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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow, what a great WWII novel. I love that it dives into a part of WWII that is often not talked about. It is a very graphic read but needs to be to describe the horror of what happened because of Hitler and Mussolini. As I was reading I kept researching parts of Italy during the war because I wanted to learn more. Highly recommend if you enjoy historical fiction.
Wow, what a story. I honestly couldn’t put this down. Beneath a Scarlet Sky reads like a fast-paced thriller, but the fact that it’s based on a real person’s life makes it all the more jaw-dropping. Pino Lella’s journey, from teenage dreamer to Nazi driver and spy is completely wild. There were moments I had to remind myself this actually happened.
Mark Sullivan did a great job bringing Pino’s story to life with emotional depth and historical detail without ever getting bogged down. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, and full of those “how is this not a movie yet?!” moments.
Highly recommend if you’re into WWII stories that spotlight lesser-known heroes.
Definitely one that’ll stick with me for a long time.
Mark Sullivan did a great job bringing Pino’s story to life with emotional depth and historical detail without ever getting bogged down. It’s heartbreaking, inspiring, and full of those “how is this not a movie yet?!” moments.
Highly recommend if you’re into WWII stories that spotlight lesser-known heroes.
Definitely one that’ll stick with me for a long time.
I listened to this as and audiobook and it definitely is quite the adventure/epic tale.
Pino and his brother are sent off to the Dolmites to try and escape part of WWII. Instead they become fierce mountaineers and helps shuttle some individuals to escape Nazi occupied Italy and make it to Switzerland. I especially liked this part. When he returns back to Milan where his parents live, he has to make a horrible choice. To either join the Italian Resistance or the Nazis. His parents encourage him to go the safer route, but one that proves to lead him on a both horrifying and fascinating path. Coincidence has him help out a senior officer to fix his car. Once he is hired to be his driver, his life as a spy commences. There is some brutality, but also moments of tenderness and love in his experiences.
I think it is closer to 3.5 stars for me, but I definitely found the narrative to be rather sexist and doesn't have such a great or flattering portrayal of women who play more supporting and side roles much to my disappointment. Also, there are really many gut wrenching moments throughout the later third of the book. He has rough times with his family, best friend, etc. It certainly highlights the brutality and horror that was Italy experienced during WWII and is often overlooked.
Pino and his brother are sent off to the Dolmites to try and escape part of WWII. Instead they become fierce mountaineers and helps shuttle some individuals to escape Nazi occupied Italy and make it to Switzerland. I especially liked this part. When he returns back to Milan where his parents live, he has to make a horrible choice. To either join the Italian Resistance or the Nazis. His parents encourage him to go the safer route, but one that proves to lead him on a both horrifying and fascinating path. Coincidence has him help out a senior officer to fix his car. Once he is hired to be his driver, his life as a spy commences. There is some brutality, but also moments of tenderness and love in his experiences.
I think it is closer to 3.5 stars for me, but I definitely found the narrative to be rather sexist and doesn't have such a great or flattering portrayal of women who play more supporting and side roles much to my disappointment. Also, there are really many gut wrenching moments throughout the later third of the book. He has rough times with his family, best friend, etc. It certainly highlights the brutality and horror that was Italy experienced during WWII and is often overlooked.
The story itself is amazing, but I just couldn’t get over the writing style.
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beneath A Scarlet Sky is based on the real life experiences of Italian Pino Lella during the last years of WWII. His proximity to a German General allows for insights into the impact of the war in Italy.
Mark Sullivan was introduced to Pino at a crucial time in his own life. Sullivan did extensive research including significant hours of conversation with Pino. This book is the result. It’s a compelling and well written novel based on Pino’s life.
Often hard to read (war and devastation), this story held my interest because of the familial and faith aspects. I appreciated learning what happened in Italy. The afterword helped to close the loop in some of my questions about what happened to people after the war. Justice, love, loyalty, faith, and grief were explored. This is a well told and meaningful story about a horrific time in history, and the worst of what humans do to one another.
Some of my favorite quotes:
“I want to live in peace and prosperity like anyone.”
“Someone very wise once told me that by opening our hearts, revealing our scars, we are made human and flawed and whole.”
“How do you find happiness?… You start by looking right around you for the blessings you have. When you find them, be grateful.… He says to give thanks for every day, no matter how flawed. And have faith in God and a better tomorrow.”
“Faith is a strange creature… Like a falcon that nests year after year in the same place, but then flies away, sometimes for years, only to return again, stronger than ever.”
“I don’t understand… And the war is not over. I don’t think it will ever be over for me. Not really.”
“We never know what will happen next, what we will see, and what important person will come into our life, or what important person we will lose. Life is change, constant change, and unless we are lucky enough to find comedy in it, change is nearly always a drama, if not a tragedy. But after everything, and even when the skies turn scarlet and threatening, I still believe that if we are lucky enough to be alive, we must give thanks for the miracle of every moment of every day, no matter how flawed. We must have faith in God, and in the Universe, and in a better tomorrow, even if that faith is not always deserved.”
"By opening our hearts, revealing our scars, we are made human and flawed and whole." <3