WE BEGIN AT THE END

Heartbreaking, unexpected, and hopeful, this audiobook is a must-listen. Narrator George Newbern's nuanced delivery engages listeners and helps the layers of the story unfold. Duchess Day Radley, a 13-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw, is fiercely protective of her brother. Walk, the chief of police, is trying to protect the siblings and their mother, Star, from their own self-destructive tendencies. When an act of violence occurs, everyone must try to survive the fallout. The story is told from multiple perspectives and includes flashbacks. It doesn't always have clear breaks between scenes, a weakness that sometimes makes it unclear which storyline is unfolding. Nonetheless, Newbern's delivery is smooth, and his portrayal of Duchess is particularly well done. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]