Beneath
a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan is a dramatized version
of Pino Lella’s heroic contribution to World War II. Pino, along with several other heroic
real-life characters, risked their lives to save Jews and undermine Nazi
efforts during the war.
The story begins with Pino, a sixteen year old, who is
sent to live with a priest at a boys’ camp in northern Italy. His family believes that it is the safest
place for him. Father Re, the priest who
runs the boys’ camp, puts Pino to work right away. Pino is told to go mountain climbing every
day in all kinds of directions that all lead to the Swiss border. He later finds out why as he guides dozens of
Jews to the neutral zone. His parents
then tell him that he has to enlist in the Italian army. He somehow lands a job as General Leyers’s
driver. Using his position, he spies on the
general for the Allies. Pino also falls
in love, but it doesn’t end well.
My Review: The story is a tremendous epic that is beautifully
written and researched. I hope Hollywood
makes a movie out of it. I laughed,
cried, and became mesmerized with the story as the author took me into the
Italian perspective of war. I received a small taste of
what this tragedy must have been like. After
the novel, the author summarized the lives of these unforgettable real
characters. If you love World War II,
then this is a must read. 5/5 Stars
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