Push Not The River: A Novel
by James Conroyd Martin

Panoramic and lush, Push Not the River is the romantic epic of one young countess's coming-of-age during the upheaval of eighteenth-century Poland--a time of heartache and turmoil as the country is torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. At seventeen, Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses her family and must leave the only home she has ever known. With Catherine's Russian armies streaming in to take their spoils, Anna is quickly thrust into a world of love and hate, patriotism and treason, life and death.

Based on the actual dairy of real Polish countess, Push Not the River depicts the unforgettable metamorphosis of a nation--and of a proud and resilient women.

"James Conroyd Martin's vivid historical novel captivates the reader with its sweeping depiction of a bygone society on the cusp of violent change. . . With his juxtaposition of the personal and political, Martin weaves a compelling tale of transformation, both of a remarkable young woman and her remarkable nation."
JENNIFER DONNELLY, author of The Tea Rose

"Martin's novel transports the reader two hundred years into Poland's glorious past, a world of castles and manor houses. . . Push Not The River sings of a people's pride and indomitable hope."
JAN LORYS, director of the Polish Museum of America

JAMES CONROYD MARTIN, a native of Chicago, teaches English and creative writing at Marian High School, a well-known college-prep high school in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He holds degrees from St. Ambrose and DePaul universities. He is currently working on a sequel to Push Not the River.

Publishing House: St. Martin's Press, New York 2004
Softcover book measuring 5.5" x 8.25"
499 pages, maps, illustrations, readers guide
English Language Version

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