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.