A River Runs Red by Jonathan Szott

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.