July 2024

I was a huge fan of Chris Whitaker’s previous novel, WE BEGIN AT THE END, and I have been waiting impatiently to see what he would write next. When the 600-plus-page ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK came to my house, I just wanted to hunker down and see where Chris was taking us now. Once again, he did not disappoint.

The book opens in 1975 in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, where we are introduced to its two young protagonists. The first is Saint, who is somewhat of an outsider. She is a pianist and a beekeeper. Her parents are absent, and she is being raised by her grandmother, Norma, who drives a bus and embraces the differences in her. The other is a boy nicknamed Patch because of the patch over his missing eye; his real name is Joseph. There is a bond between these two that is forged after Patch attempts to steal honey from Saint. He is like the bad boy who is always getting in trouble, and she is the girl who wants to set him on the right path.

What else is happening in Monta Clare? Girls are disappearing. No one can figure out why or where they are being taken. When Patch rescues a popular girl in town from being kidnapped, his life is upended, and he disappears for a long time. When he returns, Saint wants him back in her life the way they were, full of innocence and supporting one another. But with everything he has been through, Patch has changed. Their paths diverge from there, though Saint still longs for him. She ends up becoming a law officer, furthering her goal of making things right.

A lot happens, and to tell it all will spoil the discovery for the reader. But here are a few things to keep in mind.

The book has short chapters. Some are one page, and there are 250 of them. I do wish I had just hunkered down and read it in longer sittings. The short chapters are deceiving as they tempt you to “just stop here.” But that means you need to orient yourself when you pick it up again. And since the locations shift, as well as the story, I kept thinking that it would have been a different experience if I could have read it straight through. So I recommend you read the book in longer sittings. Also, I found myself wanting to grab a map as Patch and Saint travel. As with WE BEGIN AT THE END, I am pretty sure that Chris is writing from research and not spending time in these places, but we still see them.

There are lots of beautiful sentences, which made me toggle pages that I wanted to think about more. Chris has a way of using language that truly sweeps you away.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is a coming-of-age story, a crime story and a love story, making it hard to define.

The book wraps up in a place that I know well, and as I recognized that, I smiled. It felt like an inside joke between us.

I am looking forward to talking to more readers about it.