This Is How It Begins - by Joan Dempsey (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>When eighty-five-year-old art professor Ludka Zeilonka's grandson, Tommy, is among a group of gay teachers fired over concerns that they're silencing Christian kids in the classroom, Ludka is drawn into the political firestorm. As both sides battle to preserve their respective rights to free speech, the hatred on display raises the specter of her World War II past.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><b>"In a time when religious liberty is on trial, <i>This Is How It Begins</i> is an extraordinarily pertinent novel dripping in suspense and powerful scenes of political discourse . . . a must read . . ." --<i>Foreword</i> (starred review) <p/>"Beautifully written . . . an ambitious and moving debut novel." --Lily King, the <i>New York Times</i> best-selling author of <i>Writers & Lovers</i> <p/>A woman bearing a thorny secret. A man fighting for religious freedom. A battle neither saw coming.</b> <p/>Massachusetts, 2009. Ludka Zeilonka is relishing her emeritus status. With the horrors of World War II willfully buried in her past, the eighty-five year-old art professor doesn't want to accept that there's escalating cultural unrest in her adoptive country. But when her gay grandson is fired for allegedly silencing Christian kids in his classroom, she and her influential family are thrust into the center of a political firestorm. <p/>Warren Meck is worried about his sons. Leading a statewide effort to protect free speech in public schools for Christian kids, the popular radio host is on the cusp of taking his fight to the State House. But when his carefully orchestrated campaign turns unexpectedly violent, he's alarmed by suspicions that someone within his inner circle might be responsible. <p/>As the increasingly vicious conflict plays out on the public stage, Ludka wrestles with resurfacing memories . . . and the exposure of a well-guarded secret. And when Meck identifies the culprit behind the violence, he faces an unbearable choice that could jeopardize his family's future. <p/>Can these two come to grips with unwelcome truths in time to make a stand in the final political showdown? <p/><i>This Is How It Begins</i> is an emotionally gripping literary novel. If you like even-handed stories about hot-button social issues, rich character development, and thought-provoking narratives, then you'll love Joan Dempsey's captivating page-turner.<br><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><b>Winner, Bronze Medal, Independent Publisher Book Awards<br>Winner, Poets & Writers Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award<br>Lambda Literary Award Finalist<br>May Sarton Women's Book Award Finalist<br>Foreword Review Indies Book of the Year Award Finalist</b> <p/>". . . Dempsey's fine first novel [is] notable for the evenhanded way it addresses hot-button issues. The result is a timely and memorable story."<br><b><i>--Booklist</i></b> <p/>"Dempsey's fine debut, set in 2009, explores how hate, fear, and intolerance cast a lifelong shadow. Current events have only made this gripping story more relevant."<br><b><i>--Library Journal</i></b> <p/>"<i>This Is How It Begins</i> by Joan Dempsey is a thought-provoking and timely novel that connects the horrors of our political past to the current cultural climate, giving new relevance to the . . . adage, 'Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it."<br><b><i>--The Advocate</i></b> <p/>"A gripping and sensitive portrait of ordinary people wrestling with ideological passions."<br><b><i>--Kirkus</i></b> <p/>". . . the book maintains the reader's curiosity and makes for a fast-paced, entertaining read . . . its substantive themes parallel many of the issues Americans are debating today."<br><b><i>--Portland Press Herald Maine Sunday Telegram</i></b> <p/>"<i>This Is How It Begins</i> is award-winning Maine author Joan Dempsey's timely, suspenseful and powerful exploration of the very real conflict between religious freedom and civil rights. Dempsey is clearly a talented writer, unafraid to thoughtfully address controversial issues like sexual orientation and intolerance . . . a provocative hit."<br><b><i>--Kennebec Journal</i></b> <p/>"<i>This Is How It Begins</i> . . . is nothing if not timely. It is also an enticing read, well written and researched and with mindfully drawn characters."<br><b><i>--Maine Women Magazine</i></b> <p/>"What is perhaps most stunning about Dempsey's novel is her ability to empathetically show two diametrically opposed sides . . . [this] book feels prescient in our current political climate . . ."<br><b><i>--The Denver Voice</i></b> <p/>"With themes pulled straight from contemporary headlines, Dempsey approaches the fundamental yet often discordant topics of free speech, religious freedom and human rights, and she manages to build a narrative in which all sides are given personable, realistic and sympathetic characterizations."<br><b><i>--Summit Daily</i></b> <p/>"A remarkable novel full of characters on every side of the cultural divide, all imbued with genuine humanity . . . a riveting, essential story for our time."<br><b>--Matthew Goodman, <i>New York Times</i> best-selling author of <i>The City Game</i></b> <p/>"Joan Dempsey's spellbinding novel illuminates how the tides of history repeat themselves . . . Reading this moving adventure compels us to bear witness to the past and present and think about our own complacency to everyday discrimination in our midst."<br><b>--Dr. Eva Fogelman, Pulitzer Prize Nominee for <i>Conscience and Courage: Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust</i></b> <p/>"Dempsey brings her characters to life with equal parts empathy and tough-mindedness . . . A riveting story of the clash between LGBT and fundamentalist Christian cultures, and the way its violence reawakens historical trauma, this striking debut is essential reading for our times."<br><b>--Judith Frank, Lambda Literary Award Finalist for <i>All I Love and Know</i></b> <p/>"Into these tumultuous and politically polarized times comes a beautifully wrought novel that plumbs the roots of bigotry, hatred and intolerance. <i>This Is How It Begins</i> makes it clear that we have been down this road before and we ignore the lessons of history at our own peril. A riveting, immensely satisfying read."<br><b>--Bill Lundgren, co-author of <i>Becoming (Other)wise</i></b> <p/>"Joan Dempsey's debut novel is a compelling story that seems to rise out of the rancor of current national headlines--about hate, bigotry, and intolerance. The story has deep roots in the darkness of the horrific persecution and betrayal of Jews during World War II. Twin story lines--then and now--illuminate how close we yet remain to the hellish cauldron that fear enflames."<br><b>--Frank O. Smith, author of <i>Dream Singer</i>, a Bellwether Prize finalist</b> <br><br>
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