Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Best book I have read since Wolf of the Plains.

If nothing else, I give full marks to the marketing folk who have successfully convinced so many people to go out and buy this novel, and in turn make it an Amazon bestseller. Does it deserve those mega sales? Does it warrant all the praise it's received? - I think not, by a long chalk. The reason I invested in a copy of this book was because it was placed up there on a pedestal, besides the likes of one of my favourite novel's 'All The Light We Cannot See' by Anthony Doerr. Beneath a Scarlet Sky pales into insignificance compared with the magical prose that consistently weaves it's way through Mr Doerr's mesmerising work of fiction.It's also worth noting that the only endorsement on the cover of this book comes from James Patterson, who just happens to be one of Mark Sullivan's best buddies, having co-written five novels together.One of the issues I had with this book is the way it's been publicised as the true story of a forgotten Italian hero. This is clearly a novel as printed on the front cover, it doesn't claim to be a biography. The inner cover even states: ‘Though based on a true story and real characters, this is a work of fiction and of the author's imagination.’ That was an hurdle for me, because I just couldn't decide which parts were true, which parts were half-true, and which parts were totally fabricated to embellish the story - so, in turn, I couldn't make up my mind whether this young man was really the incredible, larger-than-life hero he was made out to be by the author.There's no doubt that the central character in this tale, Pino Lella actually existed, and evidence indeed suggests that he did play a part in helping Jews to escape from Italy, by leading them on a treacherous journey over the Alps to the safety of Switzerland. And, of course, he should be honoured and admired for voluntarily carrying out such a brave feat. However, I found it difficult to believe in his other ventures, and the heroic acts that followed. We are led to believe that at the age of 18 his mother and father convince him to enlist in the local OT section of the German army - so that he can stay in Italy, and not be later conscripted and sent to the Russian front. When in uniform, he wears a Swastika armband. In no time at all he becomes the personal driver to General Hans Leyers, who was the most senior and most powerful Nazi in Italy during the last two years of WW2. You would think that by holding such power, this general would have on his staff an interpreter, a German officer who could speak fluent Italian. But no, he asks Pino to interpret for him, even though Pino doesn't know much German. Leyers has to therefore speak to Pino in a language they both understand - French! By the way, Pino is based in his own town, but it doesn't seem to bother the General that Private first class Lella will have at least some allegiance to his own local family and friends. Pino accompanies the general to meetings with influential Italian manufacturing leaders, and top Nazi officials - so he gets to eavesdrop on talks about construction sites for German munitions factories etc. Hence his opportunity for becoming a spy. Pino even gets to meet Mussolini on at least a couple of occasions. It also appears that Pino was conveniently present to witness every major event, tragedy or horror that was inflicted on the people of Milan during his time as a German soldier.What I mustn't forget to mention, is the standard of the writing - I thought it was mediocre at best. For me, many of the sections fell flat, other areas of the narrative were drawn out. In addition, it lacked the tension I was expecting from a story concerning an important period in history which had devastating effects on Italy and it's people. In the book's favour, I did learn something about Italy's participation in WW2, and gleaned facts that were previously unknown to me. I was also fascinated by the 'Aftermath' which appears after the story has come to an end. This section essentially sums up what happened to some of the key characters after the war, and certainly convinced me that as he got older, Pino Lella did indeed become a charismatic figure.I realise I'm in a small minority when it comes to how I've assessed this novel. All I can add is that I can only give my truthful appraisal of a book, and I always endeavour to be honest during that process.

We picked this for our book group as it had received much acclaim and quite a few 5* reviews. Disappointment is an understatement. Based on the real story of an extraordinarily brave young man, in 1943 wartime Italy, it could have been a rich, complex and rewarding tale of heroism. Alas it wasn't to be. Intense annoyance within the first couple of chapters was the actual experience. The characters are completely 2-D; vapid dialogue and cloying sentimentality leak off the page. The historical accuracy feels completely tenuous – one feels the author simply does not understand the stresses – human, military, social – that Italy was under during this time. The book fails to capture an understanding of Europe or Europeans, let alone Italians. Reading this feels like being forced to sit in front of a really bad movie, where dialogue, egos, love interest and reactions all jar. Sadly the main protagonist is lacking in veracity, humility and subtlety. Clichés abound (eg descriptions of children looking at their shoes and toeing the ground when reprimanded or conversely having their hair 'tousled' in approval by a benign uncle). One almost expected a character to slap a thigh to communicate mirth. I very, very rarely drop a book. My irritation and frustration at the treatment of this tale at the hands of the author, led to me to chuck it at the half-way point. In short: don’t waste your time.

In the author's own words (Preface) this is a novel of historical fiction. It is a good story that sheds light on a period when Italy was under German occupation, based on the life of one young man. How much is fact and how much fiction is impossible to discern, but there are two errors that spoilt the narrative for me. Sullivan talks about backhoes being used to clear the Brenner Pass in 1942, when in fact the this type of digger was only invented in 1947 (Wikipedia). A trivial mistake, maybe, but authenticity is at stake here. More worryingly, Sullivan quotes his hero as saying, in 1945, "In Italy, we have a saying that's it's not over until the fat lady sings" (p.378). There is another reference to the phrase on p.459, this time in the mouth of a US Army major. First of all it is an American expression and not Italian; secondly (Wikipedia again) it first appeared in the Dallas Morning News in 1976. I am shocked none who read Sullivan's early drafts, nor his agent or editors, proofreaders or author friend James Patterson picked this up. "Non dire gatto se non ce l'hai nel sacco" is what an Italian would say ("Don't say cat if you don't have it in the bag"). Sloppy work, and this from an American writer?

In 2006, the author Mark Sullivan was at a particularly low ebb. His younger brother and best friend had drunk himself to death; his last novel had gone down like a lead balloon; and he was staring bankruptcy in the face. He began to have suicidal thoughts, realizing that with his insurance policy in place, he was worth more to his family dead than alive. Then, by chance, he was introduced to an old man named Pino Lella. The two men had some kind of affinity, and the older man confided in Sullivan and eventually revealed his extraordinary story from the closing years of the war in Italy. It was by Sullivan's own admission a story that made his own circumstances look incredibly tame by comparison. Here was a story he could lose himself in. A story that would literally save him. And what an incredible story it is.In 1943, Pino Lella was a seventeen-year-old teenager with nothing more than music, food and girls on his mind. But his life is suddenly thrown into turmoil when the family home in Miln is destroyed by Allied bombing. As a result, Pino is sent by his father to stay with the priest Father Re in the Alps and out of harm's way. And it is here that the boy is trained to climb mountain passes and to familiarise himself with the terrain. The priest is running an underground escape route for Jews to escape the Nazis by taking a treacherous expedition across the Alps and into Switzerland. Pino will become one of the route's invaluable guides.As Pino nears the age of eighteen, his parents have a terrifying choice. Should their son join the Italian army only to be butchered on the Russian front; join the resistance where his plight looked every bit as precarious; or alternatively join the German army? In an attempt to protect him, they insist that he enlists as a German soldier. Pino protests bitterly, but finally and begrudgingly joins up, and is soon injured and sent to recuperate. By some miraculous stroke of luck, he helps to fix one of the German staff cars and is noticed by the car's passenger, General Hans Leyer - Adolf Hitler's left-hand man in Italy and one of the Third Reich's most powerful commanders. Leyer immediately fires his driver and appoints Pino as his replacement on the spot. From this moment onwards Pino is ideally placed to seek retribution on the forces of evil that have wreaked havoc on his homeland. He has a unique opportunity to spy on the Nazi's plans for Italy. He also encounters Anna, the maid to Leyer's mistress, and for the first time in his life, falls hopelessly in love.'Beneath a Scarlet Sky' is a powerful and emotive saga of love and loss set against one of the darkest episodes of human history. It's a haunting and beautifully penned narrative that will stay with you long after turning the last page.Alex Pearl is author of 'Sleeping with the Blackbirds' and 'The Chair Man'.

If you have a primary school mental age, if your knowledge of English is very limited, then you might get something out of this book. The writing is just dreadful and whether the story of this 17 year old Italian is true or interesting becomes totally irrelevant. “ An incredible story, beautifully written “ says the writer ‘s best mate on the front cover ! A bit of an overstatement ! This is one of the worst novels I have read in my whole life. Never again….