A 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 … 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.
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This book was a great read. I appreciated the fact that it had a complete ending even though it is part of a series. The characters were ones you grew to love and hate. I felt frustration at time and many other emotions as I read.
I loved reading the trilogy and couldn’t stop.
I enjoyed this novel. It took me awhile to read because I wanted to understand everything that was going on.
Enjoyed this book so much I ordered the next two in the Trilogy .
Those of you who follow this blog, my Twitter account, or my writing will know that I have long advocated for expanding the scope of European historical fiction beyond the focus on England, France, and Italy. The book that I am going to review today is among the few that does just that.
Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin is the story of …
Exciting reading.
Liked the character and the setting of the story -hope to get some deals on the two sequels that follow this book
4.5 stars James C Martin wrote this book from the diary of Anna Maria. The story starts with memories from her fifth Name Day and goes through her 18-19th year in the late 1700s. It was a fascinating look at that time period, politics and the culture of the noble class, of whom many did not have noble characters. Anna suffered …
I really enjoyed this read….can’t wait to read the sequels….
This is based on the real story of Anna, a countess in Poland. Obviously, the writer has taken liberties, but the book is absolutely fascinating!!! This is positively a MUST read. From the first page you are drawn into anna’s World and there you stay even when not reading this book. She becomes someone you ponder long after you put it down. Well …
Stupid, sexist.
First of a series. The author leaves you wondering what happened, but I read the first two chapters of the next book that was included as a teaser and my questions were answered. I really enjoyed this one and will pick up the next one.
Amazing!!! I can’t rave enough about this book! I read the whole trilogy. The history of Poland’s uprising is gripping. The characters are exsquistely written. Hated to finish the series.
Great way to learn history.
Historical fiction that kept me turning pages straight through.
I really enjoyed immersing myself in this well-written historical novel about events I’d known so little about. Highly recommend!
I give this a 4-1/2 star. SO many aspects were SO good! Anxious to read the next novel in the series!
It was an interesting piece of work dealing with the takeover of Poland in the mid 18th century. It is based on the diary of Lady Anna Maria Berezowska.
Very well written. Historically correct. Interesting characters. Would recommend.
The history of Poland relived in this book was both informative and inspirational. I loved the charachter development and the descriptions of life in the late 1700s into 1800. I became immersed in the political and personal struggles of both upper and peasant classes during a land-grabbing war of multiple powers and the patriotism and strength …