Tell Me How This Ends

A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick

By: Jo Leevers

Narrated by: Ell Potter

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

'[T]his promising, poignant debut concludes with that vital ingredient: a well-crafted twist' THE OBSERVER

Can Henrietta find out what happened to Annie’s sister—before it’s too late?

Haunted by the past, Henrietta throws herself into a new job transcribing other people’s life stories, vowing to stick to the facts and keep emotions at arm’s length. But when she meets the eccentric and terminally ill Annie, she finds herself inextricably drawn in. And when Annie reveals that her sister drowned in unexplained circumstances in 1974, Henrietta’s methodical mind can’t help following the story’s loose ends…

Unlike Henrietta, Annie is brimming with confidence—but even she has limits when it comes to opening up. Ever since that terrible night when her sister left a pile of clothes beside the canal and vanished, Annie has been afraid to look too closely into the murky depths of her memories. When her attempts to glide over the past come up against Henrietta’s determination to fill in the gaps, both women find themselves confronting truths they’d thought were buried forever—especially when Henrietta’s digging unearths a surprising emotional connection between them.

Could unlocking Annie’s story help Henrietta rewrite the most devastating passages in her own life? And, in return, can she offer Annie a final twist in the tale, before it’s too late?

©2023 Jo Leevers (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A fabulous book…Really moving.” —Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2

“A pleasingly complex narrative, flecked with reflections on the healing properties of storytelling…this promising, poignant debut concludes with that vital ingredient: a well-crafted twist.” —Hephzibah Anderson, The Observer

Great Story

Really enjoyed this book. It resonates with me because it has a Cancer Center as it's main setting. I like the idea of a life story book. It really does end well.

Heart warming mystery

The reading performances were genius.
I thought the storyline would be predictable, but it was anything, but! I am not good at giving reviews, but I would encourage you most heartily to get this book, a listen, or a read

This was so lovely

If you sometimes like to indulge in the bittersweet, this book is for you. It’s a unique cross of main characters, one terminally ill and the other evidently on the autism spectrum, which opens the doors for an unexpected connection. The unsolved mystery at the center of the plot might be what draws some readers in, but the journey of friendship between the two women is what really makes this book a gem.

Naturally, there’s a lot of discussion of people coming to terms with the end of their lives, so that could make this book too sad for some, or a balm for others. For all readers, it’s certainly a reminder to really be curious and listen to what loved ones have to share before their voices are taken away.

Highly recommended!

Lovely

This novel is both heartwarming and enthralling with it’s mystery plot weaved in perfectly. The narrator is fabulous and the ending is both satisfying and perfectly crafted. Highly recommended!

Seeing the way the forces and experiences in our lives shape our character

I work with cancer patients, so this book really touched home for me in many ways with the attitudes and defense mechanisms of all the characters being so well written. Henrietta is so real to me, and Annie too.
I loved the way the book progresses revealing layer after layer of the complexities of the characters and their lives.
I will remember the beautifully written final moments of Annie. That was so real, and I imagine some of my patients going through that. If I’m lucky, I will remember it in my final moments

Beautiful story

I love these characters and hope there's a sequel. I will be looking for more

A good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a great story line and interesting characters.

Great narrator and story

As a person who captures personal stories, I loved the accuracy in depicting the field. Beyond that, the story had me riveted.

Excellent!

A family drama and mystery uncovered by a unique, quirky and persistent amateur sleuth/storyteller. Beautifully told. Nicely narrated.

Brilliant

I can’t believe what a wonderful gift this book about endings is. I cried and remembered my parents and then got on with the business of being grateful.