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This Is How It Begins
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 silencing 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.
Radio host Warren Meck has been leading the Massachusetts campaign to root out anti-religious bias in public schools--but he believes in working respectfully within the political system, so he's alarmed and offended when his efforts are undermined by someone inciting violent action. Even worse, he fears the culprit is among his inner circle.
As Ludka's influential family defends Tommy under increasingly vicious conditions, a stranger with connections to her past shows up and threatens to expose her for illegally hoarding a valuable painting presumed stolen by the Nazis.
Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, the importance of empathy, and the bitter consequences of long-buried secrets.
Radio host Warren Meck has been leading the Massachusetts campaign to root out anti-religious bias in public schools--but he believes in working respectfully within the political system, so he's alarmed and offended when his efforts are undermined by someone inciting violent action. Even worse, he fears the culprit is among his inner circle.
As Ludka's influential family defends Tommy under increasingly vicious conditions, a stranger with connections to her past shows up and threatens to expose her for illegally hoarding a valuable painting presumed stolen by the Nazis.
Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, the importance of empathy, and the bitter consequences of long-buried secrets.
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2017
121 people are currently reading
6824 people want to read
About the author
Joan Dempsey
1 book329 followersOne of “5 more writers over 50” to watch. —Poets & Writers Magazine
Winner of the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award, Joan Dempsey is the author of the novel, This Is How It Begins, which won a bronze Independent Publisher Book Award for literary fiction and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award, and Sarton Women's Book Award. The novel was also on the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow List of Literature Titles.
Amazon: https://bit.ly/AmazonJDempsey
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/joandempsey
Facebook: https://bit.ly/FacebookJD
Winner of the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award, Joan Dempsey is the author of the novel, This Is How It Begins, which won a bronze Independent Publisher Book Award for literary fiction and was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award, Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award, and Sarton Women's Book Award. The novel was also on the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow List of Literature Titles.
Amazon: https://bit.ly/AmazonJDempsey
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/joandempsey
Facebook: https://bit.ly/FacebookJD
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
June 26, 2017
"Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, the importance of empathy, and the bitter consequences of long-buried secrets." from the publisher
Only six years ago I saw a Christian church undergo a vicious split. It involved attacking the denomination for a social creed they deemed too liberal and the pastor as heretical for not leading their withdrawal from the denomination. Their main point of contention was over abortion, although they also were vocal about homosexuality.
A majority of the church members left the denomination to start a community church, but first, they tried to take over, then destroy, the church they had been members of for many years. It was shocking how individuals viciously attacked others while
professing a Bible-based faith.
My husband was the pastor of that church. It was that experience that prompted me to request this novel.
This Is How It Begins by Joan Dempsey was an emotional read, full of believable and fully realized characters, doctrinal idealists and victims of prejudice and hate. I loved how characters showed themselves to be different from what we expected from them.
Art professor Ludka Zeilonka had survived Nazi Poland while saving Jewish children and hiding drawings documenting the occupation. She immigrated to America with her husband Izaac, who became the first Jewish attorney-general in Massachusetts. Their son Lolek is the state's most powerful senator, and his son Tommy is a well-liked high school English Teacher, married to lawyer Richard.
Tommy, along with thirteen other teachers, were all fired on the same day. The one thing they have in common is their sexual orientation. Tommy and his family become the target of hate crimes of increasing violence.
Influential Pastor Royce has an agenda and political ambitions. He is supported by radio host Warren Merck in a campaign to restore America to its Christian roots. They are behind the mass firing of teachers. Politically savvy, their defense is that Christian students feel marginalized and pressured against expressing their beliefs while being forced to accept the 'homosexual agenda' promoted by the fired teachers.
Merck is appalled by the rising violence, Tommy beaten in front of his house and his grandparent's home set on fire.
Ludka and Izaac return to their hometown in Poland, an emotional journey into a past they have tried to forget. Lukda finds the Jewish boy her family had protected and learns his devastating secret.
Ludka suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. What is happening to Tommy is too much like what she experienced in Poland, too much like how the Holocaust began.
The topic of the novel, sadly, is more relevant today than ever: How can conflicting belief systems learn to live together? What does it mean to be protected under the law?
This is an amazing novel.
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Only six years ago I saw a Christian church undergo a vicious split. It involved attacking the denomination for a social creed they deemed too liberal and the pastor as heretical for not leading their withdrawal from the denomination. Their main point of contention was over abortion, although they also were vocal about homosexuality.
A majority of the church members left the denomination to start a community church, but first, they tried to take over, then destroy, the church they had been members of for many years. It was shocking how individuals viciously attacked others while
professing a Bible-based faith.
My husband was the pastor of that church. It was that experience that prompted me to request this novel.
This Is How It Begins by Joan Dempsey was an emotional read, full of believable and fully realized characters, doctrinal idealists and victims of prejudice and hate. I loved how characters showed themselves to be different from what we expected from them.
Art professor Ludka Zeilonka had survived Nazi Poland while saving Jewish children and hiding drawings documenting the occupation. She immigrated to America with her husband Izaac, who became the first Jewish attorney-general in Massachusetts. Their son Lolek is the state's most powerful senator, and his son Tommy is a well-liked high school English Teacher, married to lawyer Richard.
Tommy, along with thirteen other teachers, were all fired on the same day. The one thing they have in common is their sexual orientation. Tommy and his family become the target of hate crimes of increasing violence.
Influential Pastor Royce has an agenda and political ambitions. He is supported by radio host Warren Merck in a campaign to restore America to its Christian roots. They are behind the mass firing of teachers. Politically savvy, their defense is that Christian students feel marginalized and pressured against expressing their beliefs while being forced to accept the 'homosexual agenda' promoted by the fired teachers.
Merck is appalled by the rising violence, Tommy beaten in front of his house and his grandparent's home set on fire.
Ludka and Izaac return to their hometown in Poland, an emotional journey into a past they have tried to forget. Lukda finds the Jewish boy her family had protected and learns his devastating secret.
Ludka suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. What is happening to Tommy is too much like what she experienced in Poland, too much like how the Holocaust began.
The topic of the novel, sadly, is more relevant today than ever: How can conflicting belief systems learn to live together? What does it mean to be protected under the law?
This is an amazing novel.
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
October 1, 2017
In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote It Can’t Happen Here — a satire showing it sure can. With incredible ambition, Joan Dempsey follows Lewis’ example to illustrate urgent truths at a time of crisis. This Is How It Begins unites the “it” of the past with the “it” of today in ways people on the wrong side of history vigorously dispute.
Most of the story is told by three generations of a remarkable family. The grandparents are Polish immigrants, a Catholic art professor and a Jewish lawyer who became the Massachusetts Attorney General. Their sons are a Chief of Police and the President of the Massachusetts Senate. Their grandson is a teacher, one who has been fired, along with ten other teachers, for infringing on their students’ religious expression.
This reflects the current anti-gay movement opposing anti-bullying laws because not bullying infringes on students’ expression. Bigotry and intolerance are claimed as protected religious expression. It’s not fiction. The other main character is a religious radio personality who is part of the inner circle organizing a push to establish or, as the falsely claim, restore, America as a Christian Nation. It’s not hyperbole, look who won his election Tuesday night, a man who defied the Supreme Court twice, elevating his religious dogma over the Constitution and the Rule of Law.
The grandmother recalls her past in Warsaw, revealing her secrets if only to herself. At first, she does not recognize how very much homophobia echoes anti-Semitism, but as the campaign gains ground, with an attack on her son, threatening phone calls, graffiti, and even arson, the similarities are unmistakable. She knows from her own experience that the Nazis did not start out with death camps, they started out by firing teachers.
This Is How It Begins makes an earnest and high-minded effort to be fair-minded. Warren Meck, the radio host is sincere in his compassion for the teachers and their families. He is worried someone is directing the violence and the real love that motivates him is lost in the malice. However, if your religion requires you to be “resilient in the face of empathy” – if empathy is something you struggle against, then the problem is you.
I want to mention one quality of This Is How It Begins I appreciate more than any other. Dempsey avoids the cheap cynicism of modern writers who assume anyone who is in politics is necessarily corrupted by it. Nearly everyone is sincere, the retired Attorney General, the Senate President, even the homophobe Meck is sincere.
This story tackles the big question for people who value freedom and humanity. How does a tolerant society tolerate intolerance? Karl Popper argues tolerating intolerance ultimately leads to the eradication of tolerance by the intolerant. I think Ludka, the family matriach would agree.
This Is How It Begins will be released October 1st. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher, She Writes Press, through NetGalley.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
Most of the story is told by three generations of a remarkable family. The grandparents are Polish immigrants, a Catholic art professor and a Jewish lawyer who became the Massachusetts Attorney General. Their sons are a Chief of Police and the President of the Massachusetts Senate. Their grandson is a teacher, one who has been fired, along with ten other teachers, for infringing on their students’ religious expression.
This reflects the current anti-gay movement opposing anti-bullying laws because not bullying infringes on students’ expression. Bigotry and intolerance are claimed as protected religious expression. It’s not fiction. The other main character is a religious radio personality who is part of the inner circle organizing a push to establish or, as the falsely claim, restore, America as a Christian Nation. It’s not hyperbole, look who won his election Tuesday night, a man who defied the Supreme Court twice, elevating his religious dogma over the Constitution and the Rule of Law.
The grandmother recalls her past in Warsaw, revealing her secrets if only to herself. At first, she does not recognize how very much homophobia echoes anti-Semitism, but as the campaign gains ground, with an attack on her son, threatening phone calls, graffiti, and even arson, the similarities are unmistakable. She knows from her own experience that the Nazis did not start out with death camps, they started out by firing teachers.
This Is How It Begins makes an earnest and high-minded effort to be fair-minded. Warren Meck, the radio host is sincere in his compassion for the teachers and their families. He is worried someone is directing the violence and the real love that motivates him is lost in the malice. However, if your religion requires you to be “resilient in the face of empathy” – if empathy is something you struggle against, then the problem is you.
I want to mention one quality of This Is How It Begins I appreciate more than any other. Dempsey avoids the cheap cynicism of modern writers who assume anyone who is in politics is necessarily corrupted by it. Nearly everyone is sincere, the retired Attorney General, the Senate President, even the homophobe Meck is sincere.
This story tackles the big question for people who value freedom and humanity. How does a tolerant society tolerate intolerance? Karl Popper argues tolerating intolerance ultimately leads to the eradication of tolerance by the intolerant. I think Ludka, the family matriach would agree.
This Is How It Begins will be released October 1st. I received an advance e-galley from the publisher, She Writes Press, through NetGalley.
https://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpre...
June 13, 2017
I just read an advance copy of this wonderful novel, and I suggest you pre-order it now, so you don't forget between now and October when it comes out. Also, you will be ahead of the game when everyone is trying to get a copy, and you already have it. If you get your reading matter from the library, be the first to request that they order a copy for your branch, you'll be glad you did.
Of course, I'm saying that because the novel suits my taste: Smart, political (but not heavy-handed), timely and also historically interesting, engaging from start to finish thanks to the great characters and strong plotting. Even the ending worked for me, and most first novels, even brilliant ones, have disappointing endings, in my experience. So, if I've convinced you, here's the link to pre-order: http://thisishowitbeginsnovel.com
If you are not yet convinced, at the same link you can learn more (and convince yourself)!
Of course, I'm saying that because the novel suits my taste: Smart, political (but not heavy-handed), timely and also historically interesting, engaging from start to finish thanks to the great characters and strong plotting. Even the ending worked for me, and most first novels, even brilliant ones, have disappointing endings, in my experience. So, if I've convinced you, here's the link to pre-order: http://thisishowitbeginsnovel.com
If you are not yet convinced, at the same link you can learn more (and convince yourself)!
March 24, 2018
Millions dead. Entire lives left shattered or smoldering in the wake of a storm of hatred. Such was the scene of the Holocaust, an unforgettable event burned into the psyche of the world, even nearly a century later. Or was it unforgettable? Joan Dempsey brilliantly shows how we could easily find ourselves back in the fields of the reaper with her novel This is How it Begins.
This is How it Begins is a rare gem that spoke to me on multiple levels. As Dempsey followed the story of Ludka, a Holocaust survivor, and her family in modern times, I found myself drawn to every character. Dempsey has a subtle approach when it comes to character emotions and storytelling that made everything very realistic. Nothing was ever over the top or underwhelming, but just right. I don’t want to ruin any of the interesting and heartfelt twists of the story, but how Dempsey shows the slow build of hatred and what it takes to stand against it in modern times kept me intrigued (and a little teary eyed) to the very end.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves the great classics like Number the Stars or To Kill a Mocking Bird.
This is How it Begins is a rare gem that spoke to me on multiple levels. As Dempsey followed the story of Ludka, a Holocaust survivor, and her family in modern times, I found myself drawn to every character. Dempsey has a subtle approach when it comes to character emotions and storytelling that made everything very realistic. Nothing was ever over the top or underwhelming, but just right. I don’t want to ruin any of the interesting and heartfelt twists of the story, but how Dempsey shows the slow build of hatred and what it takes to stand against it in modern times kept me intrigued (and a little teary eyed) to the very end.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves the great classics like Number the Stars or To Kill a Mocking Bird.
January 13, 2018
I very seldom write a review because I read so much I would constantly be writing instead of reading!!!
That being said, not only is this an excellent book, but it's very current. Given the trumpian (purposely didn't capitalize) atmosphere we are faced with every day, this novel screams today and "making America great again" with small seeds/actions that growinto hate and prejudice. You must read this book because "This is How it Begins!" It is beautifully written as well.
Looking forward to more from Joan Dempsey. She has another fan!
That being said, not only is this an excellent book, but it's very current. Given the trumpian (purposely didn't capitalize) atmosphere we are faced with every day, this novel screams today and "making America great again" with small seeds/actions that growinto hate and prejudice. You must read this book because "This is How it Begins!" It is beautifully written as well.
Looking forward to more from Joan Dempsey. She has another fan!
February 3, 2021
This was just fantastic... it had me crying by the end too.
January 11, 2022
A thought-provoking book that brings together history, prejudice, family, betrayal, and so much more. It takes us into the minds of so many characters and their unique perspectives in a way that made the reading that much more engaging. I was left wanting more.
November 19, 2017
Joan Dempsey’s debut political fiction novel displays professional craftsmanship. She maintains several connected subplot lines that run throughout the book. The author explores today's sensitive ideological issues in comparative context to those of the late 1930s pre-war period in Warsaw. Scene settings come alive with a few exquisite details that “pop off the page,” such as a concrete tabletop, a squeaky oven rack, and a picture on the wall. Her characters are definitive and believable because they display individual values, attitudes, and hidden secrets. The storyline takes a little time to become visible, but thereafter, the pacing literally pulls the reader through the story. With some loss of sleep, I finished this 350-page book within twenty-three hours of receipt. This Is How It Begins is quite cinematic and I suspect it will soon be on a movie screen. Five well deserved stars.
September 4, 2017
As a Californian, it is hard for me to imagine twelve teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area getting fired because of their sexual preference. It doesn't make sense, yet the part of my brain lurking beneath my beliefs knows it could happen. Especially now.
After all, the Holocaust started because some people weren't watching when Hitler rose to power and the Nazis took away the rights of gays as well as Jews. The more I read, the more I appreciated that Joan Dempsey's This is How it Begins is unnerving because the potential for such discrimination could be real right now—especially if we aren't watching, commenting, and guarding against it.
In Dempsey's story, the charges against Tommy, who allegedly silenced Christian students in his high school English classroom, are a fabrication. But when I was a high school teacher, I saw a couple of devoutly Christian students turn every essay, every story, and every comment they made into Christian testimony, often avoiding the question I asked whether they meant to or not. Where does belief end and brainwashing begin? Dempsey's book explores these questions on more than one level.
Tommy's grandmother, eighty-five-year-old art professor, Ludka Zeilonka, still remembers the Nazis persecuting the Jews and her Catholic family protecting them. All these years later, she's still protecting a secret of her own: she's hiding valuable art, stolen from the Nazis who stole from Jews.
Of course she's appalled by Tommy's dismissal, but she has her own problems to contend with. A stranger who knows what she's hiding threatens to expose her, and that raises her anxiety level further. That, and the probability that he's related to a very old friend, are nearly too much for her to contend with.
This is a book about recognizing and confronting labels and the discrimination they cause. It's about seeing shifts in our beliefs that can change the course of history by doing whatever it takes, legal and fair or not, to get what you want. Sound familiar? It is an eerie mirror of more than one country operating in the world today. And it's a warning. People who let go of either free speech or empathy for opposing viewpoints will pay the price.
Dempsey weaves the two stories together with skill and insight. Her writing stimulates one's imagination as well as one's social conscience. She is the 2017 fiction winner of the Maureen Egan Writer's Exchange Award, which is administered through Poets and Writers. Her ideas and point of view, as well as her award, make her a writer worth watching, and This is How it Begins is a novel worth reading.
by B. Lynn Goodwin
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
After all, the Holocaust started because some people weren't watching when Hitler rose to power and the Nazis took away the rights of gays as well as Jews. The more I read, the more I appreciated that Joan Dempsey's This is How it Begins is unnerving because the potential for such discrimination could be real right now—especially if we aren't watching, commenting, and guarding against it.
In Dempsey's story, the charges against Tommy, who allegedly silenced Christian students in his high school English classroom, are a fabrication. But when I was a high school teacher, I saw a couple of devoutly Christian students turn every essay, every story, and every comment they made into Christian testimony, often avoiding the question I asked whether they meant to or not. Where does belief end and brainwashing begin? Dempsey's book explores these questions on more than one level.
Tommy's grandmother, eighty-five-year-old art professor, Ludka Zeilonka, still remembers the Nazis persecuting the Jews and her Catholic family protecting them. All these years later, she's still protecting a secret of her own: she's hiding valuable art, stolen from the Nazis who stole from Jews.
Of course she's appalled by Tommy's dismissal, but she has her own problems to contend with. A stranger who knows what she's hiding threatens to expose her, and that raises her anxiety level further. That, and the probability that he's related to a very old friend, are nearly too much for her to contend with.
This is a book about recognizing and confronting labels and the discrimination they cause. It's about seeing shifts in our beliefs that can change the course of history by doing whatever it takes, legal and fair or not, to get what you want. Sound familiar? It is an eerie mirror of more than one country operating in the world today. And it's a warning. People who let go of either free speech or empathy for opposing viewpoints will pay the price.
Dempsey weaves the two stories together with skill and insight. Her writing stimulates one's imagination as well as one's social conscience. She is the 2017 fiction winner of the Maureen Egan Writer's Exchange Award, which is administered through Poets and Writers. Her ideas and point of view, as well as her award, make her a writer worth watching, and This is How it Begins is a novel worth reading.
by B. Lynn Goodwin
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
June 22, 2017
A page-turner literary novel? Yup, that's what this one is, and it's excellent. The characters are interesting and believable, the political atmosphere is relevant and intriguing, and the plot resolution is fully satisfying. Much careful research went into the writing of this novel, and Dempsey has skillfully balanced every aspect of the book. A compelling story of unexpected betrayals and surprising new loyalties set in contemporary times and underpinned with a fascinating Holocaust revelation, This Is How It Begins feels worthy of becoming a New York Times bestseller. I read this advanced reader copy suspecting it would be good because Joan Dempsey is a terrific writing teacher, but instead I found it's way beyond good. I read many novels each year, and this is one of my top ten in the past five years of reading, to date. It's available for preorder now:
http://thisishowitbeginsnovel.com/
http://thisishowitbeginsnovel.com/
November 2, 2017
Joan Dempsey has written a masterpiece right out of the gate. Not counting the storyline, her research about the effects of the Holocaust in Warsaw, her physical descriptions of sections of Warsaw, and her knowledge of Polish art provide a non-fiction backdrop for a modern story. It's the conflict of religions, beliefs, and lifestyles that brings this story home. Three generations of a family are brought together when a grandson is fired from his teaching job and then viciously attacked in his driveway because some disagreed with his lifestyle. Throughout, the author has you believing it is real. She uses details to bring you into the story without slowing it down. This is a literary classic yet it reads smoothly and easily where you don't want to put it down. This is one of the best book I've read this year, and I hope it's not seven years until her next one is published.
January 7, 2022
Curious about this author's novel writing strategy, I was hooked from the first scene. I enjoyed the clues about slight changes in awareness that provided psychological momentum. I appreciate the skill shown by having the reader accompany the protagonist on a journey of increasing awareness. We rarely understand how childhood traumas affect our behaviors well into adulthood. What we think are solid beliefs, fuel our emotional and behavioral choices unless we are forced to change. It was like a good mystery of the mind. I thought the history from the main character's childhood in Germany would provide the basis for the title, this is how "fascism" begins. But I was surprised to experience the author's ending as much more nuanced.
September 7, 2017
Intelligent writing coupled with a timely subject. I won this through Goodreads Giveaways and enjoyed the writing most of all. This is definitely literary fiction, as there is lots to unpack within the pages. At times I did feel disinterested, since there wasn't always a lot happening to pull me into the story, but it didn't lose it's significance, if that makes sense.
If you're looking for a literary novel to sink your teeth into, pick this up. :)
If you're looking for a literary novel to sink your teeth into, pick this up. :)
October 2, 2017
This multi-generational novel reminds us how intricately and intimately the fabric of our lives is woven . Issues that touch us all are never farther than a door's threshold away. A family dedicated to service , education and preservation, with commitment and resolution, calls on the glue that has forever made them whole to shine a light of reality on injustice. The writing is refined. The language, on the one hand is lean, while on the other never fails to present the meat necessary for a forceful impact, Joan Dempsey leaves you wondering if you are reading fiction or something ripped from today's news.
A novel that grabs you, gathers you in and engulfs you in the story and the intimate lives of the characters. I read this debut novel once and am compelled to read it again.
A novel that grabs you, gathers you in and engulfs you in the story and the intimate lives of the characters. I read this debut novel once and am compelled to read it again.
November 13, 2017
When I preordered this book, I didn’t read what it was about...It was the TITLE that grabbed me! And it was written by my Facebook friend, Joan Dempsey from my home state of Maine. Joan also works with writers to edit and promote their books.
I think of this book in 3 stages. The basis for the book sets it off showing a family and some distinctive features that flow from their heritage, war, and personal choices. Then the adversarial controversy that opens the reader’s eyes and minds about what the church “judges” and public “concerns” about sexuality. Throughout the book, we see the grandmother nurturing her “stolen” paintings. As an art professor, she travels back to Poland where she relives the horrific events of her memories. I never knew that people could have such strong feelings that unfold in these scenarios as I have always only been concerned with my being free to believe, speak and live my life without condescension. THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS was written over the last 10 years but it really applies to today’s culture. It is literally happening in American culture as we see our rights being reversed by the US government today. Addressing the concerns of today and seeing that history repeats itself, this book brings all that to the surface. I couldn’t put the book down and read it in 2 sessions. THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS is a key to open people’s minds to awareness.
I think of this book in 3 stages. The basis for the book sets it off showing a family and some distinctive features that flow from their heritage, war, and personal choices. Then the adversarial controversy that opens the reader’s eyes and minds about what the church “judges” and public “concerns” about sexuality. Throughout the book, we see the grandmother nurturing her “stolen” paintings. As an art professor, she travels back to Poland where she relives the horrific events of her memories. I never knew that people could have such strong feelings that unfold in these scenarios as I have always only been concerned with my being free to believe, speak and live my life without condescension. THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS was written over the last 10 years but it really applies to today’s culture. It is literally happening in American culture as we see our rights being reversed by the US government today. Addressing the concerns of today and seeing that history repeats itself, this book brings all that to the surface. I couldn’t put the book down and read it in 2 sessions. THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS is a key to open people’s minds to awareness.
November 23, 2022
Dempsey’s novel offered me a personalized view of characters on both sides of the great political divide in the US. She does not demonize fervently held beliefs. This would have been so easy to do when we are all looking for a bad guy. I really appreciated the art and the thought behind this portrayal.
I particularly enjoyed the complex internal dialogue of the characters. I am still thinking about them. She skillfully nests personal mysteries inside this highly charged political drama.
I look forward to her next novel.
I particularly enjoyed the complex internal dialogue of the characters. I am still thinking about them. She skillfully nests personal mysteries inside this highly charged political drama.
I look forward to her next novel.
December 13, 2017
I enjoyed and was captivated and intrigued by “This is How it Begins ” by Joan Dempsey. The genres for this Novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction. Kudos to Joan Dempsey for weaving different layers into this story. There are two separate storylines. According to the blurb,” Compulsively readable, This Is How It Begins is a timely novel about free speech, the importance of empathy, and the bitter consequences of long kept secrets.”
The author describes the characters of the story as complicated and complex. This is possibly due to the political agenda and climate in this story. The year is 2009, and a main character , Ludka Zeilonka, an 85 year old art professor gets involved in the political upset when her grandson Tommy, a gay teacher is fired. Both Ludka’s husband and son have been active in politics, and Tommy is supported by his father’s liberal support of gay rights, and also is against firing for any kind of discrimination. Tommy is only on of several gay teachers fired.
There is a Christian Right wing group that is saying it believes that Tommy has been depriving Christian believing children from learning. Radio-host Warren Meck has political aspirations and believes that his Catholic children are being deprived of the proper learning in school. Unfortunately there are riots and violence, and Warren Mack prefers using words.
Ludka has the sickening feeling of remembering during World War Two when the Nazis were oppressive. This reminds her of that. Only then Ludka had many dark secrets. One was that she rescued children before the Nazis got to them. Also Ludka had a part in trying to save the Polish Jewish people’s art that was being taken by the Nazis.
As Ludka thinks about what is happening to her grandson, someone from her past threatens her.
I appreciate that the author brings up topics such as discrimination, , gay rights, minority rights, bias, bullying, violence, betrayal, and secrets and how harmful they are. The author also discusses honesty, communicating, compromising, empathy, love, hope, family friends and community.
I would highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate Historical Fiction. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.
The author describes the characters of the story as complicated and complex. This is possibly due to the political agenda and climate in this story. The year is 2009, and a main character , Ludka Zeilonka, an 85 year old art professor gets involved in the political upset when her grandson Tommy, a gay teacher is fired. Both Ludka’s husband and son have been active in politics, and Tommy is supported by his father’s liberal support of gay rights, and also is against firing for any kind of discrimination. Tommy is only on of several gay teachers fired.
There is a Christian Right wing group that is saying it believes that Tommy has been depriving Christian believing children from learning. Radio-host Warren Meck has political aspirations and believes that his Catholic children are being deprived of the proper learning in school. Unfortunately there are riots and violence, and Warren Mack prefers using words.
Ludka has the sickening feeling of remembering during World War Two when the Nazis were oppressive. This reminds her of that. Only then Ludka had many dark secrets. One was that she rescued children before the Nazis got to them. Also Ludka had a part in trying to save the Polish Jewish people’s art that was being taken by the Nazis.
As Ludka thinks about what is happening to her grandson, someone from her past threatens her.
I appreciate that the author brings up topics such as discrimination, , gay rights, minority rights, bias, bullying, violence, betrayal, and secrets and how harmful they are. The author also discusses honesty, communicating, compromising, empathy, love, hope, family friends and community.
I would highly recommend this novel to those who appreciate Historical Fiction. I received an Advanced Reading Copy for my honest review.
September 7, 2017
I just finished my advance reader's copy of Joan Dempsey's debut novel. I feel fortunate to be one of the first reader's of this superb novel scheduled for release on October 2nd.
Dempsey's genre-bending novel offers something for every reader. A strong and well-paced plot fueled by strong characters make this a binge-worthy read. The protagonist, Ludka, an 85 year old art professor, joins Scout Finch as one of my all time favorite characters.
Civil Rights, Religious Liberty and an art theft make for a relevant, suspenseful read. This one is at the top of my Best of 2017 list.
You can pre-order a copy now and I urge you to do so. Come October, clear your calendar, find a baby-sitter for the kids and get ready to spend the weekend immersed in this stellar debut work.
Dempsey's genre-bending novel offers something for every reader. A strong and well-paced plot fueled by strong characters make this a binge-worthy read. The protagonist, Ludka, an 85 year old art professor, joins Scout Finch as one of my all time favorite characters.
Civil Rights, Religious Liberty and an art theft make for a relevant, suspenseful read. This one is at the top of my Best of 2017 list.
You can pre-order a copy now and I urge you to do so. Come October, clear your calendar, find a baby-sitter for the kids and get ready to spend the weekend immersed in this stellar debut work.
July 14, 2017
A riveting book. The seamless way the author handles present day life of the Ludka Zeilonka, an eighty-five year old art professor, to the flashbacks in World War II is reason enough to read this book. Add to it the discrimination and violence that the family endures due to the grandson's homosexuality and it is a book that gives us pause for thought. A must read.
July 8, 2017
Joan Dempsey's Ludka Zeilonka is the professor I wish were real so I could sit in her classroom and learn from her, befriend her, and be influenced by her. This Is How It Begins is a novel that urges us to check in with our own prejudices and biases. It is a novel for discussion. My hope is that this book lands in classrooms and book clubs everywhere.
January 18, 2018
Outstanding novel. I loved the characters, the plot, and the incredible humanity of it all. This book manages to touch on so much, from the Holocaust to art to homophobia to free speech. Absolutely brilliant.
July 14, 2023
The story of the Zeilonka family is definitely a riveting one. From the history of Ludka Zeilonka and Izaac Rosenberg's time in war-torn Warsaw to their grandson Tommy's firing as a teacher for his "moral character", this book kept me interested and intrigued from first to last page.
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October 19, 2021I was so pleased when the Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs) chose to award the 2018 Bronze Medal in Literary Fiction to This Is How It Begins.
Great to see it here in Goodreads on the list of IPPY winners! I'm giving away 5 copies right now. ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Great to see it here in Goodreads on the list of IPPY winners! I'm giving away 5 copies right now. ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
November 17, 2017
“This is How It Begins” is an utterly engrossing story, its various threads artfully woven, with a good dose of suspense to spice the brew. I loved the mix of old world memories and historic events with the dynamic story that offers a pretty deep dive into current American social issues, without being heavy handed.
The characters are vivid, intriguing, the kind you remember as if you’ve met them.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a book I was so eager to get back to every day. Joan Dempsey’s writing is both masterful and accessible. Highly recommended.
The characters are vivid, intriguing, the kind you remember as if you’ve met them.
It’s been a while since I’ve had a book I was so eager to get back to every day. Joan Dempsey’s writing is both masterful and accessible. Highly recommended.
July 19, 2021
THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS
By Joan Dempsey
This Is How It Begins takes your breath away with its relevance to present day issues and our world’s historical heritage. We enter the book through a large painting, Prelude, 1939. We immediately relate to our teacher guide, Ludka, an elderly non-Jewish Polish survivor of World War II, who encourages her students to seek understanding—of the painting, of history, of selves.
The mysteries you encounter and work to solve will plunge you into the complex battles of beliefs and practices that question our understanding and acceptance of discriminatory practices and consequences. Izaac, Ludka’s Jewish husband, is her staunch partner of a lifetime of struggle and achievement. They are a perfect example of the blessings of lives shared successfully in spite of major differences. Izaac is the voice of truth throughout their travails: ”Faith can be worse…It trumps reason all too easily… They see what they see, believe what they believe, and that’s that.”
As we observe Ludka grill her students to involve them in the philosophical questions posed by the mural, we find the book itself becomes a large graphic that we enter, to face our own beliefs and prejudices—hopefully to find answers that help us grow in the understanding of the importance of acceptance and connection to others.
Dempsey’s characters are so finely detailed and relatable, we instantly see the world through their eyes and we become part of their story. I always measure each book I own by the page corners I bend down, telling me to go back to revisit, reflect, and savor. This Is How It Begins made me turn so many pages…
Just as Ludka asks her students to seek the ‘omissions’ of the canvas, readers will be challenged to seek the omissions in their thinking, to open their minds to better understand the meaning of justice, honor, acceptance, truth, and virtue. The many people in the painting are captured in their insularity, in small groups of one or two, no eye contact among them. Only the street musician exhibits a jaunty aspect, seeking connection to the populace.
Another painting, the Chopin, secreted away to safety by Ludka during one of the Warsaw bombings, serves as the innocent treasure that has been stolen.
Topics of fundamentalist Christian culture, bigotry, LGBT rights, homophobia, political discourse, and personal freedom are tossed back and forth between the community leaders and the populace. Beginning in hate, fear, and intolerance, they lead to violence as they vie for the sanction of what’s ‘right and true’. Ludka and Izaac’s grandson, Tommy, is dismissed from his teaching job in the high school, along with several others accused of impropriety due to their homosexuality. The lives of these fine citizens unravel as the community divides along lines engendered by religious tenets and teachings.
Preserving their treasured grandson and preserving the Chopin become the vibrant story layers of beliefs and deceits that Ludka and Isaac peel away to lay bare the character of each participant.
Though I have experienced a long lifetime of reading good books, I found This Is How It Begins breaks new ground in the tracing of the histories and discoveries of the ‘whys’ which sit beneath the ‘awfuls’. A good book is like a good painting. All the parts fulfill their unique roles, and all fit the purpose of the whole—standing out, yet blending in, as the eye observes, or the finger turns a page. This Is How It Begins is a beautiful creation.
Book Review by Sarah Schwarcz
September 23, 2017
By Joan Dempsey
This Is How It Begins takes your breath away with its relevance to present day issues and our world’s historical heritage. We enter the book through a large painting, Prelude, 1939. We immediately relate to our teacher guide, Ludka, an elderly non-Jewish Polish survivor of World War II, who encourages her students to seek understanding—of the painting, of history, of selves.
The mysteries you encounter and work to solve will plunge you into the complex battles of beliefs and practices that question our understanding and acceptance of discriminatory practices and consequences. Izaac, Ludka’s Jewish husband, is her staunch partner of a lifetime of struggle and achievement. They are a perfect example of the blessings of lives shared successfully in spite of major differences. Izaac is the voice of truth throughout their travails: ”Faith can be worse…It trumps reason all too easily… They see what they see, believe what they believe, and that’s that.”
As we observe Ludka grill her students to involve them in the philosophical questions posed by the mural, we find the book itself becomes a large graphic that we enter, to face our own beliefs and prejudices—hopefully to find answers that help us grow in the understanding of the importance of acceptance and connection to others.
Dempsey’s characters are so finely detailed and relatable, we instantly see the world through their eyes and we become part of their story. I always measure each book I own by the page corners I bend down, telling me to go back to revisit, reflect, and savor. This Is How It Begins made me turn so many pages…
Just as Ludka asks her students to seek the ‘omissions’ of the canvas, readers will be challenged to seek the omissions in their thinking, to open their minds to better understand the meaning of justice, honor, acceptance, truth, and virtue. The many people in the painting are captured in their insularity, in small groups of one or two, no eye contact among them. Only the street musician exhibits a jaunty aspect, seeking connection to the populace.
Another painting, the Chopin, secreted away to safety by Ludka during one of the Warsaw bombings, serves as the innocent treasure that has been stolen.
Topics of fundamentalist Christian culture, bigotry, LGBT rights, homophobia, political discourse, and personal freedom are tossed back and forth between the community leaders and the populace. Beginning in hate, fear, and intolerance, they lead to violence as they vie for the sanction of what’s ‘right and true’. Ludka and Izaac’s grandson, Tommy, is dismissed from his teaching job in the high school, along with several others accused of impropriety due to their homosexuality. The lives of these fine citizens unravel as the community divides along lines engendered by religious tenets and teachings.
Preserving their treasured grandson and preserving the Chopin become the vibrant story layers of beliefs and deceits that Ludka and Isaac peel away to lay bare the character of each participant.
Though I have experienced a long lifetime of reading good books, I found This Is How It Begins breaks new ground in the tracing of the histories and discoveries of the ‘whys’ which sit beneath the ‘awfuls’. A good book is like a good painting. All the parts fulfill their unique roles, and all fit the purpose of the whole—standing out, yet blending in, as the eye observes, or the finger turns a page. This Is How It Begins is a beautiful creation.
Book Review by Sarah Schwarcz
September 23, 2017
December 22, 2017
I admire this book and this writer. In her beautifully researched novel, Joan Dempsey dares to take on the political divides of our nation and to hope for democracy’s persistence. Her intimate knowledge of legislative and legal process makes this intriguing. But it’s really her rich portrayal of 82-year-old immigrant artist Ludka Zeilonka and her family that brings this to life and makes it so readable.
Ludka’s passionate descriptions of art, and her delineation of its cultural importance and risks, underlie the book’s mysteries. She and her husband escaped fascist Poland and lived successful immigrant lives, believing they were safe from persecution. Then it begins: her grandson is a teacher who, along with a dozen gay teachers in Massachusetts are suddenly fired, the victims of an organized fundamentalist movement to protect school children’s “religious freedom.”
Joan Dempsey’s riskiest move is to give us the Christian organizers, a small group of committed men, aware of the stakes for a national arena. Christian parents, they believe homosexuality a contagious sin endangering their children. But their radio disc jockey, who respects legislative process, and has a faith in democracy equal to Lukda’s, is troubled by violence against teachers that was never part of their original plan. Who are the perps?
Dempsey does a good job of making earnest Christians visible, and at times sympathetic. But I missed seeing their full-hearted and dangerous conviction they were called by God to do this work. Prayers, both inner and outer, are scarce in this, and so are bible quotes and phrases that fundamentalists like to swim in. Their business-like talk contrasts with Ludka’s colorful language, and the conversations and conflicts in the Zeilonka family, which convince and surprise in ways that make this a brave, engrossing, and timely novel.
Ludka’s passionate descriptions of art, and her delineation of its cultural importance and risks, underlie the book’s mysteries. She and her husband escaped fascist Poland and lived successful immigrant lives, believing they were safe from persecution. Then it begins: her grandson is a teacher who, along with a dozen gay teachers in Massachusetts are suddenly fired, the victims of an organized fundamentalist movement to protect school children’s “religious freedom.”
Joan Dempsey’s riskiest move is to give us the Christian organizers, a small group of committed men, aware of the stakes for a national arena. Christian parents, they believe homosexuality a contagious sin endangering their children. But their radio disc jockey, who respects legislative process, and has a faith in democracy equal to Lukda’s, is troubled by violence against teachers that was never part of their original plan. Who are the perps?
Dempsey does a good job of making earnest Christians visible, and at times sympathetic. But I missed seeing their full-hearted and dangerous conviction they were called by God to do this work. Prayers, both inner and outer, are scarce in this, and so are bible quotes and phrases that fundamentalists like to swim in. Their business-like talk contrasts with Ludka’s colorful language, and the conversations and conflicts in the Zeilonka family, which convince and surprise in ways that make this a brave, engrossing, and timely novel.
July 21, 2020
What a powerful story. The characters are deep, complex, and real. The story is really two perfectly interwoven narratives of oppression and liberation. The story takes place in 2009 but is no less relevant in today's climate. In fact, the basic lesson that we must not turn away from bigotry and hate, that we must embrace difference, and that we must approach one another with empathy, are essential today.
But don't read it because of it's political and moral lessons. Read it to fall in love with the characters and to become engrossed in their world. It's beautifully written and will draw you in immediately.
But don't read it because of it's political and moral lessons. Read it to fall in love with the characters and to become engrossed in their world. It's beautifully written and will draw you in immediately.
November 8, 2017
Well written, thought provoking book. Each of the characters was well developed, and I especially loved the “voice” of Ludka. I’ll admit I struggled through the first half of the book, feeling like the author took two very good story lines that would have been good stories on their own, and tried to combine them in one book, as if it were her only chance at writing a book! As the book continued to unfold, I began to see the parallels in the stories, and the end neatly tied it all together. One particularly well done point was that I never felt the author was presenting one side of the story or the other as the “right” point of view ... both viewpoints were very well presented. This is the kind of book that just screams “book club” to me ... so many very discussable points! Looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.
August 16, 2017
I woke up at 3:30 am one morning and came out to the sofa to read Joan Dempsey's "This Is How It Begins," hoping I would fall asleep in a little while. I was a bit over half way through her book, and loving it—four hours later as it grew light outside, I finished the book, unable to put it down and wide awake with the joy of reading it..
Joan's writing is thoroughly and utterly engaging, thought-provoking, and vitally relevant for our times. The story, with both its fictional storyline and historical foundation, is woven like the finest wool shawl that Ludka would wear—the 85-year old art professor who is the star character, is an inspiring portrait of courage, human frailties, sassiness, and determination that I will never forget.
Joan's writing is thoroughly and utterly engaging, thought-provoking, and vitally relevant for our times. The story, with both its fictional storyline and historical foundation, is woven like the finest wool shawl that Ludka would wear—the 85-year old art professor who is the star character, is an inspiring portrait of courage, human frailties, sassiness, and determination that I will never forget.
June 15, 2025
Set in Massachusetts. Ludka is an art professor. Her husband, Izaac was the attorney general. She helped rescue him as a child in Poland in WWII. Their son, Lolek, is the state senate president. Lolek's son, Tommy, is fired from his teaching job because he's a homosexual.
There is violence against Tommy and Ludka and Izaac. There's a hearing about Tommy's firing. There are bills brought before the senate with an anti-homosexual purpose. The Christian church in the community is behind the violence and the bills. There are flashbacks to WWII for Ludka and an interesting parallel.
I like how it ends but it's not wrapped up. We are left to ponder what will happen.
There is violence against Tommy and Ludka and Izaac. There's a hearing about Tommy's firing. There are bills brought before the senate with an anti-homosexual purpose. The Christian church in the community is behind the violence and the bills. There are flashbacks to WWII for Ludka and an interesting parallel.
I like how it ends but it's not wrapped up. We are left to ponder what will happen.
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