Beneath a Scarlet Sky
As I am writing this, I’m sure plenty of us are feeling negative towards the current situation of todays’ ever-changing landscape. Maybe even a few of you feel as if now is some of the hardest times in the last 100 years or so. Is it due to political unrest at home, geopolitical issues, war, shortages, “chronic” racism in society? What about any of the other current issues going on? Crude oil bi-product prices soaring, “Germany having to heat homes with wood this winter” (this was a headline i saw over the summer), etc. No matter where you look, things seem very grim and fueling the fire, our wonderful news media seems to enjoy highlighting all the negatives they can find. People my age could (maybe) argue today being the hardest time in their lives, but this does not mean it necessarily is. I would argue there is probably more identified problems today than ever in my life, but there still has been harder times for society as a whole during my life.
Now lets’ try to open our eyes as best we can. Sure, today is a time filled with uncertainty, but I’ve been reading about some much more uncertain times. This perspective has brought me to the conclusion of feeling blessed being born in todays’ world. The one I am going to write about was more eye opening than any book I’ve personally read. ‘Beneath a Scarlet Sky’ by Mark Sullivan is a story about Pino, an Italian teenager living in Milan as World War II was in full swing. If you havent heard of or read this Novel, I would highly recommend setting aside the time to do so. The story of Pino is based on a true story which by the time you finish it, you almost wish it wasn’t. Below, I will outline briefly the story of the novel. I might give more information than one wanting to, and hasn’t yet read this book. If this is you, take this as my warning (although I don’t go too far into detail, I do describe some parts of the story).
As Milan is in the process of being bombed, Pino and his little brother ‘Mimo’ are sent away to a small town near the border of Switzerland. They’re sent there to stay with a Priest, which leads them to helping Jewish people escape the Nazi’s by getting them across the border into Switzerland. Their parents wanted them to be away from war, but unknowingly have put them in a place where they are more involved than they could have imagined.
Approaching Pino’s eighteenth Birthday, his parents request him to come home to Milan. When he arrives, his parents hit him with the worst curveball one could get. “You, Pino, are going to volunteer to join the Nazi Military”. Could you imagine being in his shoes, one day helping people escape the Nazi’s, then the next you are a Nazi Soldier... His parents reasoning was no matter what, he wasn’t going to escape being drafted. If he volunteered, he might receive a job farther away from the frontlines. If I was Pino’s parents, it would be hard to argue against their decision. To Pino’s extreme resentment, he eventually volunteers.
As the story develops, he ends up becoming a driver for a high-ranking Nazi Official. This ended up being General Leyers, the commander of the entire Nazi force within Italy. Basically, Leyers is one of the individuals who is directly underneath Hitler in power and decision making. Being his driver, Pino is able to be closer to the axis’ knowledge on the war than most. Knowing this, he decides to be a spy for the allies relaying information about what he hears from Leyers conversations.
Throughout this time, his brother Mimo joins the rebellion forces in Italy and resents his brother for ‘being a Nazi’. The sad thing is that Pino could never tell his brother what he is actually doing to help the allied forces. Could you imagine your little sibling despising you for being someone you actually are not? This would be especially hard during times of war, maybe even more so with the tension of WWII. There are plenty more stories within the novel that are much more emotional to read than the ones above. Also, they are written in such a way that I could visualize the book like a movie.
Now this brief walkthrough gives you a couple big picture stories within the novel, and I left out some of the best relationships/stories of the novel for you to enjoy! So, give this book a read and get back to me with your thoughts, I think it is well worth the time. Nonetheless, I truly believe we are blessed to not have grown up during these times. Maybe these periods create the strongest people, but this doesn’t change the fact about how fortunate we are today not having to deal with such human despair. Maybe we all should find ways to try our best to put ourselves within shoes from the past to help us realize that the world we live in today has many blessings that we all can ignore if we choose not to look. All the best to you readers and enjoy the few weeks ahead!
Riley Sisson
Branch Manager, RJFS
Any opinions are those of Riley Sisson and not necessarily those of Raymond James.
Link to Book:
https://marksullivanbooks.com/beneath-a-scarlet-sky/
