The End of Her

Racing Against Alzheimer's to Solve a Murder

By: Wayne Hoffman

Narrated by: Tim Getman

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Who was behind the brutal murder of my great-grandmother? wondered Wayne Hoffman, a New York City-based journalist and novelist. The crime wasn’t just a family legend - it made headlines across Canada in 1913 - but her killer had never been found. In The End of Her, Hoffman meticulously researches this century-old tragedy, while facing another: his mother’s decline from Alzheimer’s.

Weaving back and forth between past and present, Hoffman invokes in dramatic detail the life and death of his immigrant great-grandmother in Winnipeg’s Hebrew Colony, and his mother’s downward spiral. In the process, he discovers an extended family that has been scattered across thousands of miles for a hundred years.

©2022 Wayne Hoffman (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Fascinating family story (with lots of Yiddish)

Although I'm not Jewish and have little in common with Wayne Hoffman on the surface, through the storytelling of this unusual true crime tale, he successfully enthralls listeners. You'll learn a lot about the history of immigration to Winnipeg, Yiddish names and other Jewish history that hasn't been explored with such intensity. Above all, anyone who has experienced the slow, sad decline of a loved one living with Alzheimer's will appreciate Wayne's narrative about losing his mother over many years to the disease.

This book is a LOT.

First off, I love the idea of this book. Ancestry and a murder mystery layered with a race against Alzheimer’s. It’s a great book, BUT, there’s a LOT to digest here and at times, the minutiae began to get tedious because there could’ve been so much more done with the time and space that could’ve better furthered the story. The author’s mom’s Alzheimer’s was tragic and hard to listen to (as someone with aging parents, I’m starting to feel the frustration feels). But weaving the two storylines together seemed confusing at times. This is the kind of memoir that’s right up my alley and I really wanted more family stuff, but there was just something lacking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great story and it was worth both my credit and my time, but a great editor could’ve really turned this from something great to something spectacular.

A true page turner!

This was an absolutely fantastic book. The author did such an amazing job of intertwining the century old murder mystery of his great grandmother with his present day experiences with his mother's progressing dementia. It was was masterfully done.

Touching, captivating, tender and funny

Such a great story, filled with satisfying historical details and vividly portrayed characters. The overviewing of the suspense filled mystery of the authors great grandmother with the poignant description of his moths decline is very effective; each stands in relief next to the other. I could not put this story down.

A very personal story beautifully presented

The End of Her is a very emotional read, spectacularly researched. The crime and the descent into Alzheimer’s are both well described and heartbreaking.

Fascinating story

I originally heard the author discuss this book on the "Most Notorious" podcast. Downloaded it the same day. Wow! I commute an hour each way and had a hard time getting out of the car. I loved how the modern family story meshed with the past. It was interesting and definable kept my attention. HIGHLY recommended!

Don't waste your time.

A long article padded into a book. Repetition, boring stuff about the author's personal life.