bkowalczik 's review for:

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan

4.0

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Even when you, the reader, know something devastating is going to come, I still felt devastated at what happened in the novel. Great job getting to those emotions.

Part of my five star rating comes because I lived in Italy for 3 1/2 years when my husband was stationed in Northern Italy during the mid-to-late 1980's. And we love Italy, for the most part, so I felt Sullivan portrayed Italy and Italians very well. Occasionally my husband would have someone tell him a story from when they fought in the resistance (strange, no one every offered that they fought with the fascists though . . .)

There were time in the novel when the Italians spoke to each other I thought, Hmm, that sounds a bit more like how an American would phrase things than an Italian, but I am certainly not a linguistic expert, perhaps they felt Americans would understand it better.

Here are a few questions I feel Sullivan addressed that would be good to talk about in a book group:
1. What did you think about the revenge killings in Milan immediately after liberation?
2. Do you blame Pino for not speaking up?
3. What do you think about General Leyers? Was he a hero? Liar? Why?
4. Should Pino have killed Leyers when he had the chance?
5. Do you think Pino would have had a lasting relationship?