beneath a scarlet sky by mark t sullivan

But I felt I learned much more about the last days of WWII. This book isn’t as engaging as Under a Scarlet Sky. One of my favorite characters was Corporal Gheorghe and I was thrilled to discover in the Author’s Notes that he was based on a real person. The book also provides constant reminders about finding small joys in each day. One of the main themes of the book is faith- keeping it and losing it. Time and again, we see the contrast of doing what’s needed to survive and doing what’s right. The story is told from Emil’s and Adeline’s perspectives - both in the “present day” of 1944 forward and the past, starting in 1922.

Now, in 1945, the Germans are in retreat from the Russian Army and the Martels must make a choice whether to follow the Germans or stay behind to be destroyed by the Russians. During the war, the land was taken over by the Germans. Of course, under Stalin, they became personae non gratae and Adeline’s father was sent to Siberia. The Martels are Volksdeutsche, sixth generation Germans brought to the Ukraine by Catherine the Great to share their agricultural skills. The Last Green Valley is also based on real people, again the history of a family now living in Montana. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom.Ĭaught between two warring forces and overcoming horrific trials to pursue their hope of immigrating to the West, the Martels’ story is a brutal, complex, and ultimately triumphant tale that illuminates the extraordinary power of love, faith, and one family’s incredible will to survive and see their dreams realized.īeneath a Scarlet Sky is one of the best historical fictions I’ve ever read, so I couldn’t wait to see what Mark Sullivan would produce next. The Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. In late March 1944, as Stalin’s forces push into Ukraine, young Emil and Adeline Martel must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves-murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans?

From the author of the #1 bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky comes a new historical novel inspired by one family’s incredible story of daring, survival, and triumph.

Beneath a scarlet sky by mark t sullivan