Reason read: botm for LHBC. This one has not been on my radar and I had no desire to read it when I did see it but it was suggested by a member of one of my bookclubs so I read it. I am so glad that I did. Even if there is this controversy out there about this book not being "based on a true story" I still found the work of historical fiction to be engaging and emotional.

The characters;
Pino Lella (Giuseppe Lella); a real character who did help Jewish people to escape to Switzerland. Worked as a spy for Allies. Was called "the Observer" in the book.
General Leyers: A German who Pino is working for (in the book). According to the controversy, "they" say he did not. I am not sure who they are; described as historians. This from Wiki; Hans Leyers was a German Army Generalmajor who, in his last assignment during World War II, served as general representative of the Ministry of Armaments and War Production of Nazi Germany in the Italian Social Republic. Wikipedia, Born: March 5, 1896-Died: February 2, 1981 (age 84 years), Eschweiler, Germany.

This is an essay written by Pino's son; https://fee.org/articles/my-fathers-r.... So I still am confused as to the controversy.

I question the reliability of those who say its not true? And why are they attacking the book?

quote by Pino to Mike Sullivan; “Life is change, constant change, and unless we are lucky enough to find comedy in it, change is nearly always a drama, if not a tragedy. But after everything, and even when the skies turn scarlet and threatening, I still believe that if we are lucky enough to be alive, we must give thanks for the miracle of every moment of every day, no matter how flawed. And we must have faith in God, and in the Universe, and in a better tomorrow, even if that faith is not always deserved.”

Yad Vashem in Israel named Father Luigi Re the “Righteous Among the Nations” for his role in saving Italian Jews.

At the end of the novel the author lists what happens to the various characters in the book. ( )

Fabulous book! Set in Milan Italy, a historical fiction recount of a virtually unknown, completely unsung hero, Peno Lella, and his time as a youth in the resistance during WW2. It is filled with vivid imagery, thought provoking dialogue and young love; the book filled my cup in all aspects.

I can say, as a voracious reader of the time period, this one was refreshing and educational. ( )

Goodreads: Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man?s incredible courage and resilience during one of history?s darkest hours.Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He?s a normal Italian teenager�obsessed with music, food, and girls¥but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.In an attempt to protect him, Pino?s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier¥a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler?s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich?s most mysterious and powerful commanders.Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

Like all the pharoahs, emperors, and tyrants before him, Il Duce had seen his empire rise only to crumble. The Fascist dictator's battered armies had retreated from North Africa. Allied forces were poised off Sicily. And every day, Adolf Hitler was sending more troops and supplies south to fortify the boot of Italy.
Pino Lella knew all of this from BBC reports he listened to on his shortwave radio nightly. He'd seen with his own eyes the rising numbers of Nazis everywhere he went. But as he strolled through the medieval streets of Milan, Pino was blissfully ignoring the forces of conflict spiraling his way. World War Ii was a news dispatch, nothing more, listened to and gone in the very next moment.

Simply stated...one of the best books that I have ever read. ( )