Poland Trilogy

Anna and Zofia~two cousins~different as sun from shade.One chooses love and patriotism~the other, deceit and treason.And yet~love binds them even as their country hurtles toward the abyss.Based on a true diary, "Push Not the River contains all the sweep and romance of the classic romantic epics, such as Gone with the Wind and Doctor Zhivago, with a heroine who remains strong in the face of both personal and political tragedy....Anna Maria's story is at once timeless and timely." --India Edghill, author of Queenmaker and DelilahA panoramic and epic novel in the grand romantic style, PUSH NOT THE RIVER is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700s--a time of heartache and turmoil as the country's once peaceful people are being torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties. It is then, at the young and vulnerable age of seventeen, when Lady Anna Maria Berezowska loses both of her parents and must leave the only home she has ever known.With Empress Catherine's Russian armies streaming in to take their spoils, Anna is quickly thrust into a world of love and hate, loyalty and deceit, patriotism and treason, life and death. Even kind Aunt Stella, Anna's new guardian who soon comes to personify Poland's courage and spirit, can't protect Anna from the uncertain future of the country.Anna, a child no longer, turns to love and comfort in the form of Jan, a brave patriot and architect of democracy, unaware that her beautiful and enigmatic cousin Zofia has already set her sights on the handsome young fighter. Thus Anna walks unwittingly into Zofia's jealous wrath and darkly sinister intentions. Forced to survive several tragic events, many of them orchestrated by the crafty Zofia, a strengthened Anna begins to learn to place herself in the way of destiny--for love and for country. Heeding the proud spirit of her late father, Anna becomes a major player in the fight against the countries who come to partition her beloved Poland.PUSH NOT THE RIVER is based on the true eighteenth century diary of Anna Maria Berezowska, a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the historic Third of May Constitution. Vivid, romantic, and thrillingly paced, it paints the emotional and unforgettable story of the metamorphosis of a nation--and of a proud and resilient young woman. James Conroyd Martin is an award-winning author of novels set in Poland. Although of Irish and Norwegian extraction, he has been embraced by the Polish community. The American Institute for Polish Culture presented him with their prestigious Gold Medal. The author is quick to point out that the stories of love, war, and survival appeal to everyone. Martin is a longtime teacher who lives in and teaches in the Chicago area.

A magnificent epic, AGAINST A CRIMSON SKY is an unforgettable tale of love, valor, and the enduring strength of the human spirit, set against the backdrop of war-torn Poland at the cusp of the nineteenth century.The year is 1794, and the beautiful and resilient Countess Anna Maria Berezowska has narrowly escaped death amidst the chaos caused by the violent dissolution of Poland. Anna is soon reunited with her longtime love, Lord Jan Stelnicki, and the two lovers marry even as their beloved country is ripped apart. As the couple struggles to raise a family in the face of an uncertain future, Anna's capricious cousin Zofia returns with a surprise of her own. Although Zofia's past schemes still resonate, Anna's doubts turn to fear as Jan's patriotism draws him to the battlefield.Offering new hope for a conquered Poland, Napoléon Bonaparte arrives in all of his pomp and glory. With the aid of new Polish legions~Anna's friends and family among them~Napoléon battles his way across Europe an effort that culminates in the march into Moscow and the subsequent doomed winter retreat.Against this backdrop, Anna and Jan valiantly fight to hold on to a tenuous happiness, their country, and their very lives. James Conroyd Martin is an award-winning author of novels set in Poland. Although of Irish and Norwegian extraction, he has been embraced by the Polish community. The American Institute for Polish Culture presented him with their prestigious Gold Medal. The author is quick to point out that the stories of love, war, and survival appeal to everyone. Martin is a longtime teacher who lives in and teaches in the Chicago area.

Engaging and opulent, THE WARSAW CONSPIRACY unfolds as a family saga set against the November Rising (1830-1831), partitioned Poland's daring challenge to the Russian Empire. Brilliantly illustrating the psyche of a people determined to reclaim independence in the face of monumental odds, the story portrays two brothers and their fates in love and war. Michał is a seasoned veteran soldier, cautious of the evolving conspiracy; Józef, his much younger brother and impassioned cadet, finds himself caught up in the vortex of a daring plot to abduct the Grand Duke of Russia. With Siberia or emigration to France looming as heart-rending contingencies, matriarchs Anna and Zofia stay steadfast in their resolve to steer the clan through ever-muddying waters."More than a simple adventure or romance, THE WARSAW CONSPIRACY is a heartstopping journey through post-Napoleon Poland as another generation of freedom-loving Poles resists the domination of a hostile neighbor. Martin's uncanny insight into the Polish national psyche and his vigorous prose make this a compelling page-turner as we learn the fate of our heroines Anna and Zofia and their family. Historical facts and details of daily life combine to keep you riveted to the page."-Leonard Kniffel, former AMERICAN LIBRARIES Editor-in-Chief James Conroyd Martin is an award-winning author of novels set in Poland. Although of Irish and Norwegian extraction, he has been embraced by the Polish community. The American Institute for Polish Culture presented him with their prestigious Gold Medal. The author is quick to point out that the stories of love, war, and survival appeal to everyone. Martin is a longtime teacher who lives in and teaches in the Chicago area.