Beneath a Scarlet Sky

This book provided an insight into WWII in Italy. It is captivating and informative.

It tells the story of Pino, a brave 17-year-old who not only spied on the Germans who occupied his homeland but also crossed the Alps many times to save Jewish people. Full of mystery and intrigue, it was hard to put down until the end.

This story came very close to not being told. I am grateful that on hearing the briefest detail about a World War II resistance fighter, author Mark Sullivan ran with it and even interviewed the protagonist, Pino Leila before his death.

I can understand how a trained soldier or spy might have managed the feats of bravery that Leila did but discovering that he did so as an ordinary Italian teenager boggles the mind. I shuddered at the length when I first picked up the book but could not put it down once I started.

Gorgeous in its scope, passions, and history, this is all a WWII book should be. I was enraptured by the landscape, the action, and the passions within. Pino Lello morphs from a reluctant teen to a German soldier, to a guide over the mountains for the underground railroad, to a spy for the Allies in his position as a driver for the German commander.

It is a must-read for anyone interested in WWII resistance stories. I learned what works and what, perhaps, might not in this read.

This book was recommended to me because it was set in Italy–specifically in Milan, where I spent some time years ago. It was interesting to learn about the region during the time of WWII and the tribulations that befallen the city and certain groups of people. In this story, the characters participate in a discreet fight against the force of fascism that took over their city.

Of course, I appreciated this fascinating story of this young man’s role. But what really remained with me was learning how the people worked together in the shadows to fight against evil.

A novel based on the true story of WWII hero Pino Lella is equally thrilling as an adventure, fascinating as history, and absolutely heart-breaking as a love story.

I read this book and immediately recommended it to my young adult son, who also gobbled it up. It is a story that I have revisited many times in my mind and, when it is eventually turned into a film, we will visit the cinema with some trepidation to see if the director has been able to capture such an excellent tale on the big screen.

I am a student of World War II since my father served in Europe and Africa over 3 ½ years (with 3 Purple Hearts). My father died before I had a chance to ask him questions about his experience in the war. To me, he was just a father. I now know what he hero he was.

In Beneath a Scarlet Sky, I imagined my father, plucked from a farm in Ohio and delivered to extraordinary circumstances that required valor, which earned his unit three Presidential Unit Citations. Even though the main character, teenager Pino Lela, was not forced… show more.

Humans are capable of such evil, and also of so much good, and it’s all there in this fictionalized account of Pino Lella’s WWII experiences.

I was captivated first by the grit and growth of this Italian teenager as he leads refugees over the mountains into Switzerland. Then I was fascinated by Pino’s enlistment and assignment to drive a car for one of the most powerful Nazis in Italy.

But Pino isn’t a Nazi, and he and his uncle see his new assignment as an opportunity to glean information for the Allies. His experiences are bittersweet—a poignant reminder that the… show more.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is an incredible tale of one young man’s courage and resilience in WWII. Although it's a novel, it's based on a true story. And that makes the book even more remarkable and awe-inspiring.

Pino Lella was only 17 in 1943 when the war and Nazi occupation in Italy affected his life. He fought the Nazis in secret by taking the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command. I could hardly imagine anyone at his age would have such courage and determination. And I could feel his love for Anna and for the… show more.

One of the first Italian WWII Historical Fiction books that I read, and still one of my favorites. I was initially intrigued by this novel because it was based on a true story. One forgotten to time. Mark Sullivan does a remarkable job of bringing to life the incredible courage of a young man as he is faced with the unimaginable reality that the war has brought to his family and village. The innocence of youth, dreams of a young man, and hope for the future are challenged because of the Nazi invasion. This story is emotional, entertaining, and reminds… show more.

A magnificent, breathtaking story based on the true-life adventures of Giuseppino “Pino” Lella, just one of many such unknown heroes during World War II. We follow his amazing story throughout the latter part of the war, when Germany occupied Italy when that country was led by Mussolini in league with Hitler. There were many times I had to put the book down and take deep breaths, it was that captivating. Sadly, it also showed such an unfathomable lack of human compassion on the part of Nazis that you’ll come away with a totally new view of those awful, despairing times.