Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is a novel by Mark Sullivan based on the true story of Pino Lella, a young Italian teenager living in Milan during World War II. When his family home is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino becomes involved in an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps. He also develops a relationship with Anna, a widow six years his senior. Pino's parents force him to enlist as a German soldier, hoping to protect him from combat. After being injured, he is recruited at age eighteen to serve as the personal driver for General Hans Leyers, Adolf Hitler's commander in Italy and one of the Third Reich's most powerful figures. From this position within the German High Command, Pino has the opportunity to spy for the Allies. He navigates the horrors of war and Nazi occupation through secret resistance work, sustained by his love for Anna and his hopes for their future together.