The Heart's Progress: A Memoir

By Claudia Bepko

Book Overview

A unique glimpse into the growth of one woman's lesbian identityLike many lesbians, Claudia Bepko was a young woman when she first admitted to having homosexual feelings -- but it took a lifeless heterosexual marriage and a fierce attraction to a female colleague before she was able to live openly in a relationship with another woman. In this moving memoir, she relives the painful and poignant awakenings she experienced in her early life: from her blue-collar Catholic upbringing and alcoholic father to her exhilaration and confusion as she entered college during the height of the sexual revolution where she encountered her first lovers -- Molly, a fellow student, and David, whom she would eventually marry.The different among us tell our stories because we are all only human and so much need a witness to the truth, writes Bepko. Having built a career in the early years of the women's movement, she found the courage to question her heterosexuality. Approaching middle age in the midst of lesbian chic, she finds herself finally able to move from an identity shrouded in otherness to a life that celebrates the freedom and normalcy of loving whomever one is destined to love.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140243666
• ISBN13: 9780140243666
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Highly enjoyable and now I need more

I mostly read fiction but the book descriptions were enticing and the two reviews convinced me I had to read it. I found the book and devoured it in one sitting - now I need to read more by the author. This reads as a very honest and thought provoking story and anyone (race, gender, religion outlook on life) will find interesting.

Enjoyable and Thought-Provoking Read...

I like to mix up my reading list periodically by throwing in a non-fiction book from my usual genre (lesbian literature). With "Heart's Progress" I'm glad I did. This book tells the story of many of us who got married before we figured out who we really were (or had the courage to admit it). In sharing her life with the reader, Bepko does an outstanding job of relaying the feelings and complications associated with coming out in an unforgiving society. The book invoked feelings of sadness, frustration, deep-rooted love, absolute anger, fear, and many others. I laughed, I cried, I was both sad and happy to see it end. If you or a friend are having issues related to coming out (or trying to define yourself), this book is for you.

Love, Pain, and the Reality of Life

There is so much reality in this book,and so much I could relate to. There's the initial confusion about one's sexual orientation, first recognizing those feelings and then later being passionately, deeply in love, dealing with homophobia, finding a life partner and then all the conflicts and pain that can involve. Claudia's feelings so frequently reflected my own.She tells of the dissatisfaction of a heterosexual marriage. The hard effort of trying to make a relationship with her lesbian partner work.Moving from the city to the country. The trauma of an accident, and losing everything, but eventually rebuilding one's life, and finding love again. Very honestly and well written book. I highly recommend it. This book relates not just to being lesbian, but to being human.

An outstanding book. A must read for everyone!

Claudia Bepko has written an outstanding book. Although written as a memoir, it could be more accurately called the life story of any one of us -- gay or straight. Everyone will find some part of this book where they see themselves in similar circumstances. The author used vivid descriptive language that makes it a pleasure to read. I am anxiously awaiting her next book!