"And so it began" is a tender, moving novel that tells the story of how it can sometimes take almost a whole lifetime to find happiness—in the one person you need to live. Gustav Perle is a reserved man. Even as a child in the 1940s, growing up in impoverished circumstances, he learned not to want too much from life. When Anton joins his class, a boy from a cultured Jewish family, the beauty enters Gustav's life as well. His mother Emilie does not approve of this, but for Gustav, Anton is everything he needs to be happy. However, life drives them apart, and it will take many years before they see each other again—and realize that happiness may have always been right in front of them.