Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel

A Kindle First selection that is masterfully written with complex characters and heart-pounding scenes. It takes place in Italy -'the forgotten front'- during WW II and the reader is drawn into a web of intrigue. Pino Lello, 17 years of age, is wise beyond his years and intelligent, as well. It is a gripping story of resilience, the indomitable spirit of a young man that knew no boundaries and courage that sustained him during dark hours. When reading the first portion, I was wondering if (and how) this intense pace would continue. The climbing scenes through the mountains gave me a real shot of adrenaline. I felt as though I was one of the climbers and not a reader. This is also when the echoes of 'Nessun Dorma' were played with such passion. For me, this is one of the underlying themes in the story - 'none shall sleep'. And, Pino Lello has taken that to heart for the remainder of this story. The action intensified throughout the remainder of the book, and one is allowed a rare glimpse into the mind of Il Duce - Benito Mussolini - plus the inner workings of the German High Command. Becoming a driver for Major General Hans Leyer allows Pino access to a man that is two steps from the Fuhrer. Pino Lello witnesses atrocities he wishes he could forget but keeps soldiering on...wisely... Just a gripping and harrowing Kindle First selection which I feel is the best one I have read. Full of action and suspense which will keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration. Most highly recommended. Please note that this is my Kindle First selection for April 2017.

For some (illogical) reason I thought this book wouldn't be great, since it was priced at $1.99. and I've read lots of Nazi/WWII books this year, but the author's background comments prompted me to download it, and boy am I glad I did. This is a whale of a book, one you will get hooked on and read it well until the night until you're finished. It is a fantastic book in so many ways. One, you will learn about WWII in Italy, which not many historical novels cover. Second, you will be treated to a magnificent story based on the true life experiences of "Pino" Lella, who until this book was written was an unknown hero, and follow his amazing story throughout the latter part of the war, when Germany "occupied" Italy (the Italy fascist leadership, led by Mussolini, was aligned with Hitler). Pino is a nondescript 17 year old, son of upper middle class parents, whose primary focus in life (as most 17 year old young men) was to have a good time with his friends and begin to enjoy the companionship of young women. As events unfold, Pino is nearing the point when he must take part in the war (enlist or get drafted/conscripted). If he joins the Nazi's, he will be sent to the Russian front where the survival rate is about 50%, so his parents encourage him to join the "Organization Todt", where Italian men stayed in Italy supporting the German war effort in building trucks, weapons, ammunition, and other supplies to aid the Nazis. Pino is vehemently opposed to helping the Nazis, whom he despises, but his father convinces him by telling him he can do more good as an "observer" (spy), passing inside information back to the Italian partisans resisting the German army. As it turns out, he has acquired expert driving skills, and through serendipitous events he is assigned as the "driver" for German General Hans Leyer, the #2 Nazi leader in Italy, with close ties to Hitler. Much of the book details his travels and service for General Leyer, and he is able to pass valuable intelligence back to the partisans. General Leyer has lodgings in Milan, and Pino meets and falls in love with the General's Italian maid, Anna. That story line, their romance, is well written as well. As it begins to become clear that the Allies are making significant progress, General Leyer realizes that Germany will be defeated, and he begins to put in place records that will portray him as an American sympathizer, while still dutifully supplying needed equipment and food to the Nazi war effort. No spoilers here, but the end game in the book is extremely well-written, and through both tragedy and the joy of finally freeing Italy of the Nazis we have an eyewitness account of how the retreating Nazis, their fascist collaborators, and the partisans ultimately play significant roles in the final months and days of the war. The author is a true master (while relatively unknown, he is a frequent collaborator with James Patterson on many of his bestseller books). You will not laugh, but you may smile, and you will certainly be saddened. This is an epic saga that is movie worthy, and I just found out prior to writing this review that the movie has already been cast and will be released (most likely) in 2018. I loved this book. It was educational while also being a moving and compelling story. You will enjoy it on many levels, as I did, and I highly recommend you add it to your reading list. Again, one of the best books I've read this year, and in this genre, one of the best books, period.

By far this was the best Kindle First offering yet! I enjoyed this book almost as much as the best-selling Unbroken. Thank you Amazon Prime! If you like WWII stories of courage, loss, and how common people do remarkable things under duress, this will be a rewarding read. The story is a true one, but not one most are familiar with, since the war's impact on Milan is not as well-known as stories about the Resistance in Paris. There was a resistance in Milan, and many people found themselves having to choose sides, at great cost no matter the choice. Saving Jews from the Nazis is so heroic that any story about it is worthy of reading. The hero of this historical novel was a real person who did amazing things he never dreamed would be required of him. The writing is very good, and aside from a very few unnecessary profanities that seemed thrown in just for effect, bordered on excellent prose. There aren't many, only a handful. Having traveled extensively in Italy I loved the descriptions of towns and street names and landmarks that evoked fond memories for me. There were many heroic Italians in WWII and you will meet several key figures in the pages of this historical novel that takes a true story and presents it like a spy/action novel, entertaining, sobering, and uplifting. Humans endure a lot in war time, but our humanity emerges brightly when there is a need for service and sacrifice. Pino Lella was a common man who became a hero that few in the world knew was one. After finishing the final chapter recounting his post-war life, he might get my vote for World's Most Interesting Man, more substantive than the guy in the TV commercials. I had never heard of Pino before this book, but I'm glad I learned of him and what he experienced as a witness to history and as a maker of it.

Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan Review 5/4/17 Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic 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 Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in 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, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders. Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love. What did I like? I love history, mystery, intrigue and romance… all my favorites all in one book. This was such an interesting book and some of the history of course most of us know. I was so intrigued with this story that I did a little research on my own and saw the work that the author put into the telling of Pino’s story. I can tell you that I was pulled in every minute and had such a tough time putting this book down. I have heard the same remarks from several of my friends that have also read the book. What will you like? Even though this book has a little liberal use in the story you will see the story from a unique perspective that will have you holding your breath. The horrors of the time are all spelled out, so I want to warn you but it is told in a way that we can all understand what Pino and all the other members of his family went through. I know the different things that my dad told me about the time that he was there and saw several photos that gave me nightmares at the time and still haunt me. This story really brought the things that I already knew and the research that I did on my own, plus the discussions that I have had about this book to a new light. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest of that period. The work and effort that was put into the book shows in every page and tells Pino’s story that no one has heard before.

So today I'm writing about a bestseller. A book that won attention from the entire reading world, really. In the words of a fictional character I love, "We're all stories in the end..." Pino Lello definitely made it a good, and heroic, story. Beneath a Scarlet Sky follows the life of Pino Lello, his family and some of the people he knew during WWII in Italy. The book weaves a fabulous tapestry of a family, who showed courage in different ways, resisted in a thousand different acts, and persisted despite the horrors around them. This book comes reviewed by thousands of people, and rated very highly overall. It deserves every bit of praise it has received. Disclaimer: Beyond this point you can argue that there are spoilers, though not specific ones. If you don't want to read about them skip the rest of the review, but know that I whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading historical fiction, and works based on real-life events. This book reads like a spectacular tale of historical fiction, and the writing is on par with another of my favorite books, The Nightingale. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The book opens with Pino in Milan, where he grew up, in the fashion district. His family are craftsmen, designers, musicians, and these colorful influences informed Pino's identity. Maybe it was those crucial moments who shaped the boy Pino was and the man he became. Either way he used those moments to do what needed: to help. Pino's parents know the war is coming, and soon after the bombing began sent Pino to a remote Catholic school in the Italian Alps where they had vacationed and traveled before. Pino is experienced in the terrain, he knows the conditions, and before he even realizes it the Father there is training Pino to help people get out of Italy and into Switzerland. From there it is a chain reaction decisions, actions, and coincidence that led to Pino become an important spy in the fight against the Nazis. The prologue shut me up, and made my inner cynic sit down for a while. I didn't know until the Prologue that it was about an actual man, before that I was all set to write a snarky review about the luckiest fictional spy WWII ever saw. That sounds horrible now, given what Pino witnessed and suffered, and I can't explain it without spoilers, but trust me that I do know that this great man saw true horror. The ugly truth is, as in any war, a person is lucky just to make it out. Whether they kept their heads down or if they spent years resisting their conquerer's efforts, people were lucky to survive. Somehow that wasn't the case for Pino, this book and it's prologue make it obvious that Pino didn't just survive the war, he found ways to live during it. That's part of what makes the story seem so unbelievable. If it took skill and cunning to survive, what did it take to live and find an enduring love during war?

I bought this book and started it three nights ago. At the time there were just 10 reviews, tonight there are 31 reviews, and that number is sure to soar. I don't often have the time to post a review, but this book impacted me so much, I had to speak up. Having just finished it an hour ago my thoughts are still in it, reliving the story, incredulous at all the events that Pino Lella lived through. There were several times I had to stop, crying for the pain of WW2, disgusted by the atrocities and needless deaths that occurred, for Pino's own losses. This story means so much more to me knowing it's based on a true story. I'm sincerely moved by the bravery of Pino and so many who fought courageously to save as many people as they could. I wish I could meet this man, this legend Pino, who didn't think much of his actions, considered himself cowardly, yet his actions affected and saved so many from hell on earth. My heart is sincerely affected by this story. It is truly the BEST Kindle First book I've ever received. I read at least one of them each month, but this is the most powerful, best quality I've come across. In fact, it's one of the best books I have EVER read. A movie could be made from it and I wish it would. It constantly drew my mind back to the Louie Zamporini story, Unbroken. It's that good, maybe better. Who wouldn't be moved by a story of a brave young man who lived with the enemy without getting caught, facing certain death? And he's so passionate. His love with Anna was so precious, so special, words just fall short to describe. If it were pure fiction I wouldn't be as moved. To think that this young man Pino was so close to the Nazi's, keeping emotions and fear in check so that he wouldn't be discovered. That takes a lot of strength and more importantly, divine protection. I am now moved to read Mr. Sullivan's other books. It takes a rare talent to pull a reader in at this depth, making you to care so much for the people in it, riveted to the book to find out what happens next (as so many reviews have mentioned). I was so focused on the book, part of my dinner burned and I couldn't care, I had to get no back to the story. It's that good. As it turns out, this blessing of a book to us was a blessing to the author too. Prior to learning of Pino's story, he doubted his own life's value and considered that he might be worth more dead than alive. I'm grateful that he was lead to find this strong and brave man, Pino Lella of Milan, Italy, to tell this story which deserves to be told. It makes me wonder how many other stories we'll never hear about. I hope that Mark Sullivan would see how much his work affects people and continue to share his gift. Not just for entertainment purposes, but the stories that scream to be told. A great story teller is hard to find. Thank you Mark Sullivan for taking us on this journey. May God continue to use you and the great gifts He's given you to inspire and move peoples hearts.

Beneath A Scarlet Sky I am a senior citizen and all my life I have been interested in history—and especially of WWII. I read everything I see about the war and I have probably watched all the movies that have ever been made about WWII but nothing I have seen or read compares to this book! When reading history you just get the facts whereas in this book you see with the eyes of the people who were there and who were experiencing all the horrors and heartaches. At times it was very hard to read this story because it was so hard to get your head around that so many people were soulless and just pure evil. The story starts out about a very young boy, less than 18 years old, who began helping people to escape to Switzerland. When I first started reading this story I thought it was going to be like the movie, “Sound of Music.” But as the story progresses, Pino Lella, the young man who this story is about, is pushed into joining the German army by his parents. He and his parents are not for the Germans but his parents are afraid that if he does not volunteer to join that on his 18th birthday the Germans will drag him into the army and send him to the Russian front to fight—where over half of the Italian fighters usually die. They were hoping that by joining he would be able to sit out the war and do maybe office work or something that mundane. Things seemed to be going the way the parents hoped it would until one day Pino stopped to help to fix a German General’s car. When the general realized that Pino fixed his car and knew enough to be a car mechanic, he instantly commanded that Pino become his driver. Pino could not say no since he was part of the German army now. Later in the story he was asked by his uncle to help spy on the movement of the German army since he was in the perfect position to see and hear exactly what the Germans were up to. My heart really went out to Pino as he gathered information for the allies because all his friends and realities thought he was Nazis and treated him as if he was a traitor. He could tell no one he was a spy and was on their side because it was too dangerous to tell anyone. But still my heart ached for him because it hurt him so bad. By being the driver for General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most powerful commanders, Pino was privy to a lot of helpful information to feed to the allies. It was why he was employed by the general that he re-met a girl he had a crush on. Anna, the girl, was a maid to the general’s mistress. Pino and Anna fell in love after some time had passed and they got to know one another better. From then on the story gets more intense and suspenseful as Pino tries to do the job he needs to do as a spy and also to keep alive. As the story wound down I could not quit reading until I got to the end because everything got super suspenseful as the war was starting to come to a close. It’s hard to imagine how Pino and so many others survived the war with their minds intact. Toward the end I just cried—it was so sad & heart breaking on so many levels. One of the things that I really liked about the book was that after the story ended the author updated you on what happened to all the main characters later in life. To show you how much I thought of this story, I bought a hardback copy and had it sent to a family member who is a vet. And then I ordered a audio CD to play in the car so my husband can hear the story. My husband hates to read but will watch a movie or listen to a CD—I know he will really be interested in this story once I start playing it. He is a retired veteran of the army with 25 years of service and is interested in anything that is about the military. So if you like knowing about history, you will like this book. Next to “Benghazi” this is the best book that I own.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky, by Mark T. Sullivan, was inspired by the real life story of WWII hero, Pinot Lella. This book was 10 years in the making for author, Mark T. Sullivan, whom met Pinot by chance and knew he wanted to tell his story. It is a work of fiction, but has been rumored to be about 90% true. First things first, this audiobook is a commitment. It is 17 hours long! About 25% way through I upped the speed to 1.25x and it cut a few hours off, phew. I am terribly bad at paying attention to audiobooks, but I do find I am most engaged in listening and not being distracted by everything around me (look a squirrel!) when I am taking a long drive. During a long weekend I went to visit friends in CT (about a 2 hour drive) so it was a perfect time to dive into Pinot’s story. Pinot is an Italian who at the age of 18 is forced to enlist to fight with the Germans on his home turf. Just the previous winter he was helping Jews escape to Switzerland, so you can imagine the pain Pinot is fighting internally to be working for the enemy. I am not one to give too much detailed information in my reviews, as I want the reader/listener to experience much of the granular details on their own. What I will say is that like any story about war, it is depressing. There is only so much one person can experience and it was wild to hear that much of this story was true for Pinot. His love for Anna Marta will make you weep. He is witness to such destruction and devastation at a young age and still finds the strength to keep going. After listening to this audiobook all I wanted to do was find Pinot and hug him (if you know anything about me, this is huge. I hate hugs, so for me to want to actually give one away…well that’s major). If you are taking a long drive, or can pay attention better than me, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is a solid historical fiction audiobook choice. You must commit your time, but it’s one worth experiencing. The writing is beautiful, great character development. There is also an epilogue that provides a snapshot of where many of these characters wound up in real life. The narrator, Will Damron, did an amazing job at tackling the various accents and character emotions. It was not an easy feat, but he made it sound easy. Also, super cool to note: it is soon to be a major motion picture, staring Tom Holland as Pinot.