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Start At The Beginning
At its core, Start At The Beginning is a love letter to a time and place as much as a bildungsroman. It takes place largely in New York in the last years of the Second World War and the early postwar years.
It tells the story of Jack Costello, an affable easy going young man from Manhattan with his mother’s Irish wit and his father’s Italian temper who wants better for himself but fears disappointment and failure because of the insecurities that stem from his older brother’s death and his demanding father’s disapproval.
With no job or girl to tie him down, Jack enlists hoping to find a purpose or, at least, a way out from under his father’s thumb. But his return from war, however, leaves him more lost than ever. He must now either start at the beginning or succumb. With the help of his nurse Lucy, Jack discovers a world beyond his neighborhood and along the way discovers that most often, we are the biggest obstacle to our happiness. By the end, Jack must decide if he is secure enough to choose what, and more importantly, who he deserves.
It tells the story of Jack Costello, an affable easy going young man from Manhattan with his mother’s Irish wit and his father’s Italian temper who wants better for himself but fears disappointment and failure because of the insecurities that stem from his older brother’s death and his demanding father’s disapproval.
With no job or girl to tie him down, Jack enlists hoping to find a purpose or, at least, a way out from under his father’s thumb. But his return from war, however, leaves him more lost than ever. He must now either start at the beginning or succumb. With the help of his nurse Lucy, Jack discovers a world beyond his neighborhood and along the way discovers that most often, we are the biggest obstacle to our happiness. By the end, Jack must decide if he is secure enough to choose what, and more importantly, who he deserves.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 21, 2025
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8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 24, 2025
Heartwarming story of one of my favorite periods of history. The array of characters and their experiences, bring you in to their fold. The strong sense of family and connection stayed with me.
August 21, 2025
Some books take you to places far away. Some books carry you home. Start at the Beginning takes us to post-WWII New York City and Long Island, and for those who grew up in that world - or in its aftermath, because our parents carried this world with them – this book is filled with so very many familiar people and places. For everyone - whether they did or did not grow up in that world - this book is the warm embrace of Sunday dinner, summer vacation, and family milestones, punctuated by the day-to-day hubbub of the love of family and friends and of “figuring it out” with the unwavering support of the people who know you, sometimes better than you know yourself.
July 7, 2025
This novel felt like coming home - invited into the world I'd heard about growing up, from aunts and uncles and grandparents and cousins. The story unfolds beautifully and the personalities of the characters are vivid. It captures the agony, drama, and sheer joy of emerging adulthood - at once timeless and situated in history. Brava!
September 1, 2025
Loved this! The characters came to life, jumping off the pages! A great story so very
well told. Don’t miss it! You will laugh and cry and it will all feel good!
well told. Don’t miss it! You will laugh and cry and it will all feel good!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews