If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Pino Lella currently lives in Lesa, Italy. Here is the answer, direct from Mark Sullivan: As Its gripping, shocking, heartbreaking and ultimately inspiring. I will never forget his expression as long as I live. . Pino was raised fluent in Italian, French, and English. My younger brother and best friend had drunk himself to death, Id written a novel that no one liked, I was in this huge business dispute that had us on the verge of personal bankruptcy, and driving on a snowy Montana afternoon . Driving for Ferrari, Ascari was World Grand Prix Champion twice. 19 How did Hans Leyers know Pino was a spy? See Photos. (The topic of an interview as described by the author on p. 501 of the novel is materially false in almost every respect. She is the only one who can put him in his place. He genuinely likes people. What do you think the author intended by choosing to portray such an evil man in this light? Did this scene change the way you thought about him? Pope: Pius XII: The Cardinal who was in the newspaper. Every Italian-American knows what wop means. I want this, us, to be a fantasy we can share. At times, Michele Lella could play brilliantly, but more often than not, Pinos father would stutter his rhythm or squall through a section that demanded a smooth touch. . Q: You have a background as an investigative journalist for both newspaper and magazines, why didnt you tell this story as straight narrative non-fiction? With our tour, you will walk in the footsteps of this Italian hero during the most dramatic years of Milan, following his adventures in the wounded city occupied by the Nazis. 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. They, like Pino, witnessed men and women at their most noble and at their most savage. Mr Lellas parents had pressed him to volunteer for the job to avoid being conscripted by the Germans and sent to the front line. But I pulled into the Costco parking lot as rattled as Ive been in my entire life and put my head down and begged God and the Universe for a story. If you were in her shoes, do you think youd be brave enough to attempt the trek? That was my reaction as well, and that was enough to get me on a plane to Italy. I climbed and skied the escape routes And the hero Pino Lella, thanks to his connections, was recruited and wore the Nazi uniform. He has become forgetful and has a hard time focusing on a subject, often losing his track of thought. The OT built fortifications across Italy and Europe. Ask the Author. My brother had drunk himself to death the prior June. More nicknames and disparaging terms for Italians: Those G-words, Ancestry makes big advance in accuracy in Italian ethnic formulas. WME and Curtis Brown rep Holland. He drifted off to sleep, wondering if hed witnessed a miracle. Pino had never told anyone, but felt like it was time, and started telling him about Father Re and the escapes, and the Nazi general hed driven for. Aka: II Duce . )By the way, the Oct 2017 Wagner College presentation includes a number of fibs not present in the book, along with other informative clues. shortcoming. Lella: Pino's father. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. 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 smaniawith passionsaved him. Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Suspicion and The Switch, 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 WWII 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, This is full-force Mark Sullivanmuscular, soulful prose evincing an artists touch and a journalists eye. For years, I had no idea why. To listen to the entire conversation, click the link above or subscribe to our podcast. reads much like a work of narrative nonfiction. This pinch actuallytook place in Canadaas this femalereporter was on the air talkingabout Copyrighted work of Paul Spadoni. that Pino Lella led in the winter of 1943-44, so I put together two escapes 23andMe? Whats magnificent? Uncle Albert said, looking around, puzzled. Mark Sullivan was born to write this novel based on the real story of Pino Lella, one of many unsung heroes of the Second World War. First, Tom Holland in a scene from 'Spider-Man: Homecoming.'. Pino had tears in his eyes, too, because for the first time, hed seen his father as heroic. That only intrigued me more, and after several more calls he agreed to my coming to Italy to hear the story in person and in full. was 79 at the time. In an unlikely twist, Pino becomes the personal driver of German General Hans Leyers, who oversaw labor and death camps. "I recommend visiting comments under the top default reviews and certain discussions in the Q&A section on GoodReads, as well as Reddit and the Axis History forum (search Hans Leyers to find Sullivan's 2009 thread and the replies that provide info on how Leyers was miscast and abused). Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Pauls Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy la dolce vita. Paul is the author of "An American Family in Italy: Living La Dolce Vita without Permission," an Amazon bestseller. It changed me in a way I never expected. His voice changed and he told me he was more a coward than a hero. Pino Lella. Lella just celebrated his 91st birthday, and he lives in Milan, Italy. A: Beneath a Scarlet Sky is based on the true story of Pino Lella, a 17-year-old Italian boy who led Jews escaping the Nazis over the Alps, became a spy inside the German High Command, and fell in love with a woman who would haunt him the rest of his life. The conversation is described in Sullivan's epilogue to 'Beneath a Scarlet Sky.' . that the writing is simplistic and not especially literary in tone. See Photos. When Leyers argues that he cares for Pino and Dolly and Anna, Pino tells him of the womens deaths. When the two men finished, the crowd on the hillside stood and clapped and whistled. Why have historians taken to calling Italy The Forgotten Front? Sullivan calls his book a novel. We did, but as that afternoon wore on into night, normally-cheerful Pino became dark and agitated. Herbert Hans Haupt. the case at times. You knew some odd note was coming, and it could be so sour at times, it was, well, embarrassing. Calaf says that if she can figure out his real name before dawn he will leave, but if she cant, she must willingly marry him. Father Re enlists Pinos help to usher Italian Jews through the mountains to Switzerland and to safety. His friend choked up, and tears ran down his face while he fought for control. I really am. EXCLUSIVE: Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal and star Tom Holland have found another film on which to collaborate. .I cant believe it at first. Get one wrong, and the suitor dies a terrible death. Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love. Celine Ward is a 3rd year Communication Management with Public Relations student at Ulster University. Enjoy! Maria Coletta McLean, author of My Father Came from Italy. reviews of this book on Amazon questioned whether the events in the book were Anna Marta took a bullet to her heart crumpled back against the wall and died in the dust, as Pino watched helplessly when a partisan firing squad executed her for the crime of being Leyers maid. defined enemies who forced one person after another to decide who they were I also wish that Pino could have found out more about General Leyers and how he knew Pino was the . Pino drove for Leyers, and witnessed the vast armies of forced workers under the generals total command. Lella was a happy-go-lucky 17-year-old Italian Another group of boys beat them to it. I had an amazing story to tell. Id be happy with a smile. Pino sighed. How had the story never been told? Tell us about that, and if hes been able to move past it. Beneath a Scarlet Sky is an epic tale told on a sprawling canvas, but I tried to stay aware of the pace of the story at all times. My younger brother and best friend had drunk himself to death, Id written a novel that no one liked, I was in this huge business dispute that had us on the verge of personal bankruptcy, and driving on a snowy Montana afternoon . One old partisan fighter I interviewed told me that when he reluctantly went to a high school in Milan recently at the request of a history teacher to talk about the war, the students laughed at him. hometownweekly.net/medfield/sulli Beneath the Scarlet Sky The Beltraminis broke out five ripe cantaloupes. He asked to rest until morning. I was more than lucky. Dehlendorf was a few years younger, but they bonded. Yet it is all true. He is considered one of the greatest race car drivers of all time. So it's no surprise that the premise of Mark T. Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky wowed me. My manager and I did a tour driven by Mirella: the experience was outstanding, Mirella is a very passionate guide, This is the third time my family have been lucky enough to walk the streets of a beautiful Italian city with Mirell, My wife and I were lucky enough to find Mirella as our private tour guide for 2 days in Milan. He approaches a young woman and asks her to meet him at the cinema later. Mark Sullivan: Hearing the story, especially the story of [Pino] and Anna, was the most emotional thing Ive ever gone through as a writer. He risked his life guiding Jews across the Alps into neutral Switzerland, then became a spy inside the German High Command. We asked, We loved our coffee tour with Mirella on our last day in Milan before going up north. . For the most part Id winged it in my earlier works of fiction, writing draft after draft before the real story appeared. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldiera move they think will keep him out of combat. An American family spends a year in Italya dream, a disaster, laughter and tears, an unforgettable memory. He did. He was the driver of General Hans Leyers and at the same time spy for the Alliance. Movie Insider is a registered service mark of The Movie Insider LLC. He knew about and encouraged the Catholic underground railroad that formed to get Jews out of Italy, many of them over the Alps in the winter of 1943-44. A: Mr. Patterson did give me a master class in commercial fiction. For example, I couldnt tell the story of the thirty or so escapes He was seventy-nine, and living in a decaying old villa in the beautiful town of Lesa on Lake Maggiore north of Milan. for Jews escaping Nazi-occupied Italy. and Im miserable, but Im trying to put on a happy face and during the course of the dinner a person starts telling me about Pino Lella. Pino's best friend. Leaving Italy that first time, I felt blessed to be alive. Throughout the book, Sullivan describes horrific scenes filled with violence, bombings and ruthless executions. In the novel, the reader gets the dream version of Pinos terrible dilemma because I believe the dream version is closer to the truth of what actually occurred to him during the sinister last days of the war in Italy, and I wanted the reader to travel the same gut-wrenching road. I already wrote, and Lella has never been able to show a photograph of his stay and of his brother Mimmo in Motta. Pino doesn't see Anna again until he becomes a driver for General Leyers. In the preface, author Mark Sullivan admits to being suicidal the night he came up with the idea for. He can run, ride bicycles, ski and out-walk just about anyone. And a tortured conscious mind will block out traumatic events, bury them in the subconscious, or shade them so the victim can look at them from a tremendous distance, and with little emotion. Poll: Will you see Beneath A Scarlet Sky? The novel was based on "the true story of a forgotten hero," Pino Lella, an Italian youth who led refugees over the mountains to freedom in physical acts of courage. Knowing youd have to work for the enemy, what would you have done if you were in Pinos shoes? I lived in an apartment on the third floor of the villa with a view of red tile roofs, the water, and the Alps beyond. On his 18th birthday, Lella is forced to enlist with the German Army, and is immediately assigned as a personal driver to Adolf Hitler's left hand, General Hans Leyers. But, as you mentioned, there comes a moment late in the book, and in the war, when chaos and anarchy is reigning in Milan, and Pino is forced to choose between life and love. How well do you think he captures the fear in the air? When Lellas courage falters, he is bolstered by his love for a young woman named Anna, and for the life he dreams they will one day share. By subscribing, I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. But his father and Mr. Beltraminis version, stripped down to its tremulous melody and verse, was more powerful than he could have ever imagined. I had a great, loving wife, and two remarkable sons. By the spring of 1947, the world was growing weary of the war crimes trials, and wanted to move on. . This comes on a week when the book emerged as a top seller on the Amazon lists. The war came to Giuseppe "Pino" Lella right as he watched Fred Astaire dance with Rita Hayworth. WW II freedom fighter Pino Lella. Major General Leyers saves four sick children from Platform 21and from death. You have to be an architect first, and design the layout and frame before you start thinking about anything else. I struggled a bit, but soon came around to his way of thinking, which was essentially that novel writing was like house building. After he died, my friend was rummaging through his dads attic and found a box that contained a silver star for valor and a citation for Peters acts of selfless bravery at Monte Casino, one of the most brutal battles of World War II, on any front. Major General Hans Leyers moved to the small German town of Eischweiller upon being released from POW camp after the war crimes charges were dropped. . Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named aNew York TimesNotable Book and aLos Angeles TimesBook of the Year. weapon-producing factories. At age 17 in 1943, he began a two-year war-time experience that is the subject of a recent and riveting Amazon bestseller, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, by Mark T. Sullivan. Its hard to underestimate Leyers power. I realized I was worth more dead than alive." Something that had purpose and meaning because I wasnt feeling the purpose and meaning in my life at that point. He agrees to the deal, and the princess decrees, Nessun dorma, none shall sleep, until the suitors name is found.. When he died he left behind cryptic notes about wanting to write an account of great intrigue that unfolded in Milan in the last days of the war. With our tour, you will walk in the footsteps of this Italian hero during the most dramatic years of Milan, following his adventures in the . For me, the Pino Lellas Story comes to Life on this Tour! Pascal and OConnor will produce and Averie Huffine found the project and will shepherd it. By. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldiera move they think will keep him out of combat. Carletto shook him awake. The life of Pino Lella, only recently revealed and narrated in the book "Beneath a scarlet sky", by the American writer Mark Sullivan, sounds like the script of a war movie. It made me realize how much Id put in jeopardy even thinking about suicide. Every time Hitler invaded a new country, he took every able-bodied male and called them forced workers. Did Alberto Ascari teach Pino Lella to drive? e track upcoming movies through all stages of film production. Q: Youve said that global bestselling author James Patterson, your co-author on the Private series, gave you a master class in commercial fiction. What are some of the lessons he taught you, and how have they changed your writing life? He's 92 today. Now he snuggled down, smelling the sweet grass, already drowsy. Father Re organized the escapes. What phase of the cardiac cycle is systolic pressure? I saw my wife and kids in the snow, and I didnt. Matthew Moore I did the only thing I could, and went to hold the old man while he poured out his grief and torment. We want to hear from you! 2023 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. I didnt get a wink of sleep with all that talk of spiders and snakes last night.. It is the story of a forgotten WWII hero. After spending eleven years with this story, I came to believe that Pino was able to survive all these incredible situations because of his basic decency, his gratitude, and his love of life; because of his deep emotional intelligence; and due to his fundamental belief in the miracle of every moment, even the darkest ones, and in the promise of a better tomorrow, even when that promise was not warranted. Mirella made us feel like temporary locals! Q: Why didnt Pino Lella talk about his experiences for more than sixty years? During a snow storm, I seriously considered driving into a bridge abutment on an interstate freeway near my home, but I was saved by thoughts of my wife and sons. more. Pino, his brother, Mimo, and other boys were the guides. Pino Lella is a normal Italian teenager living an idyllic life in Italy, until bombs begin falling on Milan and word of Nazi atrocities begin to circulate. for accuracy: In late March 2006. major events truly took place. When Michele played that night, a thick, honeyed voice called from his violin. For more information on recent developments that definitively establish it is fair to categorize the book as a literary fraud and hoax, start with comments in Philip's top default review, the recent comments to Mike Lella's answer to ''Is Pino still living'' question in the Q&A section on the book page, as well as my review and discussion comments at, More questions about Beneath a Scarlet Sky. [CDATA[ Pino Lella. You can visit him atmarksullivanbooks.com. In an attempt to protect him, Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldiera move they think will keep him out of combat. The next morning, he looked exhausted and said he had not slept well. Pino was big for his age, and an expert skier, willing to take great risks for an important cause (and perhaps to have some good stories to later impress Anna, the girl he dreamed of). That night, the Allied forces begin bombing Milan. Like Pino, hed told no one. I read Can you expect this to happen in Italy? Pino Lella, the subject of my novel, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY, on Lake Orta in northern Italy, with his beloved Alps behind him. In fact, the movie rights to the story have already been purchased The unlikeliest of heroes, he witnessed unspeakable atrocities that pushed him to his limits. His name is Pino Lella. They started to walk back. for one of the most powerful and mysterious officers in the German High From marksullivanbooks.com Buy Now Bozeman best-selling author Mark Sullivan has pledged $15,000 toward a charity that plans to mail free books every month to hundreds of. In the Alps, at 17, Pino guided Jews from the Catholic boys school in the dead of winter over the Alps into Switzerland, sometimes putting people on his back and skiing them to safety. Sullivan shows the tragedy of war, and how it can change the way that a person sees life. Footnote: Because some of the (very few) negative Innocent?, Exactly what? Mr. Beltramini said. This product is unavailable to book via Tripadvisor. Giovanni: Barbareschi: A seminarian. going to be and how they were going to act in the face of evil. A: I am interested in heroes who are pushed to their limits, forced to go beyond themselves, and Pino is certainly one of them. Historical records and family trees related to Joseph Lella. So, Although it was a very cold day in Milano, Valeria was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about sharing her beautifu, Our tour with Valeria was like visiting Milano with a very knowledgeable friend. This experience only has a few reviews, but you can read what other travellers have to say about the operator. like. Pinos position as a driver and translator for a general in charge of Its everywhere and. Some public transport will be used. He enjoys himself and almost seemshuman. It reminds me of the theme of faith, what we cling to maybe when we think we have nothing left. His estate is managed by his son Michael. GETTY IMAGES. He got through the isolation through his love affair with Anna, the maid of the mistress to the Nazi general Pino drove for. Then, in interviews I conducted in Germany in 2016, Leyers daughter, his former religious minister, and his former aide told me that the general was released after testifying in secret against Albert Speer, Hitlers architect, the head of the entire OT, and the only member of the Fuhrers inner circle to escape the hangmans noose at the war crimes trials at Nuremberg. Join Facebook to connect with Pino Lella and others you may know. . Franco was very surprised to see himself appear in the slideshow, captured in the video of Sullivan's April 2018 New Canaan library presentation (also on YouTube). Up on the hill, Pinos father adjusted the position of his violin, a beautiful central Italian petite from the eighteenth century that Porzia had given him for Christmas ten years before. //