Randi Davenport

A stunning debut novel, THE END OF ALWAYS tells the story of one young woman's struggle to rise above a vicious family legacy and take charge of her own life. In 1907 Wisconsin, seventeen-year-old Marie Reehs is determined: she will not marry a violent man, as did her mother and grandmother before her. Day after day, Marie toils at the local laundry, watched by an older man who wants to claim her for his own. Night after night, she is haunted by the memory of her mother, who died in a mysterious accident to which her father was the only witness. She longs for an independent life, but her older sister wants nothing more than to maintain the family as it was, with its cruel rules and punishments. Her younger sister is too young to understand. At first, it seems that Marie's passionate love affair with a charismatic young man will lead her to freedom. But she soon realizes that she too may have inherited the Reehs women's dark family curse. Set in the lush woods and small towns of turn-of-the-century Wisconsin, and inspired by real events in the author's family history, THE END OF ALWAYS is a transcendent story of one woman's desperate efforts to escape a brutal heritage. Both enthralling and deeply lyrical, Randi Davenport's novel is also an intensely affecting testament to the power of determination and hope, and a gripping reminder of our nation's long love affair with violence.

A Novel

The End of Always

A stunning debut novel, The End of Always tells the story of one young woman's struggle to rise above a vicious family legacy and take charge of her own life. In 1907 Wisconsin, seventeen-year-old Marie Reehs is determined: she will not marry a violent man, as did her mother and grandmother before her. Day after day, Marie toils at the local laundry, watched by an older man who wants to claim her for his own. Night after night, she is haunted by the memory of her mother, who died in a mysterious accident to which her father was the only witness. She longs for an independent life, but her older sister wants nothing more than to maintain the family as it was, with its cruel rules and punishments. Her younger sister is too young to understand. At first, it seems that Marie's passionate love affair with a charismatic young man will lead her to freedom. But she soon realizes that she too may have inherited the Reehs women's dark family curse. Set in the lush woods and small towns of turn-of-the-century Wisconsin, and inspired by real events in the author's family history, The End of Always is a transcendent story of one woman's desperate efforts to escape a brutal heritage. Both enthralling and deeply lyrical, Randi Davenport's novel is also an intensely affecting testament to the power of determination and hope, and a gripping reminder of our nation's long love affair with violence.

“A heartbreaking, disturbing, and truly courageous story of one mother’s fight to save her son” (Alice Hoffman, New York Times–bestselling author). Randi Davenport’s young son, Chase, kept having problems, but a diagnosis proved elusive. Some said it was autism, others, ADHD—but as time went by, the problems only increased. She worked hard to provide her family with a sense of stability and strength, but her husband’s erratic behavior only made the situation worse. Eventually, James Davenport slipped into his own world, leaving his wife and kids behind. At fifteen, Chase entered an unremitting psychosis—pursued by terrifying images, unable to recognize his own mother, unwilling to eat or even talk. This is the heartbreaking yet triumphant story of how a single mother navigated the byzantine and broken health care system, and managed to not just save her son from the brink of suicide, but bring him back to her and make her family whole again. The Boy Who Loved Tornadoes is “an unforgettable memoir of a shattered family, a mother’s abiding love, and the frightening permutations of the human mind” (Elle). “A gripping and deeply compelling book about a mother’s search for the proper care and treatment for her psychotic son. Davenport shows us the gritty and enraging reality of our long fractured mental health system . . . The best book I’ve read about mental illness since Kay Jamison’s An Unquiet Mind.” —Virginia Holman, author of Rescuing Patty Hearst: Growing Up Sane in a Decade Gone Mad “A brave and beautiful story by a born writer . . .This book is like a beacon, offering clarity, inspiration, and validation for us all, especially those of us, like myself, who have struggled with serious mental illness in our families.” —Lee Smith, author of Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger

Randi Davenport

About

Books

Join the club