After the End - by Clare Mackintosh (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Clare Mackintosh comes a deeply moving and page-turning novel about an impossible choice--and the two paths fate could take.

"A beautifully written novel, compelling and clever, tender and true. I can't stop thinking about it."--Liane Moriarty

"Tailor-made for book clubs and for fans of Jodi Picoult."--Publishers Weekly

Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. They're best friends, lovers--unshakable. But then their son gets sick and the doctors put the question of his survival into their hands. For the first time, Max and Pip can't agree. They each want a different future for their son.

What if they could have both?

A gripping and propulsive exploration of love, marriage, parenthood, and the road not taken, After the End brings one unforgettable family from unimaginable loss to a surprising, satisfying, and redemptive ending and the life they are fated to find. With the emotional power of Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, Mackintosh helps us to see that sometimes the end is just another beginning.

Review Quotes

"After the End is a beautifully written novel, compelling and clever, tender and true. I can't stop thinking about it."
--Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Husband's Secret and Big Little Lies

"Both utterly heart rending and incredibly uplifting, After the End is the most moving book you'll read this year."
--Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone

"Clare Mackintosh's complex, riveting page-turner grapples with hard questions without ever straying from its emotional true north. I fell in love with the compelling voices of Pip, Max, and Leila as they explored the bravest and most terrifying words in the English language: What if. After the End is gorgeous, heart-wrenching, hope-soaked, and honest. It made me feel a thousand things, and it also made me think. Get an extra copy for a friend; you're going to need to talk about this one."
--Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever

"When a young boy gets sick and doctors put his fate in the hands of his parents, Max and Pip, the couple can't agree on an outcome or which path to take."
--New York Post, A "Best Book of the Week"

"Heart-breaking tragedy and unthinkable decisions lie at the center...Sure to keep fans of Jodi Picoult or of Tayari Jones' An American Marriage thinking about issues of morality and marriage long after the last page."
--Booklist

"Mackintosh veers from the thrillers for which she is known into quieter, but no less captivating, territory...[After the End] is tailor-made for book clubs and for fans of Jodi Picoult."
--Publishers Weekly

"This stunning book is something of a departure for bestselling thriller writer Mackintosh, who questions what it costs to stand up for what you believe in."
--Daily Mail (UK)

"Clare Mackintosh's After the End is absolutely compulsive reading, a heart-pounding family story with a child's life in the balance. So skilled is this author, that, just when the reader thinks there is no possible resolution, another door opens. You may think you've experienced medical drama before, but you haven't, not this way."
--Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

"[Clare Mackintosh is] a natural writer, and her powers of observation are keen....An unlikely page turner...A perceptive, skillfully told story."
--Kirkus Reviews

"After the End is a powerful exploration of grief, love, and the way in which all decisions--both large and small--can have life-changing results. This book will leave readers rethinking their own choices and wondering what might have happened if they'd acted differently."
--Jill Santopolo, author of The Light We Lost and More Than Words

"A complex structure exploring future alternative outcomes invests you hugely in their struggle - leaving you wondering "what would I do?" Moving without being mawkish, this will linger long in the memory."
--Sunday Mirror (UK)

"A fiercely honest and heartfelt examination of a family's most wrenching moments. The intimacy and grace of this novel will both break your heart and fill you with hope. It's an emotional tour de force."
--Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Map of the Heart

"I devoured this book on a rainy Sunday, and then felt dizzy afterwards--like the book had almost knocked me over . . . it works beautifully."
--Jenny Hollander, Marie Claire

"Unforgettable and profoundly moving, this is a novel about the bottomless human capacity for love and endurance, even in the most heartbreaking circumstances."
--Rosie Walsh, New York Times bestselling author of Ghosted

"Medical ethics and familial bonds are tested in Clare Mackintosh's After the End. . . . Expertly told . . . [with] a ray of hope at the end."
--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A heart-rending read and will have you debating what you would do in the same situation. A perfect book club choice."
--Prima (UK)

"Prepare to have your heart broken."
--Woman & Home (UK)

"Clare Mackintosh just broke my heart, and then she mended it again. One of the most moving stories I have ever read. It's perfect."
--Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Three Things About Elsie

About the Author

Clare Mackintosh is the New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of I Let You Go, I See You, and Let Me Lie, translated into more than thirty-five languages and with more than two million copies sold worldwide. She is the founder of Chipping Norton Literary Festival and is the patron of the Silver Star Society, an Oxford-based charity that provides special care for mothers with medical complications during pregnancy at John Radcliffe Hospital. She lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.