Ruth is now 41 and has a son, though her husband has died. This section covers Ruth's own year of widowhood ("A Widow for One Year" is a literal description of Ruth's situation as well as a reference to the first chapter of her third novel, "Not For Children"). The detective who had helped solve the murder case in Amsterdam has finally realized that Ruth is the "witness" due to details she used in her new novel, especially her description of a room identical to the murdered prostitute's. The detective, who had been a dear friend to the prostitute, is also a fan of Ruth's work. Ruth learns that the murder was solved. She meets the detective on her next trip to Europe and they fall in love. The romance is quick and he agrees to follow Ruth to Vermont. They marry. Ruth and Eddie unexpectedly reunite with Marion in the end. In this book, as in The World According to Garp (1978) and Last Night in Twisted River (2009), John Irving uses writers as protagonists and provides examples of their writing. References External links John Irving and the architecture of character - Interview about A Widow for One Year 1998 American novels American novels adapted into films Fiction set in 1958 Fiction set in 1990 Fiction set in 1995 English-language novels Long Island in fiction Novels about writers Novels by John Irving Novels set in New Hampshire Phillips Exeter Academy Random House books