Historical Fiction Annotation: Beneath a Scarlet Sky


Beneath A Scarlet Sky
 

by Mark T. Sullivan


Published May 1st 2017 by
Lake Union Publishing
ISBN 1503902374
Hardcover, 460 pages

Synopsis


In 1943, seventeen-year-old Pino Lella was just a normal Italian teenager.  He loved music, girls, and being out with his friends in Milan.  His family lived and worked in Milan’s Fashion District making luggage and leather goods, but this life of relative comfort was coming to a quick end. The spread of Nazi ideals into Italy, and the Fascist president Mussolini’s cooperation with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich was leading to changes that would make young Pino grow up fast.  

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is a detailed Historical Fiction novel based on the untold story of Pino Lella and his journey from everyday teenager to an unsung hero of World War II.  From 1943 until the end of the war in 1945 Pino not only helped to escort Jews on foot over dangerous mountain passes in the Alps to freedom in Switzerland, but also served as a spy while driving for the Plenipotentiary of the Italian Sector for Organization Todt, the General Hans Leyers.  Following Lella throughout the course of the war, Sullivan writes of his growth, his heroism, and also his humanity.

 Key Elements of Historical Fiction

  • Historical Detail- Sullivan’s well-researched and detailed history of occupied Italy and its people during World War II, transports readers to the era, and helps them feel for Pino’s escapades and dangerous near-misses.  Sullivan spent over 10 years researching and writing this novel to track down historical sources and verify stories from those he interviewed.  This attention to detail can be seen throughout.  However, some aspects could not be fully verified and had to be embellished, hence the final designation as Historical Fiction rather than Nonfiction.  
  • Frame & Setting- The novel is fully immersed in 1940’s Italy with full details of major landmark areas in Milan, the Swiss Alps- including the chapel of Casa Alpina, Lake Como, and various areas throughout the Italian Countryside.  Sullivan also took pains to frame the aspects of World War II that were most pertinent to Pino’s story, including people such as Mussolini and General Leyers and what was known of German movements on the continent. 
  • Characters- Pino Lella is based upon a real individual whom Sullivan interviewed in detail and then painstakingly verified during his decade plus spent researching and writing the novel.  Other figures in the book are as historically accurate as possible, and include details from research as well as interviews conducted by the author. 
  • Pace and Tone- The broad and sweeping scale of Beneath a Scarlet Sky allows for a leisurely pace in the beginning and a growing sense of danger as Pino experiences a variety of different aspects of the war.  Sullivan never rushes, and has an adept hand at managing both informational sections and action sequences.  The writing is simple and effective with flair for emotional storytelling. 

Read-Alikes

These Read-Alikes, both fiction and nonfiction, focus on World War II and its impact on Europe and the strong, unique, and historical people who made daring sacrifices and heroic actions look easy, like Pino Lella in Beneath a Scarlet Sky.

Historical Fiction:



The Paris Architect
by Charles Belfoure

Published October 8th 2013 
by Sourcebooks
ISBN: 1402284314 
Hardcover, 371 pages


Warlight
by Michael Odnaatje

Published May 8th 2018 
by Knopf Publishing Group
ISBN: 052552119
Hardcover, 285 pages

Nonfiction:


Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand 

Published November 16th 2010 
by Random House
ISBN: 1400064163
Hardcover, 492 pages

Madame Fourcade's Secret War: The Daring Young Woman Who Led France's Largest Spy Network Against Hitler
by Lynne Olson

Published March 5th 2019 
by Random House
ISBN: 0812994760
Hardcover, 464 pages

Comments

  1. Kim WrightMarch 28, 2020 at 1:03 PM

    In the first paragraph of your synopsis, you did a great job of summarizing what must have been a complicated series of events, and made me want to read the book. When I got to the second paragraph, I was even more excited to learn that the book is based not just on a historical period, but on an actual person. This is definitely going on my reading wish-list!

    Another excellent read-alike for this book would be The Nightingale, which also features a real heroine who helped downed Allied pilots escape across the border of occupied France.

    ReplyDelete
  2. LibrarishannMarch 29, 2020 at 2:42 PM

    I really enjoy reading books set in past Italy. While they aren't technically historical fiction, Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan Novels are set in a similar time period if I remember correctly. I wonder if the venn diagram of people who enjoy reading nonfiction and people who enjoy historical fiction is actually just a circle? What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BC RunionApril 3, 2020 at 8:38 AM

      I definitely think that's probable. Some people want the nonfiction because to them, novels are "lighthearted" or focused on unimportant matters, but good historical fiction doesn't have to be that way, and if it is well researched it can be quite informative.

      Delete
  3. RachelApril 5, 2020 at 4:21 PM

    My book club read this book early 2019 and I LOVED it and it sparked such great conversation including a deep dive into the role that the Catholic Church played in the story. The lush descriptions of the scenery around the camp and along his escape routes definitely made me want to go to Italy. Glad you liked this one even if it's not a go-to genre for you. It's not been one of my go-to genres either but I think I'm warming to it and plan to read more.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Erin CataldiApril 6, 2020 at 3:14 PM

    Fantastic annotation! You definitely piqued my interest and I want to check this out! Your summary and key elements really fleshed out this novel. Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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