A River Runs Red

Stanisław Cobaltski's youth was upended by Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland to start World War II. His family and fellow compatriots fought underground to form a resistance against foreign invaders. His life trajectory changed when he was captured and sent to a concentration camp as a political prisoner. Crimes against humanity by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union led many civilians to their untimely death, as one-fifth of Poland's population was killed. Stanisław escaped only to become a refugee with his homeland in ruins. Could America give him an opportunity to escape war-torn Europe? During the next twenty years, he started a new life by working in a local paper mill in New England. Unbeknownst to him, prejudice still existed and old wounds could not heal. He befriended a family whose ancestors came from Malaga Island. To his surprise, the native population kept them as outcasts of society. Would Stanisław's life come full circle? The first half of A River Runs Red is based upon actual events experienced during the Second World War.

Stanisław Cobaltski's youth was upended by Nazi Germany's invasion of Poland to start World War II. His family and fellow compatriots fought underground to form a resistance against foreign invaders. His life trajectory changed when he was captured and sent to a concentration camp as a political prisoner. Crimes against humanity by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union led many civilians to their untimely death, as one-fifth of Poland's population was killed. Stanisław escaped only to become a refugee with his homeland in ruins. Could America give him an opportunity to escape war-torn Europe? During the next twenty years, he started a new life by working in a local paper mill in New England. Unbeknownst to him, prejudice still existed and old wounds could not heal. He befriended a family whose ancestors came from Malaga Island. To his surprise, the native population kept them as outcasts of society. Would Stanisław's life come full circle? The first half of A River Runs Red is based upon actual events experienced during the Second World War.

Jonathan A. Szott currently resides in Queens, New York and spends as much time as he can at his camp in Limington, Maine with his wife, young son and dog. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is a dual citizen of the United States of America and Republic of Ireland. He wrote his debut novel as a way to honor his grandfather's bravery and traumatic experiences endured in the Holocaust. Jonathan received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University and his master's degree from Baruch College and has worked in New York City politics for over a decade, writing legislation, aiding constituents and managing multiple campaigns for elected office. When not working or writing, Jonathan enjoys the outdoors and has mountaineered thousands of miles on hiking trails in North America.