This Is How It Begins

A Novel

Fiction & Literature, LGBT, Literary
Cover of the book This Is How It Begins by Joan Dempsey, She Writes Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joan Dempsey ISBN: 9781631523090
Publisher: She Writes Press Publication: October 3, 2017
Imprint: She Writes Press Language: English
Author: Joan Dempsey
ISBN: 9781631523090
Publisher: She Writes Press
Publication: October 3, 2017
Imprint: She Writes Press
Language: English

One of “5 more over 50” writers to watch—Poets & Writers magazine 2018 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST 2018 MAY SARTON WOMEN’S BOOK AWARD FINALIST WINNER, 2017 POETS & WRITERS MAUREEN EGEN WRITERS EXCHANGE AWARD “Beautifully written … an ambitious and moving debut novel.” —LILY KING, award-winning national bestseller of Euphoria In 2009, eighty-five-year-old art professor Ludka Zeilonka gets drawn into a political firestorm when her grandson, Tommy, is among a group of gay Massachusetts teachers fired for allegedly discriminating against Christian kids in high school classrooms. The ensuing battle to reinstate the teachers raises the specter of Ludka's World War II past—a past she's spent a lifetime trying to forget. The firings are the brainchild of Warren Meck, a deeply religious local radio host and father of three who is hoping to pass a religious freedom bill in Massachusetts. Meck favors achieving his goals through careful planning and legislation, and is disturbed when violence erupts. His concern quickly turns to alarm when he realizes those within his inner circle might be inciting the violence. As Ludka's esteemed political family defends Tommy under increasingly vicious conditions, a stranger with connections to Ludka's past shows up and threatens to expose her for illegally hoarding a valuable painting presumed stolen by the Nazis. Only one other person knew about the painting—a man she's been trying to find for sixty years. Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, religious freedom, the importance of empathy and the bitter consequences of long-buried secrets.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

One of “5 more over 50” writers to watch—Poets & Writers magazine 2018 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARD FINALIST 2018 MAY SARTON WOMEN’S BOOK AWARD FINALIST WINNER, 2017 POETS & WRITERS MAUREEN EGEN WRITERS EXCHANGE AWARD “Beautifully written … an ambitious and moving debut novel.” —LILY KING, award-winning national bestseller of Euphoria In 2009, eighty-five-year-old art professor Ludka Zeilonka gets drawn into a political firestorm when her grandson, Tommy, is among a group of gay Massachusetts teachers fired for allegedly discriminating against Christian kids in high school classrooms. The ensuing battle to reinstate the teachers raises the specter of Ludka's World War II past—a past she's spent a lifetime trying to forget. The firings are the brainchild of Warren Meck, a deeply religious local radio host and father of three who is hoping to pass a religious freedom bill in Massachusetts. Meck favors achieving his goals through careful planning and legislation, and is disturbed when violence erupts. His concern quickly turns to alarm when he realizes those within his inner circle might be inciting the violence. As Ludka's esteemed political family defends Tommy under increasingly vicious conditions, a stranger with connections to Ludka's past shows up and threatens to expose her for illegally hoarding a valuable painting presumed stolen by the Nazis. Only one other person knew about the painting—a man she's been trying to find for sixty years. Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, religious freedom, the importance of empathy and the bitter consequences of long-buried secrets.

More books from She Writes Press

Cover of the book Clear Lake by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Split-Level by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Jumping Over Shadows by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Wishful Thinking by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Everything I Never Wanted by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Breathe by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Who Are You, Trudy Herman? by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book South of Everything by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Secrets in Big Sky Country by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Rudy's Rules for Travel by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book The Longest Mile by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book The Sportscaster's Daughter by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Under the Birch Tree by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Here We Grow by Joan Dempsey
Cover of the book Jamaica Dreams by Joan Dempsey
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy