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We Begin at the End Spiral-Bound | 2021-03-02
Chris Whitaker
★★★★☆+ from 50,001 + ratings
$29.09
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We Begin at the End
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of
5
Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
There are two kinds of families: the ones we are born into and the ones we create.
Walk has never left the coastal California town where he 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. Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released.
Duchess is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Her mother, Star, grew up with Walk and Vincent. Walk is in overdrive trying to protect them, but Vincent and Star seem bent on sliding deeper into self-destruction. Star always burned bright, but recently that light has dimmed, leaving Duchess to parent not only her mother but her five-year-old brother. At school the other kids make fun of Duchess--her clothes are torn, her hair a mess. But let them throw their sticks, because she'll throw stones. Rules are for other people. She's just trying to survive and keep her family together.
A fortysomething-year-old sheriff and a thirteen-year-old girl may not seem to have a lot in common. But both have come to expect that people will disappoint you, loved ones will leave you, and if you open your heart it will be broken. So when trouble arrives with Vincent King, Walk and Duchess find they will be unable to do anything but usher it in, arms wide closed.
Chris Whitaker has written an extraordinary novel about people who deserve so much more than life serves them. At times devastating, with flashes of humor and hope throughout, it is ultimately an inspiring tale of how the human spirit prevails and how, in the end, love--in all its different guises--wins.
Publisher: Macmillan
Original Binding: Hardcover with dust jacket
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 1250759668
Item Weight: 1.3 lbs
Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
Customer Reviews: 4 out of 5 stars 50,001 + ratings
"We Begin at the End is a vibrant, engrossing, unputdownable thriller that packs a serious emotional punch. This is one of those rare books that surprise you along the way and then linger in your mind long after you have finished it. A powerful, compelling novel."
--Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Two damaged children--one timid and sweet, the other foul-mouthed and furious--will break readers' hearts in this well-plotted and perfectly-paced novel. If, like me, you love stories that kidnap your intended schedule because you can't not keep turning the pages, then I wholeheartedly recommend Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End."
--Wally Lamb, New York Times bestselling author of I Know This Much Is True
"I LOVED this book. From the riveting plot to the beautiful writing. But mostly what kept me longing to get back to it each day were the characters, especially young Duchess. Fierce, brave, vulnerable, she leaps off the page fully formed. As does Walk. How aptly named. A chief of police on his own inexorable journey. This is a book to be read and reread and an author to be celebrated."
--Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"It's an instant classic….Let's begin at the end. After you've turned the final page of Chris Whitaker's magnificent new novel, you'll struggle--I struggled, certainly--to describe the experience…it recalls the very best of Tana French and Dennis Lehane. Think of Duchess Day Radley as a twenty-first-century Scout Finch, tough and curious and good. In fact, think of We Begin at the End as a novel at the same time distinctly American and profoundly universal."
--A.J. Finn, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window
"A beautifully written mystery, packed with unforgettable characters. An intricately woven portrait of small-town intrigue where old and new sins collide."
--Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Dry
"Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy, and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I've read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last."
--John Hart, author of six New York Times bestsellers
"Beautifully written, We Begin at the End really reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird. And the spirit of Scout is very much alive in Duchess."
--Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
"…Couldn't put it down. Incredible writing, characters so brilliantly drawn they jump off the page. Outstanding."
--B. A. Paris, bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors
"This is an epic drama and a profound masterpiece. I'll be amazed if I read a better novel this year."
--Daily Mirror (UK)
"We Begin at the End is every reader's dream come true. Chris Whitaker has written a literary masterpiece that should be at the top of every book club's list and every reader's TBR pile. It will be on the top of every BEST OF list next Spring, and is an instant best seller."
--Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
"You MUST read this book!"
--Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA
"Brilliant, poetic, compelling, provocative, heartbreaking…I'm still trying to process all the emotions this story stirred up, how moved I was by the vulnerability and flaws in each of the characters and the unflinching yet compassionate way they are depicted. This is one of the best books I've had the privilege of reading in quite some time and Chris Whitaker should be on everyone's 'to be read' list."
--Adrian Newell, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"This amazing book will satisfy readers in many different ways. A compelling story filled with intensely raw emotion, characters that beg you to save them and love them and plot twists that are satisfyingly unexpected. A true story of what the human spirit will sacrifice and endure for the ones they love."
--Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm, Omaha, NE
"This harrowing stunner will leave you emotionally devastated. The damaged souls of both the children and adults will capture your heart and mind and forever change you. The must-read murder mystery of the season!"
--Jean Lewis, Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, FL
"Astonishing. This tense, immersive novel perfectly captures a small town in transition, populated by people who are struggling with their own private tragedies and failures. Stunningly sharp and poetic, this story is a heartbreakingly beautiful exploration of love, desperation, and rage. I loved it!"
--Kim Devoe, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"Chris Whitaker has not only written a moving portrait of tragedy in a small town, he has also graced us with two of the most unforgettable characters to charge across the written page: a sheriff committed to protecting his ex-con best friend and a young girl determined to fight her mother's fights. Part mystery, part redemption story, and all heart, We Begin at the End reminds you that our favorite heroes always come with flaws."
--Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
"I couldn't put this down. I stayed up way too late many nights reading. It's a beautiful, often painful, story lovingly rendered. I loved it!"
--Ellen Jarrett, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA
"I was completely captivated by We Begin at the End. I know this is an overused compliment (but I'm sure authors never tire of it), but the writing was superb--so much more than a simple mystery: anger, betrayal, and heartbreak, but ultimately hope and redemption."
--Julie Slavinsky, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"Duchess Day Radley is as fierce and uncompromising a character as you'd ever hope to meet. This is a novel about love ultimately, within a family, between friends, love in guises slightly outside the expected. Love that means decisions are not pain-free--love that in the end streaks like lightning across the heart and leaves a permanent mark behind."
--Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, CA
"Duchess is a character for the ages. Walk is a hero of Atticus Finch proportions. We Begin at the End will be a defining work of the forthcoming decade. Like To Kill A Mockingbird, it paints an exquisitely detailed portrait of small-town life with the everyday heroes who walk among us. Fraught with emotion, tightly plotted, and filled with characters that will haunt the reader's dreams, We Begin at the End is the work of a master writer."
--Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, MN
"I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a thriller with a heart of tarnished gold. Great characters that you pull for."
--Louise Venokur, [words] Bookstore, Maplewood, NJ
"Where to begin with We Begin at the End, that is the real dilemma. It is a 'who done it' mystery but also a mystery about the human spirit. Thirteen-year-old Duchess, the main character, with her unlimited resilience, should be a poster gal for the women's movement. You will rapidly turn the pages to see how she survives each new hurdle life throws in her path. You will not want to put it down. Chris Whitaker, where have you been all my life?"
--Fran Ziegler, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA
"Chris Whitaker has given my soul a perfect little rip. I wanted to devour this novel with white knuckles in one sitting. I wanted to stretch the read over several blanket-sprawled days. We Begin at the End is more than a read, it is an experience. It is a lump stuck in my throat, a tear that keeps sneaking down my cheek, and that gulp of fresh air when the wind cleanses the streets. I was lost in the despair and struggle of the characters even as I held back every mothering need to wrap them up in my arms. Some books defy genre; this one holds them all in a tightly packed, and slightly shattered, snow globe. It is a mystery, a literary masterpiece, a coming of age for every age, and a raw-edged western all grown up. Ride into the sunset, readers…ride on."
--Carrie Koepke, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
"We Begin at the End is filled with inventive and fully developed characters like our main protagonist Duchess Day Radley, Outlaw, a 13-year-old holding her household together and caring for her little brother. She knows no fear and will do anything to protect her family, and is capable of brutal retaliation. It is the story of high school friends, their strength, and their sorrow. Each facing the aftermath of tragedies that decades later still threaten to tear them apart in their own way. It is the story of unrequited love, heartache, family, and the strength of friendship. We Begin at the End is a story of America."
--Calvin Crosby, Executive Director, CALIBA
--Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Two damaged children--one timid and sweet, the other foul-mouthed and furious--will break readers' hearts in this well-plotted and perfectly-paced novel. If, like me, you love stories that kidnap your intended schedule because you can't not keep turning the pages, then I wholeheartedly recommend Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End."
--Wally Lamb, New York Times bestselling author of I Know This Much Is True
"I LOVED this book. From the riveting plot to the beautiful writing. But mostly what kept me longing to get back to it each day were the characters, especially young Duchess. Fierce, brave, vulnerable, she leaps off the page fully formed. As does Walk. How aptly named. A chief of police on his own inexorable journey. This is a book to be read and reread and an author to be celebrated."
--Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"It's an instant classic….Let's begin at the end. After you've turned the final page of Chris Whitaker's magnificent new novel, you'll struggle--I struggled, certainly--to describe the experience…it recalls the very best of Tana French and Dennis Lehane. Think of Duchess Day Radley as a twenty-first-century Scout Finch, tough and curious and good. In fact, think of We Begin at the End as a novel at the same time distinctly American and profoundly universal."
--A.J. Finn, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window
"A beautifully written mystery, packed with unforgettable characters. An intricately woven portrait of small-town intrigue where old and new sins collide."
--Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Dry
"Rich with character and story, conflict and tension, humor, tragedy, and raw, unadulterated guts, this one has it all. Throw in the most compelling young protagonist I've read in at least a decade, and you have a deep and meaningful story that is an absolute delight from first page to last."
--John Hart, author of six New York Times bestsellers
"Beautifully written, We Begin at the End really reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird. And the spirit of Scout is very much alive in Duchess."
--Sarah Pinborough, New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes
"…Couldn't put it down. Incredible writing, characters so brilliantly drawn they jump off the page. Outstanding."
--B. A. Paris, bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors
"This is an epic drama and a profound masterpiece. I'll be amazed if I read a better novel this year."
--Daily Mirror (UK)
"We Begin at the End is every reader's dream come true. Chris Whitaker has written a literary masterpiece that should be at the top of every book club's list and every reader's TBR pile. It will be on the top of every BEST OF list next Spring, and is an instant best seller."
--Mary O'Malley, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
"You MUST read this book!"
--Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault, Oskaloosa, IA
"Brilliant, poetic, compelling, provocative, heartbreaking…I'm still trying to process all the emotions this story stirred up, how moved I was by the vulnerability and flaws in each of the characters and the unflinching yet compassionate way they are depicted. This is one of the best books I've had the privilege of reading in quite some time and Chris Whitaker should be on everyone's 'to be read' list."
--Adrian Newell, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"This amazing book will satisfy readers in many different ways. A compelling story filled with intensely raw emotion, characters that beg you to save them and love them and plot twists that are satisfyingly unexpected. A true story of what the human spirit will sacrifice and endure for the ones they love."
--Betsy Von Kerens, The Bookworm, Omaha, NE
"This harrowing stunner will leave you emotionally devastated. The damaged souls of both the children and adults will capture your heart and mind and forever change you. The must-read murder mystery of the season!"
--Jean Lewis, Copperfish Books, Punta Gorda, FL
"Astonishing. This tense, immersive novel perfectly captures a small town in transition, populated by people who are struggling with their own private tragedies and failures. Stunningly sharp and poetic, this story is a heartbreakingly beautiful exploration of love, desperation, and rage. I loved it!"
--Kim Devoe, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"Chris Whitaker has not only written a moving portrait of tragedy in a small town, he has also graced us with two of the most unforgettable characters to charge across the written page: a sheriff committed to protecting his ex-con best friend and a young girl determined to fight her mother's fights. Part mystery, part redemption story, and all heart, We Begin at the End reminds you that our favorite heroes always come with flaws."
--Luisa Smith, Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA
"I couldn't put this down. I stayed up way too late many nights reading. It's a beautiful, often painful, story lovingly rendered. I loved it!"
--Ellen Jarrett, Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA
"I was completely captivated by We Begin at the End. I know this is an overused compliment (but I'm sure authors never tire of it), but the writing was superb--so much more than a simple mystery: anger, betrayal, and heartbreak, but ultimately hope and redemption."
--Julie Slavinsky, Warwick's, La Jolla, CA
"Duchess Day Radley is as fierce and uncompromising a character as you'd ever hope to meet. This is a novel about love ultimately, within a family, between friends, love in guises slightly outside the expected. Love that means decisions are not pain-free--love that in the end streaks like lightning across the heart and leaves a permanent mark behind."
--Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield's Books, Sebastopol, CA
"Duchess is a character for the ages. Walk is a hero of Atticus Finch proportions. We Begin at the End will be a defining work of the forthcoming decade. Like To Kill A Mockingbird, it paints an exquisitely detailed portrait of small-town life with the everyday heroes who walk among us. Fraught with emotion, tightly plotted, and filled with characters that will haunt the reader's dreams, We Begin at the End is the work of a master writer."
--Pamela Klinger-Horn, Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior, MN
"I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's a thriller with a heart of tarnished gold. Great characters that you pull for."
--Louise Venokur, [words] Bookstore, Maplewood, NJ
"Where to begin with We Begin at the End, that is the real dilemma. It is a 'who done it' mystery but also a mystery about the human spirit. Thirteen-year-old Duchess, the main character, with her unlimited resilience, should be a poster gal for the women's movement. You will rapidly turn the pages to see how she survives each new hurdle life throws in her path. You will not want to put it down. Chris Whitaker, where have you been all my life?"
--Fran Ziegler, Titcomb's Bookshop, East Sandwich, MA
"Chris Whitaker has given my soul a perfect little rip. I wanted to devour this novel with white knuckles in one sitting. I wanted to stretch the read over several blanket-sprawled days. We Begin at the End is more than a read, it is an experience. It is a lump stuck in my throat, a tear that keeps sneaking down my cheek, and that gulp of fresh air when the wind cleanses the streets. I was lost in the despair and struggle of the characters even as I held back every mothering need to wrap them up in my arms. Some books defy genre; this one holds them all in a tightly packed, and slightly shattered, snow globe. It is a mystery, a literary masterpiece, a coming of age for every age, and a raw-edged western all grown up. Ride into the sunset, readers…ride on."
--Carrie Koepke, Skylark Bookshop, Columbia, MO
"We Begin at the End is filled with inventive and fully developed characters like our main protagonist Duchess Day Radley, Outlaw, a 13-year-old holding her household together and caring for her little brother. She knows no fear and will do anything to protect her family, and is capable of brutal retaliation. It is the story of high school friends, their strength, and their sorrow. Each facing the aftermath of tragedies that decades later still threaten to tear them apart in their own way. It is the story of unrequited love, heartache, family, and the strength of friendship. We Begin at the End is a story of America."
--Calvin Crosby, Executive Director, CALIBA
Chris Whitaker lives in the United Kingdom with his wife and three young children. His books include Tall Oaks and All the Wicked Girls. Follow Chris on Twitter @WhittyAuthor.