Historical Novels Project: Poland

Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin

Push Not the River is such an exciting book! Set in the dramatic 18th century, the story features twists and turns both political and personal. It reminds me a bit of a Philippa Gregory book in scope and treatment, centering as it does around a high born but emotionally disadvantaged woman who finds herself caught up in events beyond her control. The heroine is a bit naive (other reviews have remarked on this) but I found her likeable in spite of that. She's young and has been sheltered. I don't see that as unrealistic.

I must say that the writing is absolutely fantastic. The author really knows his way around the English language!

For a person whose ancestry partly includes denizens of this area I know precious little about Polish history. Shame on me. However, after reading this story I am keen to dig deeper. I didn't realize that Poland has long suffered under the designs of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. (Could I be any more ignorant?) This tug of war has inflicted great instability and caused its boundaries to be redrawn over and over. The story demonstrates this angst in an engaging and effective way.