We Begin at the End (Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition)

by Chris Whitaker

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Whitaker's best novel yet, We Begin at the End is a beautifully written, intense and, at times, poetic crime drama that shines a spotlight on the young, inimitable Duchess Day Radley. With superb characterization and overflowing with heart, We Begin at the End is ultimately about the importance of learning from our past, no matter how recent, to protect our future. A must-read.

This Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition includes a personal essay from author, Chris Whitaker, as well as a discussion guide.

“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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250823915
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Edition description:	Barnes & Noble Book Club Edition
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	9,820
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Chris Whitaker lives in the United Kingdom with his wife and three young children. When not writing he works part-time at a local library, where he gets to surround himself with books.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

“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

“We Begin at the End is a searing portrait of guilt and grief, strikingly written and full of characters you can’t help but love.”
—Charlotte McConaghy, author of Migrations

“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)

From the Publisher

10/01/2020

A 13-year-old toughie living the outsider's life in a coastal California town, Duchess Day Radley watches out for her little brother and dysfunctional single mother, Star, while chief of police Walk watches over Duchess. But he's got other troubles: the best friend who want to jail owing to his testimony is about to be released. British author Whitaker's books have been billed as thrillers, but the publisher is stressing the literary feel of this one. Great expectations; a 500,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal