Endings & Beginnings: Family Essays

by Dewitt Henry

In these superb essays, DeWitt Henry shows himself to be a master of the form. Whether he is writing about his life-long experience as a golfer or with guns or having grown up in the shadow of privilege and alcoholism, one senses that Henry is stepping nakedly, and with a clear and unsentimental eye, into the abiding mystery of the decades of his life thus far: as a son, a brother, a husband and father, a writer, a teacher, a friend. But he accomplishes all this without trying to solve that mystery but to simply live it. This is not an easy path, but perhaps it is the only path toward wisdom, which is abundant in this moving, deeply compelling, and indispensable collection. Endings and Beginnings: Family Essays is a gem. —Andre Dubus III

From the Introduction by John Skoyles:
“Endings & Beginnings marks the the third and concluding volume of Henry’s trilogy.... The present collection [is] the most powerful book of the three.”

149 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2021

Reviews

[Jeffrey Voccola · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in this autobiographical series, Endings & Beginnings is a fascinating look at the human experience. These essays are wonderful meditations on what it means to be a son, a sibling, a husband, a father, and a writer. There is a focus on family, on personal aspirations, on the self. Dewitt Henry's stories are at the same time unique and universally relatable. He generously shares the joys and challenges of his life so that we might benefit from his perspective. Poignant and beautifully written. I highly recommend this book.