We Begin at the End
Author of Read with Jenna Book Club Pick All the Colors of the Dark, with over 1 million copies sold • An Instant New York Times Bestseller
“A vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. One of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it.”
—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds
Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he’s in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
From the Publisher
ASIN : B0893TV1CT
Publisher : Henry Holt and Co.
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : March 2, 2021
Language : English
File size : 4.7 MB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 369 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1250759672
Page Flip : Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #7,452 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #33 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction #59 in Amateur Sleuths #71 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Kindle Store)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (45,700) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Original price was: $18.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
Author of Read with Jenna Book Club Pick All the Colors of the Dark, with over 1 million copies sold • An Instant New York Times Bestseller
“A vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. One of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it.”
—Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds
Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he’s in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother.
Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
From the Publisher
ASIN : B0893TV1CT
Publisher : Henry Holt and Co.
Accessibility : Learn more
Publication date : March 2, 2021
Language : English
File size : 4.7 MB
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 369 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1250759672
Page Flip : Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #7,452 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #33 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Literary Fiction #59 in Amateur Sleuths #71 in Small Town & Rural Fiction (Kindle Store)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (45,700) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
8 reviews for We Begin at the End
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Original price was: $18.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
Anne W –
Deserving of all the hype that comes its way!
My first novel by this extraordinary author – but it won’t be my last. Whitaker’s spellbinding crime mystery had me enthralled and glued to my chair for an amazing one-day read. I simply could not put this book down.The story begins with a step back in time to thirty years prior, when a small child is killed, and the person responsible for her death is a teenager. Moving the timeline ahead to the present, an ex-con and former best friend of the town’s sheriff is being released from prison.What follows is a harrowing and impressively told story that shows how far the tentacles of tragedy can reach. Whitaker’s characterization of self-proclaimed modern-day outlaw thirteen-year-old Duchess Day Radley and her five-year-old brother, Robin who suddenly find themselves on their own after their mother’s devastating death and continuing to face the afflictions of tragedy after tragedy, is deeply moving and heartbreaking.The twists and turns in the plot are ingenious as well as the justice meted out at the end – with a couple of sad and tragic exceptions. I’ll let you discover those situations for yourself.The stand-out cast of characters, the suspense, the emotional arcs were all riveting. While for the most part complex and serious, there are some lighter moments rendering smiles and laughter, too. The layers of the events are slowly rolled-out with a final reveal that is surprisingly shocking and heartbreaking – but with a bit of poetic justice as well.A gripping, unforgettable and ultimately hopeful story to savor and share with others. This must-read book is deserving of all the hype that comes its way.And a note specifically addressed to Chris Whitaker, the author –I truly enjoyed your book – the ride was definitely moving, and I deeply cared for these incredible characters. I’m also excitedly waiting for that brave little outlaw, Duchess, to be portrayed on television one day soon.
robinohara –
Un-Putdownable!
This story is woven around an event that greatly affects a group of teenagers in a coastal town. The event (and their actions) follow them into their futures, affecting their lives and those around them in a hauntingly beautiful story that will tug at your heartstrings without being too melodramatic.The characters are quirky and are all are broken in some fashion. There is the do-gooder lawman named Walk, with fearsome health issues. There is the self-hating criminal with a secret, whose foolish act as a teen affects all their lives. The alcoholic ex-girlfriend of the criminal is named Star, and she has two devoted children out of wedlock that often must fend for themselves. The older daughter, named Duchess, is a pre-teen who assumes very adult responsibilities in caring for her little brother. She is a self-proclaimed outlaw and is a foul-mouthed, fighting, chip-on-shoulder type who has hardened herself to everything in the world except her little brother. Her brother is Robin and he is sweet, innocent and pure. Duchess will sacrifice anything to ensure his well-being.Additional characters are fleshed out very well and add reality and more depth to the story: Grandpa Hal who bargained with the devil, Duchess’s only friend who has a shriveled hand, and the lawman’s attorney ex-girlfriend from teen days who must defend the criminal.I read this book after reading his later work titled, “All the Colors of the Dark.” Both books reflect some similar themes, with characters that are flawed both physically and emotionally. They also feature plots that are driven by horrific events. I recommend both books but I liked this one better. If I could give 4-1/2 stars, I would do so.
James A. Glynn –
Whitaker Grabs Your Heart and Doesn’t Let Go
Chris Whitaker is a like a lyric writer who composes songs of unrequited love and burning hate in equal measure. I’ve read only two of his books, but I’m ready to nominate him as a national treasure. He grabs his readers’ hearts and twists them until they bleed both compassion and despair. In “We Begin at the End,” (2020, 367 pages in softcover format), he brings us “the agony and the ecstasy” of life in diverse communities.The book opens in the picturesque coastal town of Cape Haven, California, site of the tragic death of a young girl, Sissy Radley. Many years ago, her body was discovered by Walk (Police Chief Walker, head of a two-person law enforcement department), and Vincent King is in prison, having been convicted of committing her murder. However, the circumstance of the girl’s death is an unexplained mystery, but King suffers self-imposed punishment for the crime. His cell is devoid of TV, radio, books, or any distractions from the bars and bare walls. He’s also killed another inmate in self-defense, although he accepts responsibility and an added 20 years to his sentence.Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old “outlaw” who “mothers” her younger brother Robin and cleans up after her substance-abusing single mother Star. In turn, this poverty-stricken family is watched over by Walk, who manages to turn a blind eye to Duchess when she steals, fights, or causes mayhem while venting her hostility.Star is the town’s beauty and is the love object of many of the local men, including nightclub owner and real estate developer Dickie Darke, a large and fearsome-looking man, who has a special hatred for Duchess (and perhaps Robin, as well). And Duchess would really like to kill Vincent King, who is about to be released after serving a 30-year prison sentence.Because of circumstances that develop in Cape Haven, Walk decides to take Duchess and Robin to the ranch of his old friend Hal. Walk is experiencing ill health, yet he is able to navigate the torturous trip to Montana. Whitaker makes his readers understand the contrast between the closeness of the coastal hamlet with the vastness of rural Montana. The range is endless, life is slower, and Hal is infinitely patient with Duchess who insists on maintaining and displaying her identity as an outlaw, especially her language which is devoid of censorship.Robin almost immediately accepts Hal as his “Grandpa,” while Duchess remains aloof and hostile. Yet, Hal teaches her how to work a ranch, handle the horses, and shoot a gun. At the time, knowing how Duchess felt about Vincent King, I wondered if Duchess’ increasing expertise in shooting was in some way prophetic about the book’s climax. You may feel the same because nearly every aspect of Whitaker’s novels is intimately integrated.Although Duchess wanted me to hate her, I couldn’t keep myself from loving this child who endured more suffering than I believed to be humanly possible. So, I held my breath as I turn the final pages of this truly excellent novel….Jim Glynn
Leserin_Hannover –
Das Buch ist unglaublich packend, wunderbar geschrieben und hat unvorhersehbare Wendungen. Eines der besten Bücher, die ich gelesen habe. Eine unbedingte Leseempfehlung.
Kindle Customer –
A good read. It takes a little while to get used to the author’s writing style, but it’s worth persevering. I enjoyed it anyway.
E.I. –
One of my favourite books. Purchased a used copy and it looks brand new!
Kindle Customer –
At first I found the writing style slightly disconcerting but a little voice said keep going. So glad I did. A multilayered very human account of endurance, sacrifice, loss and love. Highly recommended.
Alona –
Me ha gustado que no he sido capaz de adivinar lo que iba suceder, lo recomiendo a todos a que lo lean, es muy bueno.