Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
I had been so excited about this book, especially with so many 4 and 5 star reviews, but was definitely disappointed. I believe what had so many people loving this story was the fact it was based on a true story and it was based in Italy during WWII, however the writing itself was bad so I cannot give this higher stars or really recommend it to others.
Since very few books about Mussolini and German-occupied Italy have reached the bestseller lists in the past years, this book did offer new information and a fresh new perspective about the war. It was based on Pino Lella's experiences with helping Jews escape over the Alps and ultimately driving one of Hitler's right hand men who is stationed in Italy. Although Sullivan did interview Pino, it's obvious that many of the events are a bit embellished and conversations had to be created at times since Pino would not remember every single detail or word spoken from days that happened decades earlier in his life. This is where I had some issue with the story as you do not know what facts are embellished, and if anything was completely made-up. Pino becomes this hero doing impossible and extremely beneficial feats for the allies, and for him to not have been awarded or acknowledged with medals and acclaim after the war seems unlikely if it all were true. Yes, a lot of things were not talked about after this war, and plenty of people involved decided not to speak about it after, but this story would not have been forgotten.
And again, the writing itself was poorly done. I believe this book could have been edited down a lot, especially the beginning which either didn't give the best details or gave just too many details. There were also moments that seemed repetitive, so I found myself skimming paragraphs once I got about halfway through so I could get to the details I was really interested in.
Overall, a fresh new story on WWII, but it left much to be desired and won't be at the top of my recommendations for this important piece of history.
Synopsis: Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, this is the tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours. Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal teenager, obsessed with music, food and girls. When Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the alps and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, his parents force him to enlist as a German Soldier. After being injured, Pino finds himself the personal driver of Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers.