The End of the Day

by Bill Clegg

Following his acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Did You Ever Have a Family, Bill Clegg returns with a deeply moving, emotionally resonant second novel about the complicated bonds and breaking points of friendship, the corrosive forces of secrets, the heartbeat of longing, and the redemption found in forgiveness.

A retired widow in rural Connecticut wakes to an unexpected visit from her childhood best friend whom she hasn’t seen in forty-nine years.

A man arrives at a Pennsylvania hotel to introduce his estranged father to his newborn daughter and finds him collapsed on the floor of the lobby.

A sixty-seven-year-old taxi driver in Kauai receives a phone call from the mainland that jars her back to a traumatic past.

These seemingly disconnected lives come together as half-century-old secrets begin to surface. It is in this moment that Bill Clegg reminds us how choices—to connect, to betray, to protect—become our legacy.

Deeply observed and beautifully written, this novel is a feat of storytelling, capturing sixty years within the framework of one fateful day.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Family, Adult, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2020

About the author

Bill Clegg is a literary agent in New York. He is the author of the novel Did You Ever Have A Family and the memoirs Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man and Ninety Days.

He has written for the New York Times, Lapham’s Quarterly, New York magazine, The Guardian, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up! Take a deep breath and enjoy your 5 decades long journey takes you to the cities including NY, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Mexico and Kauai, meeting with different narrators and their unique stories!

Bill Clegg is truly mastermind of creating detailed, layered, natural characters may incredibly resonate with us because he knows true nature of people, their characteristics, antics, flaws and he may use his words like a composer who starts a delicate symphony and presents us smart, poignant, lyrical stories.
As a real fan of his work: “Did you ever a family? “, I was so excited to get this book into my hands from the beginning.

Let’s take a closer look to the story: Three childhood friends Lupita, Dana and Jackie estranged for 50 years. Do you want to know the reason behind their hurt feelings? You gotta join us to the journey going back and forth between 50 years ago and present time to find out what happened between those friends. And we’re also introduced a new father Hal who recently finds out his father’s ill-fated medical condition.

All of these characters’ paths intercept meticulously and you learn more about their heartbreaks, misunderstandings, resentments, secrets, lies, frustrations, angers from multi POVed story chapters.

Overall:Once again the author shared his extra ordinary story telling skills with us, introducing different, original characters and their stories but unfortunately this time I couldn’t resonate with each of the characters and I didn’t enjoy every narrator’s stories. Some of them captivated my attention including Hal and Lupita but some parts didn’t address to my heart and soul.

I’m giving 3.5 stars and rounding them up to 4 for the impeccable, strong writing skills of the author. Maybe I was expecting a little more after enjoying so much his previous novel. But i always keen on reading his upcoming works enthusiastically. He is a unique literature talent.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/ Scout Press for sharing this unique Arc with me in exchange my honest review.

[Angela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but didn’t love it - many of us frequently say that in our reviews. I know I’ve said it enough. Sometimes that’s hard to adequately explain. In this case it was generally because I just wanted it to end, but at the same time I wanted to keep reading because I really did want to know what happened to the characters both in their past and present . ( Not sure if that makes sense.)

There are multiple points of view with chapters focusing on three women whose lives connected when they were young children and teenagers, but who have not been a part of each other’s lives for nearly fifty years. There are also chapters focusing on a man named Hap, whose wife has just given birth to their first baby daughter and whose father has just died. We also see chapters focusing on Hap’s mother. Some of the connections between the characters are evident, but not all, and I was waiting to see if and how all of the stories would converge. Sometimes the description of the connections seemed complicated and a few times I had to read sentences over again to get who was related to whom and how and that didn’t work well with my desire to just finish the book.

The narrative moves back and forth between the past and present revealing secrets kept. At times I just felt as if the author tried too hard to create a mystery to be solved. The telling of the story was like slow soap opera episodes with a drip, drip, drip of who the characters were to each other. It could be that this style just isn’t for me. The fact that I liked it, but didn’t love it won’t keep me from reading Did You Ever Have a Family that is highly rated by so many .

I received an advanced copy of this book from Simon and Schuster through Edelweiss.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Bill Clegg’s first novel,
“Did You Ever Have A Family”.

Bill Clegg is beautiful writer — he takes us into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all.

“To The End Of The Day”, is another quiet reflective book.....with interweaving stories.

Bill Clegg has a keen insight into people and life situations.
His characters feel regret, guilt, and sorrow.....
and he treats them with gentleness and grace...
characters who have been hurt and betrayed by people they loved.
So, the character development and believability hit the mark... with my favorite character being Lupita Lopez.
The imagery was brilliant in places, and the characters were real.
Humanity is presented as equally fragile and durable...
but
although I loved many parts....
on the whole ... I didn’t quite feel the magic as much as I had wished.

The strength of Bill’s stories - for me - is relating them to things in my own life.
If you’ve ever asked yourself why some of our relationships are complicated with people we love .... and how we might find redemption with them - when past memories have been traumatic — this novel allows us to look inside his characters and discover the essence of their humanity - which ultimately has us looking into our own relationships with our family and friends.

Over six decades - in the framework of one day - a tragic event in the past - with memories of betrayal, disappointments, misunderstandings, and secrets...bring them back together.....
From Mexico... to Florida... to Connecticut...New York...Pennsylvania...and Kauai...
family & friendships connect.

At times I felt like we were just muddling through scenes ...
The first part was great... but not every story jived for me.

I’m still interested in reading Bill Clegg again...
There is a quality to his writing that resonates with me.
He illuminates the complexity of people burrowing beneath the surface of ordinary lives.

So although I wasn’t passionately in love with this book in the same way I was
“Did You Ever Have A Family”....
I’m still glad I read it.

3.5 -rating up to 4 stars

Thank you Netgalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Bill Clegg

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

We meet five people, from disparate socioeconomic classes. Hear their backstories, and wonder how they all fit together. The story goes from character to character, back and forth in time. In the course of a day, we may find answers.

Ever since he published Did You Ever Have a Family, this author has been on my watch list. He does a tremendous job with the foibles of family and human nature. Do you remember when your best friend meant everything and you were convinced nothing could tear you apart? Were so very sure you would be friends for life. Two of the characters in this book once thought the same.

This is a story about the curves life throws at one, about friendship, secrets and ultimately redemption. Decisions one makes that changes not only their life, but others as well. Where ones real priorities lie. Clegg does a good job giving us a set of characters, that while we may not like them all, we can relate to their struggles.

A good, solid story about the ties that bind.

ARC from Edelweiss.

[Christine]

DNF

Well, I’m giving up at 38%. No star rating as I don’t rate books I don’t finish. I just could not get out of the starting blocks with this one. There was no one really to like. There are a LOT of characters in this book and they aren’t all totally unlikeable, but no one grabbed my heart. And I was confused. A lot. Now some of that may have been do my dilution of concentration these days what with the coronavirus pandemic in its full glory. But gosh, I was having to go back time and time again to remind myself who was who and what their stories were. It just became too much of a challenge and I folded.

Don’t rely solely on this review to help you decide whether to read the book or not. There are plenty of positive reviews out there so read those too.

Thank you Net Galley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Mr. Bill Clegg for the opportunity to read an ARC. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

[JanB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Clegg has a keen insight into human nature and treats his characters with compassion. His stories and prose touches my heart. I feel for his characters. Their hopes and dreams, their regrets, their pain, and the corrosive nature of long-held secrets and decisions can change lives.

The characters: Dana, Jackie, and Lupita were childhood friends but have been estranged for 50 years. Hap is a new father who discovers some disturbing news as his father lay dying. To understand how they interconnect requires some patience, but Clegg can and does bring it all together.

What Bill Clegg did so brilliantly in Did You Ever Have a Family he also does here: he writes beautifully about the inner lives of his characters and he slowly brings these seemingly disparate characters and stories together so that by the end you see the complete picture.

The story alternates between the present day and 50 years ago. The POV alternates as well between the different characters. The problem for me was I didn’t care much for any of them and struggled to maintain my interest in the story. It pains me to say this but while the writing is an easy 5 stars, the story itself was lacking. By the end, I was left thinking, so what? I need a person to root for and didn't find it here. It's not the author's responsibility to please all his readers, but for me, I found the characters and story lacking while absolutely loving the prose.

* I received a digital e-book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

[Roxane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. Needs better pacing. Hard to connect to the story.

[Paula K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Bill Clegg’s novel DID YOU EVER HAVE A FAMILY. A favorite that I will always remember.

THE END OF THE DAY is similar in that they are both about relationships with family and friends. The book covers sixty years within the framework of one day. It interweaves stories about human nature focusing on estranged relationships. Personally, I could not connect with the characters (I didn’t care for any of them). Nor did the storyline grab me like Clegg’s previous book. However, his writing is still well-crafted.

3 out of 5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC of THE END OF THE DAY in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date - September 29, 2020

Review posted to Goodreads on June 2, 2020

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The End of the Day is written by Bill Clegg, who up until this point is someone I have not heard of, despite him having written multiple other books. That said, I can see how people love his writing - he really transports his readers into the minds of his characters and allows us to feel their pain and see their thoughts and memories. It’s pretty remarkable.

While I enjoyed the beginning half of the novel more than the latter half, I still had an overall good experience with this read. My biggest issues stemmed from there being multiple characters with rich backgrounds that made it a little tough to keep track of everything. That, at there were definitely some characters I cared more about than others, making it tempting to just skim through that character's chapters to get to the ones I cared more about. Not that I did.

This is the sort of book for people who like to connect to their characters, go through the trials of life with them, etc. It’s a highly character-driven novel, in my opinion. And while I normally would say I’m someone who reads books for connection, I had trouble finding it with this novel; even with the characters I cared about. That, in turn, made me feel slightly bored at moments because I couldn’t get over the feeling that I wasn’t truly connecting to anything while reading this.

Overall, Clegg’s novel is filled with hope, forgiveness, friends, and family. It is about how people's lives connect and disconnect and about so much more, and I think those who enjoy novels about family and friends should give this book a try on June 2, 2020!

Thank you to Galley Books for reaching out to me personally and sending me a physical copy of this novel, months prior to its release, in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley & Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with an ARC of the book nine months prior to publication, in exchange for this honest and enthusiastic review.

Bill Clegg's new novel follows several characters bound by blood and/or friendship over a sixty year period, with connections that might not have been obvious on first glance. In fluid prose that is both immersive and propulsive, the intertwined lives of these characters are slowly revealed. In an odd way, the book reminded me a bit of both Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout, the first because of the internecine family dramas that both authors revel in, and the second because Clegg also develops well rounded, albeit sometimes contrary, characters. At one point, Clegg invokes the old 60's TV melodrama Peyton Place, and that is another apropos referent, since this also hinges upon small town secrets and intrigue.

Bill Clegg's first novel Did You Ever Have a Family, nominated for both the Man Booker Prize and National Book Award, was a revelation, and I was sorry when it didn't win either. But his new novel has a chance to rectify that, and I am confident it will equally be up for various literary awards this year, and hopefully be a roaring success for both the author and the publishing house.

[DeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 well written (but depressing) stars

This book features a wide range of characters and their stories. I found the book to be well-written, but it was not uplifting. One storyline features two best friends who had a misunderstanding almost fifty years ago and they attempt to reconcile. As the story progresses, we learn the backstory for both, but ultimately, they do not work out their differences.

Another set of characters deal with a child given up for adoption and the repercussions of that. These stories all eventually intersect, but I kept hoping for redemption and reconciliation. Maybe at a different time in world events, I would appreciate this book more, but it left me wanting more at the end of the day.

No one seemed happy with the life they had lived, filled with regrets. Maybe this was the message the author wanted to convey, life is short, don’t waste it on petty disagreements.

I really enjoyed this author’s earlier book, “Did You Ever Have a Family” so I definitely wanted to read this one. I truly wish this one would have resonated more with me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery/Scout Press, and Bill Clegg for an early copy of this one to read. This one is set to release 9.29.2020.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here it's like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in, I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me.”
- The House That Built Me, written by Tom Douglas and Alan Shamblin

Families and relationships are funny things. A few words, a few simple choices, can change everything. But it’s what comes after those things, when we decide how we’re going to handle the aftermath, that creates the lives we finally lead. At the end of it all we’re left wondering what's real and what isn't, and what of any of it really matters.

Bill Clegg has done it again in his new novel, The End of the Day. As in his other beautiful book, Did You Ever Have a Family, he has entwined the lives of so many people with their hopes and dreams, with their hurt and sorrow, with their pleasure and contentment. Like the young woman who wants nothing more than to be a wife to her teenage crush, like the childhood best friends whose differences become more and more apparent as they get older. Like the solitary young woman who gave up what she needed to give up because there was no other way for her. And like the young man caught in everyone’s world without even knowing it.

There were a lot of characters in this novel. I must admit, at first there were too many for me to keep track of. At a third of the way through, I had to go back and start over, because the names and relationships were confusing to me. After I did that, though, everything fell into place and I couldn’t put the book down. I’ll also say that the confusion may have been because I had to interrupt my reading for a couple of days and then came back to it, so remembering everyone and their parts in the drama was a bit challenging. Others may not find this to be a problem at all.

The prose was beautiful, and I became as entangled with the story as the characters were with each other. The ending was just as life is, not necessarily perfect, which made it the most perfect ending of all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

5 stars

[Jeanette · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is absolutely my worst waste of reading time during 2020. With most re-read pages too because far too frequent switching left me clueless to time period or locations. Never again this author. Characters are either souless, depressive or near dopes. The characters over 60 act as if that are somewhere around 92 to 100. And only on their worst days, at that. Sorry if you are in that age group.

These people if they ever knew how, no longer laugh. Covid isolation would fit them to a T.

[Bkwmlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I don’t remember how I ended up getting an advance copy of Bill Clegg’s The End of the Day , as I’d never heard of this author before, despite the fact that his book prior to this one, titled Did You Ever Have a Family , was quite popular and well-received back when it came out (which I haven’t read yet but intend to at some point). When I first read the vaguely-worded summary to this book, I was definitely intrigued, as it sounded like an interesting, albeit complicated story. As I started reading, I already knew early on that this would be a character-driven story, which was fine by me of course, since those are the types of stories I usually enjoy most. Given both of these elements, along with the fact that the writing was quite good, I truly thought I would end up loving this one. Now that I’ve finished, I can say that, while I did like this one overall, I didn’t love it like I initially thought I would.

For me, the strongest element of this story were the characters, all of whom were realistically-drawn in a way that, though most of them were unlikable, I couldn’t help still rooting for them. Part of this, I believe, is due to the way the author structured the narrative, with each chapter told from the alternating perspectives of each character. I felt that this worked well in the sense that I really got to know each character – through their respective backstories, I was able to understand their struggles as well as the nuances of their relationships, which made it easier for me to relate to them. If I had to describe it, I would say that this was an in-depth character study on the complexity of human relationships, which is the part of the story that appealed to me the most given how much I usually enjoy character-driven stories.

With that said however, the problem I had with this book is that the author made the story way more complicated than it needed to be, which had the effect of making the reading experience exhausting and a bit frustrating. While I liked that the story was told from multiple characters’ points of views, with each chapter providing a new “revelation” that brings us (the readers) closer and closer to “the truth” of the defining event that happens, what I didn’t like was how long it took to get there. For me, the story was really slow and drawn out and meandered way too much – at times, there were inexplicably long, exhaustive descriptions of things that seemed to not have anything to do with the story and ended up bogging down the plot rather than advancing it. The closest analogy I can think of to describe the experience is going on a road trip where the person driving decides to take the scenic route, but drives at a painstakingly slow 20 mph so everyone in the car can truly admire and enjoy the view – yes, the view is lovely and we see some interesting things, but after 5 exhaustive hours of it, I feel like that kid in the backseat of the car repeatedly asking “Are we there yet???”

Indeed, this was quite the reading experience for me – on the one hand, I wanted to keep reading because I was invested in the characters and was curious to see what happens to them, but on the other hand, I just wanted the story to end already. I think that if it hadn’t taken so long to get to the point, I definitely would’ve enjoyed this one so much more. Even though this book didn’t completely work for me, I’m still interested in reading Clegg’s previous work, especially Did You Ever Have a Family , which so many of my friends seemed to love.

Received ARC from Gallery / Scout Press via NetGalley.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Ace]

This book was not for me.

I found it difficult to keep track of and remain interested in the numerous characters and endless historical detail.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for an advance copy to read and review.

[Larry H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Clegg's The End of the Day is, at its heart, a story of friendship and love, family, anger, and forgiveness.

Clegg’s new book (I really enjoyed Did You Ever Have a Family , his first novel) requires patience. It’s one of those stories where disparate threads and characters eventually come together, where connections are revealed and questions are answered, but it takes some time to get there.

A woman wakes up to find an old friend waiting outside her house, a friend she hasn’t spoken to in nearly 50 years. A shuttle driver in Hawaii gets a call from the mainland that reawakens old memories. The father of a newborn sits beside his father’s hospital bed, hoping he will awaken and praying there won't be bad news regarding his condition.

Who are these people? How do they connect with each other? Why do they lead separate lives? So much hinges on things that occurred nearly a lifetime ago. Everything unfolds over the span of one day.

Clegg is a fantastic writer and he breathes life into his characters. The story is narrated by at least six or seven people, which gets a little unwieldy at times. But the biggest challenge I had is that the story overall just didn’t resonate with me. It took so long for everything to be revealed that I didn’t feel the payoff when it happened.

This is a beautifully written book, however. Clegg has talent, and perhaps for a more patient reader, this really may work.

NetGalley and Scout Press provided me a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.

Check out my list of the best books of the last decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.

See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A briefcase that has been collecting dust for nearly 50 years; an imposing, abandoned house named Edgewater; a road that ends at the river outside of the city of Wells, Connecticut where the lives of three women intersected in the 1960's. When we first meet Dana, Jackie, and Lupita we do not know what threads connect them. Bill Clegg tells their story in alternating POVs and timelines. What will we find at the end of the day? That is for you, the reader, to discover just as I did. The ending was a bit disappointing, but I am rounding up a 3.5 to a 4 for my Goodreads rating.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Clegg bases The End of the Day on triads: three girls, three families, three backgrounds and classes, and three generations. The three girls: Dana, rich and often manipulative; Jackie, tenuously connected to the middle class, often pathetic; and Lupita, immigrant Latinx working class, resilient, and ultimately noble. The three are intertwined as children and as teens, in ways that they know and in ways that they don’t know. In The End of the Day, the three look back to their childhoods from about fifty years out, unhappily rediscovering their connections and sometimes discovering their own histories.

The End of the Day is intricately plotted, sometimes too intricately for this reader, and usually fluidly written. Clegg sometimes skillfully evokes time, place, and class experiences, even on small points: he nails the class and religious sorting of colleges and college aspirations in 1950s and 1960s New England. To Clegg’s credit, he doesn’t try to explain away or excuse his characters and doesn’t strive for making them likeable. Clegg portrays some relationships affectingly, such as his touching portrayal of Mo and Alice. Fans of Clegg’s Did You Ever Have a Family will likely cheer the release of The End of the Day.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an ARC e-copy.

3.5 stars

[Carole]

DNF

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was going to be a 5-star read, but this was not the novel that I expected. THE END OF THE DAY is a great novel at the beginning but loses something at the end. The story surrounds 3 females who all become somehow damaged. This is a beautifully written novel which I suspect most people will enjoy!

[Inside My Library Mind · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews up on my blog Inside My Library Mind

I won’t have much to say about this book which is in my opinion its biggest flaw. It just did nothing particularly interesting or worthwhile. The blurb on the front notes “Ambitious in scope, tender in detail” but unfortunately that’s not what this is. This is ambitious in scope, because the book tries to tackle class and socioeconomic differences, but the fact of the matter is is that it does not succeed in that. I found this to be rather superficial and I think it lacks nuance. The book had a lot of potential to explore class and disparity between different socioeconomic groups in a lot of interesting ways, but it just never went there. It scratches the surface at times, but I felt like it beats around the bush too much, without really tackling the issues it could (and probably intended to).

Tender in detail it is also not, but overbearing in detail most certainly. The book managed to drag on so much, without really ever going anywhere and I found that incredibly frustrating. The pace is so slow, but instead of doing something in the mean time, the book focuses so much on unimportant details. The author spends paragraphs upon paragraphs focusing on things that did not do anything for either the story nor the characters.

I feel like this book is similar to Did You Ever Have a Family, but I do not think it did any of the things that one did right. Yes, this is technically a character study, but I barely remember the names of said characters which is a BIG YIKES (or maybe I am just super forgetful). I think they were quite boring and unremarkable in most ways. I also had a strong sense of deja vu reading this. Like I’ve read about these same prototypical characters a thousand times before (and one time was too many). It also moves through time, but not in any way that is interesting or that keeps you guessing.

One thing I did enjoy is how all the stories in this book come together. I love multiple perspectives that end up converging, that’s always a plus for me. But I felt like even that was not executed well here, because it was obvious where it was going to go, but the text also does not engage with this interconnectedness in any shape or form.

To Sum Up
Overall, this one was a huge disappointment. I just could not engage with the book at all and I feel like it lacked nuance and focus.

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[Kasa Cotugno · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The End of the Day, Bill Clegg once again gets under the skin of his protagonists in ways that are truly original and startling. His former book, a depiction of a family before and after an unspeakable tragedy, hit me like a punch to the gut, and while this one can't quite match Did You Ever Have a Family, it comes close. Clegg is a masterful writer, a compassionate creator of characters, that is able to weave each history into an integral whole that doesn't become apparent until the finished product is held before your eyes. Weaving backward and forward with smooth intensity, the question of identity and obligation comes front and center. Who are you and where do you come from is front and center for a character at the pivotal point in his life, and his quest to answer a question he didn't know he had. This is the kind of immersive novel that grabs you with a narrative style that is distinct and individualistic. Clegg employs very little dialogue. His storytelling is impeccable, almost completely descriptive, but providing internal lives for each of his characters that give the reader insight beyond the surface.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill Clegg is a beautiful writer — he takes us into the minds and hearts of people navigating the unsettling transitions that life presents to us all. Ever since he published 'Did You Ever Have a Family', this author has been on my watch list. He does a tremendous job with the foibles of family and human nature.

In this novel, we meet five people, from disparate socioeconomic backgrounds. We hear and experience their backstories, and wonder how they all fit together.

The story goes from character to character, back and forth in time.

In the course of a day, we may find answers.

To be honest, I liked it, but I didn’t love it.

I was waiting for it to make sense, and I am not sure I got what I needed by the end.

Still, his characters have substance, and you want to know what is going on...and as a reader, it makes you want to continue to dive into the story for more.

Did I find answers?

For the most part, I think so.

But, I would ask you to read it too, and then, let’s talk.

Maybe you might find out something I didn’t see.

[Claire Fuller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear, this didn't work for me. If you haven't read Clegg's Did You Ever Have a Family, do go and read that. I really wanted this to work like that one worked. But The End of the Day was jammed full of back story with not enough present story (hardly any scenes and very little dialogue). And so many people I had to draw a diagram to keep track of them all; and a secret that simply wasn't big enough for the build up.

[Jordan (Jordy’s Book Club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

QUICK TAKE: my first Bill Clegg novel, and I ultimately enjoyed a lot about it. A multigenerational drama about a group of women and the secrets they've been hiding from one another is well-written with interesting, fully-developed (yet flawed) characters with interesting relationship dynamics. It's a little small and slice-of-life, but overall it's a solid book for fans of the author or anyone looking for a an emotional mystery.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have revisited this book twice. When I failed to connect with the story I tried it on audio but something still did not click. But I am glad I came back to it.

The End of the Day is about how one day, one choice, one misunderstanding or missed opportunity can affect a life and those around you. Clegg introduces us to these characters' present day lives and we wonder what's the connection? How is a taxi driver in Hawaii related to a new father in Pennsylvania or a widow in Connecticut? Told from alternative viewpoints we get glimpses into their pasts. The treasured visits from a world travelling father. The nights spent slumbering over a friend's house. The taunting by classmates. These moments from the past unravel slowly.
Over time the picture of where these lives intersect is revealed.

The End of the Day is a character study that is told with compassion and insight. The prose is very descriptive with a focus on interior dialogue. As in real life none of the characters have a bird's eye view of what actually happens. Everyone holds firmly to their corner of the truth. For the most part they do not realize how this steadfast belief in memory has impacted their lives.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a multi-generational, sad, introspective book that reminded me a bit of Ann Patchett and Anne Tyler. The first half was a solid 4 but the latter half seemed to lose momentum and some of the characters blended into each other – Alice, Jackie and Dana were almost indistinguishable in tone and voice.

Received from the publisher through the Goodreads Giveaways program.

[Magdalith]

DNF

Przeczytałam już jakieś 90% tytułów Pauzy i to jest pierwsze tak wielkie rozczarowanie (to też w ogóle nie jest powieść w stylu tego wydawnictwa, zupełnie nie rozumiem tego wyboru). Porzucam nie dociągnąwszy nawet do połowy, ale dalej już nie mam siły. To jest na granicy grafomanii. Nieznośny styl! Taki niby "literacki", kunsztowny i pełen opisów, ale te opisy są NIEPOTRZEBNE, skupiają się na nieistotnych szczegółach i niczego nie wnoszą do tego tekstu. Mam taką wizję, że autor wymyślił i spisał tę (pewnie) interesującą fabułę, a potem usiadł i zaczął na siłę wciskać do każdego akapitu OPISY. Nic a nic nie obchodzą mnie losy bohaterów i cała ta przeciągnięta na siłę historia. Stracony czas. Przegiąłeś, Billu Clegg. (Poprzednia jego powieść była spoko, takie poprawne i sprawnie napisane czytadło).

[Penny (Literary Hoarders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this one didn't come together in the end as fantastically and explosively as Did You Ever Have a Family, this one still has me being a massive Bill Clegg fan!

Definitely the first half was best for me, but I'll still be lining up for whenever his next book comes out!