In 1907 Wisconsin, 17-year-old Marie Reehs is determined: she will not marry a violent man, as did her mother and grandmother before her.

Day after day, in a job arranged by her father, Marie toils under the watchful gaze of an older man who has claimed her for his own. Night after night, she is haunted by the memory of her mother, who died in a mysterious accident to which her father was the only witness. Despite her circumstances, Marie dreams of an independent life.

At first, it seems that Marie’s passionate love affair with a charismatic young man will be her path to freedom. But it doesn’t take long before she realizes that she too may be bound by her family’s dark legacy.

Set in the lush woods and small towns of turn-of-the-century America, and inspired by real events in the author’s family history, The End of Always is a moving story of one woman’s desperate efforts to escape brutality, and a gripping reminder of America’s love affair with violence.