline ends neatly in a way that should satisfy every reader. The only thing I would have liked to know more about was the main "miracle" (again, I am not going to tell you more as I want you to read the book for yourselves). There is hardly any mention of it anymore in the last third or so of the book, and the natural (or supernatural?) cause is not revealed.

    So, please go and buy this book - and then read it. I don't believe you will be disappointed. There are enough bits that you may find funny (or should that be witty?), and enough to inspire some deeper thoughts, if you're so inclined - it depends on you, as the book has it all.
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  • Irene Rogers
    5.0 out of 5 stars loved it
    Reviewed in Canada on October 31, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Loved the story and people, especially the uncles. Kept me reading well into the night. Highly recommend to anyone who loves feel good books.
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  • Aletheuon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely, fun story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is a lovely, very readable story, full of lovable eccentrics and very human people muddling through life the best way they can. Ruth Robinson's evangelical Christian parents are horrified when Ruth, already in a profession which they have severe doubts about (professional musician), comes home pregnant. She dislikes their narrow, legalistic and rather self-righteous and joyless version of Christianity and is relieved when she is sent off to stay with her two eccentric uncles. The rest of the story is a tumble of misadventures, joys and sorrows, with a satisfying ending. In the course of all this, Ruth ruminates on the meaning of life and the existence of God, in a way that many can relate to.
    As an evangelical Christian myself, I was a bit sad to see us getting such a bad press. The Robinson's miserable life is pretty unattractive to me, too, though it is recognisable from various people I've encountered. The story of Noah features quite strongly in the story, too, entertainingly but based on a painfully inaccurate version of the story, a kind of mixture of not having read the story and its background accurately and mixing it up with the nursery story people have made of it. It rained for ten months? No, the 'tenth month' means the tenth month of the Jewish lunar year! I could go one, but you get the picture. It doesn't matter, unless people take all this for gospel, to use an appropriate metaphor. And why do people centre so much of their argument against Christianity on the first ten or eleven chapters of Genesis, the only part of the Bible that is prehistoric - i.e. told for generations by family leaders and professional story-tellers before contemporary written history was possible. (I have a degree in all this, if it matters) Obviously, it is full of metaphors and abbreviations! Yes, the Christian church has made a mess of true Christianity, but please, if you are going to treat this book like a theological treatise (judging by the underlined passages), at least focus on the real issues! The big issue - did Jesus live, die and rise again in history?
    Well, that's my rant over. This is still a lovely book, light, heartfelt and human, just the sort of read we all need right now. And if it stimulates a thought or two, that's probably a good thing, too.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely winding story full of great characters.
    Reviewed in Australia on March 20, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Honestly my favourite book in a long time. Frances is fantastic at weaving a story. I so enjoyed my time with Ruth, though frustrating her relationship with Amos was. Would make a great movie!
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