James Roth was born in Dobbs Ferry New York in 1942. Growing up in a small closely-knit river village has led to writing a novel that allows him to draw from his early experiences. The son of a carpenter, he grew up in a hard working family that has strong roots in the Hudson River villages of Dobbs Ferry and Hastings. His Irish and Italian family background gives further depth to his understanding and knowledge of life in the Village of Dobbs Ferry at the beginning of the 1960s.