Reading Notes 20: We Begin at the End

A superb drama where American nature, neighbors, and the foundations of society support one another.
The book's title radiates a religious tone. Religion, colored by various aspects, gives depth to the drama. Like churches and religious institutions, it serves as a foundation for society, connects neighbors, and brings stability and peace to daily life. Its core is likely a sound conservatism.
This work offers many suggestions to the reader. I focused on three.
The first is American nature. The scale of it—from the untouched wilderness of Montana, 1,600 km away from California—and its diverse landscapes are overwhelming. The second is the love of neighbors, which, along with family love, America has likely nurtured since its independence. The rights to pursue freedom, equality, and happiness are woven in layers across local and federal levels, and constant efforts are made to realize them. The third is
the strength of the bonds between high school classmates. While this can also be seen in neighborly love, the friendship extended by high school classmates is particularly noteworthy. Since this book is a mystery novel, I will keep the plot summary to a minimum.

Characters
The protagonists of this book are the sister and brother, Duchess and Robin. They are half-siblings raised by their mother, Star, but their reliable mother, Star, falls to a bullet and passes away. The family is already in a state of dissolution, and the only one they can rely on is their grandfather, Hal. Duchess is still a high school student, and Robin is not yet school-aged.
She calls herself an "outlaw," keeps friends at a distance, and continues to reject any criticism or slander against her mother, who fell into alcoholism. It is as if she is rejecting even the sympathy and concern of her neighbors. Her younger brother, Robin, is a stark contrast, almost like an angel.
The siblings live in Cape Haven, a seaside town on the California coast. Meanwhile, their grandfather lives in the great wilderness of Montana, 1,600 km away. The person who helped them with the three-day, two-night car journey is State Police Officer Walker. He becomes one of the key characters.

American Nature
Duchess had completely shut herself off in her own shell. The only window to her heart was open to Robin. What prompted her to break out of it was the great nature of Montana. The blueness of the sky she looked up at, the patch of green that peeked out in the dark coniferous forest (which Hal had cleared from scratch), the calls of wild birds, the sound of the wind blowing through, and the swarm of stars in the night sky filling the heavens—all of it was a fresh surprise. It was impossible not to feel a sense of awe.
The idea that the California coast and Montana were connected as the same America was outside of Duchess's thinking until now. Through this awakening, Duchess
is certain that she will change from a pupa into a butterfly. Blessings to Duchess.

American Neighborly Love
In Duchess's escape from her shell, the patience and love of her grandfather, Hal, are deeply moving. When Duchess first came to stay with Hal, she was, to borrow Hal's words, like a wild horse. She rejected training and wanted to jump the fence and run into the wilderness at any opportunity. Hal's life experience boils down to this: accept things as they are. Let her be free until she is convinced herself. Patience and love are everything. Just like the growth of a tree, as it grows, it spreads its roots, extends its branches, thickens its trunk, and shapes itself on its own.
What surprised Duchess was the reaction of Hal's neighbors. A new classmate at the local high school she transferred to is the son of an incredibly wealthy family, and when she visits their mansion by invitation, she becomes absorbed in chatting and music. And surprisingly, the parents see an inherent quality in Duchess. They wonder if they can help in some way to nurture it. And so, they reach out. I am made aware of the depth of the neighborly love that America has nurtured since its founding.
The fact that a local doctor and his wife accepted the innocent, angel-like Robin as their own child is, like the wealthy family who accepted Duchess, an expression of neighborly love. On the day Robin is taken in by the doctor and his wife and leaves Hal's house, Hal sees him off as a blessing from God, and Duchess chokes up, balancing her sorrow at parting with her well-wishes for his new start. It is an impressive scene.
The people in the network centered around State Police Officer Walker also did not hesitate to help the young siblings. The truth behind the shooting of Star, the siblings' mother, which triggered the incident, has not yet been uncovered. The story finally enters its core.

Bonds of American High School Classmates
As we have already seen, the mutual support of American high school classmates is visible within this neighborly love. For the investigation into Star's murder case that Walker is handling and for testimony in court, in addition to Walker, who was in the same high school class as Star, Cady, the head of the Fairmont County Correctional Facility, and the lawyer Martha May do not hesitate to cooperate. The solidarity of high school classmates and alumni is something you cannot understand unless you live in America. They gather for parties and events throughout the seasons, deepen their friendships, and keep in touch. Imagining it from the glimpses of daily life I saw in Minnesota, the Twin Cities, Denver, and Tucson, it warms the heart.

We Begin at the End
Thanks to the desperate efforts of Walker and the others, the truth of the case is gradually revealed.
The hypothesis the State Police had been holding internally was that Star and her high school classmate, Vincent, were the culprits. The first undeniable piece of evidence for this is that Vincent turned himself in immediately on the night of the incident. That night, having just finished a 30-year prison sentence, Vincent visited Star to apologize for causing the traffic accident that killed Star's sister, Sissy, and to express his intention to support the single-mother household from the shadows. However, this backfired. The police's assumptions are intense, and it is extremely disadvantageous for Vincent.
The counterattack by Walker and the others, who are convinced of Vincent's innocence, begins. In court, the evidence presented by the State Police is overturned one by one, and the jury's deliberations are sent back to square one. Walker and the others, so to speak, brought the case back to life through a proof by contradiction.
So, who was the culprit behind Star's murder? The truth was shocking. The story recreates that nightmarish night. I will omit the core part after this.
This book is a monumental work that instantly added the author to the ranks of promising American mystery writers. I hope you will open the book and taste its flavor for yourself.
The title of the work asks, "Everyone makes mistakes. And the sins committed must be atoned for," and "How can those who have committed mistakes be forgiven? How can they be freed from the consciousness of sin?" I cannot help but wish that the scene of that night will disappear from the "angel's" memory as soon as possible.

Data: The author is Chris Whitaker, and the translator is Megumi Suzuki. The original title is "We Begin at the End." Published by Hayakawa Publishing, August 2022, 520 pages.
Winner of the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger Award for Best Novel.

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