by Kate Mosse
First published 2026
Kate Mosse examines autumn as both natural phenomenon and personal experience in this seasonal memoir. The bestselling novelist combines nature writing with memory as she traces the season's progression from her own garden to the landscapes that shaped her. Mosse guides readers through the Fishbourne marshes of her childhood, where vast skies frame wading birds and morning mist. She ventures into ancient yew forests rich with mythology and walks harvest fields as light shifts and temperatures drop. The journey follows river paths along the Ouse and Lavant, concluding with Lewes Bonfire Night celebrations where flames illuminate the crowd. Mosse captures autumn's sensory details: copper colored leaves, grass touched with dew, the sound of footsteps on fallen foliage, migrating birds overhead, and the season's final warm sunshine. The book offers readers both intimate reflection on seasonal change and vivid exploration of English countryside locations.
Genres: nature, essays, literary-fiction, contemporary, memoir, biography-memoir
Vibes: atmospheric, contemplative, intimate, lyrical, meditative, sensory-rich
Tropes: circular-narrative, journey-of-self-discovery, place-as-character
Setting: Fishbourne Marshes, Lewes, Sussex, River Ouse, River Lavant, English Countryside
Period: Autumn, Contemporary
160 pages · Hardcover · Hodder Press