Product description of Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.
In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.
Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.
From the Editor
What makes a hero? If you are Pino Lella, the protagonist in Mark Sullivan’s riveting World War II thriller, you risk everything to save as many souls as you can by sneaking them over the Swiss Alps to safety. You put yourself in harm’s way, enlisting as a German soldier and becoming an Allied spy inside the German High Command. And you forgo the life you thought you’d have to do whatever you can to stop the madness.
It’s not often I get to publish true stories, especially ones that have been crafted into page-turning fiction. But after I picked up Beneath a Scarlet Sky and read into the wee hours, I was absorbed and amazed by the story of Italy’s Pino Lella, a real-life unsung hero of World War II, and felt compelled to publish this one. The tale of a young man, at the tender age of seventeen, pushed headlong into the horrors of war is timeless, relevant, and inspiring.
I’m not sure I would ever be as brave as Pino, and I’m so honored to share his story with you. But ultimately my feelings are superseded by my hope that Beneath a Scarlet Sky will be a “stay up all night to read” book that you will not soon forget.
- Danielle Marshall, Editor
It’s not often I get to publish true stories, especially ones that have been crafted into page-turning fiction. But after I picked up Beneath a Scarlet Sky and read into the wee hours, I was absorbed and amazed by the story of Italy’s Pino Lella, a real-life unsung hero of World War II, and felt compelled to publish this one. The tale of a young man, at the tender age of seventeen, pushed headlong into the horrors of war is timeless, relevant, and inspiring.
I’m not sure I would ever be as brave as Pino, and I’m so honored to share his story with you. But ultimately my feelings are superseded by my hope that Beneath a Scarlet Sky will be a “stay up all night to read” book that you will not soon forget.
- Danielle Marshall, Editor
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Exciting…taut thriller…Beneath a Scarlet Sky tells the true story of one young Italian's efforts to thwart the Nazis.” —Shelf Awareness
“Meticulous research highlights this World War II novel of a youth growing into manhood…a captivating read…” —RT Book Reviews
“An incredible story, beautifully written, and a fine and noble book.” —James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author
“Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man
“Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moments—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire
“This is full-force Mark Sullivan—muscular, soulful prose evincing an artist’s touch and a journalist’s eye. Beneath a Scarlet Sky conjures an era with a magician’s ease, weaving the rich tapestry of a wartime epic. World War II Italy has never been more alive to me.” —Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Nowhere Man
“Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything—heroism, courage, terror, true love, revenge, compassion in the face of the worst human evils. Sullivan shows us war as it really is, with all its complexities, conflicting loyalties, and unresolved questions, but most of all, he brings us the extraordinary figure of Pino Lella, whose determination to live con smania—with passion—saved him.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Suspicion and The Switch
“Meticulous research highlights this World War II novel of a youth growing into manhood…a captivating read…” —RT Book Reviews
“An incredible story, beautifully written, and a fine and noble book.” —James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author
“Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man
“Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moments—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire
“This is full-force Mark Sullivan—muscular, soulful prose evincing an artist’s touch and a journalist’s eye. Beneath a Scarlet Sky conjures an era with a magician’s ease, weaving the rich tapestry of a wartime epic. World War II Italy has never been more alive to me.” —Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Nowhere Man
“Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything—heroism, courage, terror, true love, revenge, compassion in the face of the worst human evils. Sullivan shows us war as it really is, with all its complexities, conflicting loyalties, and unresolved questions, but most of all, he brings us the extraordinary figure of Pino Lella, whose determination to live con smania—with passion—saved him.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Suspicion and The Switch
About the Author
Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in English before working as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in Niger, West Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and began a career in investigative journalism. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.
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