Page Publishing Inc. is pleased to announce the release of a work of historical fiction by local author, Jason Gray Jr.
The novel, “Washed Away,” is set in the nearby Potter County town of Austin where on a lazy Saturday afternoon in September of 1911, a cement dam located a mile above the mill town gave way, unleashing a torrent of death and destruction cascading down the narrow valley and sweeping away everything in its path with the explosive power of a nuclear bomb.
“As my family and I passed through this gorgeous mountainous country on ski treks to the north,” Gray says, “I was always intrigued by the remnants of the broken dam standing eerily above the town like a monument to this historical tragedy.
“My research of the events leading up to that fateful day more than a century ago raised disturbing questions of cause and culpability that have never been fully resolved.
“As a person with a journalism background, I was further disturbed by the sensationalism of the worldwide newspaper reports that followed.
“To address my unease on both these fronts, I introduced to the scene two enterprising young reporters to investigate the causes, determine accountability and seek justice.”
As the investigation by these reporters, Rusty Shephard and Katie Keenan, begins to unmask the deceit and greed of those responsible, they encounter desperate acts of coverup, recrimination, suicide and murder, placing their own lives in danger.
In their journey to uncover the truth, they are absorbed in the emotional turmoil of the town and of their own relationship.
Gray resides with his wife, Libby, in DuBois and has been active in business and community service since his retirement as a newspaper publisher.
He is the author of short stories for young adults and a recent science fiction novel, “A Journey Beyond,” also published by Page Publishing Inc.
“Washed Away” and “A Journey Beyond” are available in both print and e-reader formats on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble Web sites, and locally at Bradley’s Book Outlet in the DuBois Mall.
A book-signing for the public is planned for the near future.
