Michael’s answer to “Is Pino Lella still living? What a marvelous book.” > Likes and Comments
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Dear Gerard. so honored that you were personally touched by my Dad's story...I read thousands of reviews, but yours was one that stood out, and when that happens , I must respond. Feel free to reach me personally at michaellella@yahoo.com. and we can chat. I'll give you some insights about the story and book that are more personal...
Hello Michael. I read the book a year ago, but fulfilled a lifelong dream to vidit the Italian Lakes just a few weeks ago. A couple days into my trip, I was filled with thoughts of your Dad, and downloaded the book to reread and have him with me as I explored this special place. I didn’t want to have a favorite lake, but it turned out that I do...and it is Lake Maggiore. I hope your Dad has many more years to enjoy it.
Thank you Karla. You should check out the little town of Lesa. My Dad likes to frequent a pastry shop in the morning for coffee and a pastry. You might catch him there!!!
michael......i am on the final chapter. I literally threw the book across the room and didnt go near it for 2 days, such was my emotions whenever Anna was killed. Pino is such an inspiration and my heart felt broken for him when i read of annas death. Best book ive ever read
Lawrence. Don't know why my father's story has more of an impact on some rather than others. I appreciate the feedback and when it touches people like you, I try to respond. Thank you for your interest and taking the time to express your opinion. Hope your emotions are back under control......
I remember feeling the same. I suddenly wished it was fiction.
Thank you, even more heartbreaking.
My father Pino spoke very little of the War while growing up. Occasionally, in very rare moments, he would blurt out some shocking statements that remained fixated in my mind to this day. One of them, when I was about 12, described the terror he felt after witnessing the execution of Dolly, the mistress of "Mon General"....To this day, he cannot forgive the Italians, his own people of the hideous and hysterical mob brutality he witnessed. I believe it was worse than that....through Mark's investigation, we believe (Mark and I) that he witnessed not only the execution his General's mistress, but also of her maid Anna, whom he loved. From that moment onward, he tried in vain, to block out the memory of that terrible moment. He never spoke of it for 61 years...until Mark Sullivan befriended him in 2006 and it was revealed in a moment of utmost candor.
Thank you, Michael. I am so moved by Pino’s story. Thanks to him for sharing his experience and for being a true hero.
You Welcome Dawn. Took him a long time to come out and share it. You can thank Mark Sullivan for bringing it to the public. He had the foresight, and the writing talent to get it out there. thanks for reaching out to me...
My husband and I just finished reading your fathers story. I’m so very thankful he shared this brilliant heart renching story. If I had read this book earlier in my life one of our sons would be named Pino. Pino, Ana would be proud and now she will always be remembered. Thank you again for sharing your lovely story of bravery , faith, and trials
Amy Johnston
Your a very brave man. Thank you for your service
Don Johnston
Pino and Micheal my husbands family is from Italy The name is Izzo where the cont to live. The father is the mayo and Dr of there small town. Pino you are our my family now
I enjoyed reading the story of your father. This was an incredible story of inspiration and honer.
I usually cry watching movies. This book made me bawl. It's an amazing heroic yet tragic story. No one ever comes out of a war whole. But in spite of so much adversity your dad led a fruitful life. Reading this book was an honor. Can't wait for the movie.
Stay tuned Judith, we have some good news about the Mini Series coming soon. Thanks for expressing your thoughts about my father's story. He's made me cry a couple times too....when I used to get spanked (kidding).
Michael Lella
I just finished Beneath a Scarlet Sky. I couldn't help but fall in love with Pino Lella. His bravery, his love of his family, and Anna, touched my soul.
Thank You Marjorie for sharing your opinion. My father would be flattered of course. He is a brave man for sure and what he experienced in the War affected him for the rest of his life, including to this very day.
Michael Lella, I read this book a couple of years ago and I still think about it. Is there still a chance that it might be made into a movie?
Yes Connie. It's been signed with Amy Pascal Productions and will star Tom Holland (of Spider Man fame), to play the role of my father. They have decided to turn it into a Television Mini Series and they are in the process of screen writer negotiations. As soon as we can, we will make an official announcement.
One of the best books I've ever read. I continually think about it, and have recommended many times,
Thank you so much Connie. It has touched the souls of many people and we are continuously flattered. We have very few critics and maybe only one who is obsessively negative....
I just finished the book and I am at a loss for words, I ended up in tears throughout the book. A truly moving book and I enjoyed seeing the other side of the war. Truly fantastic story!
Thanks Coral. Give the credit to Mark Sullivan.... I was at a Costco store the other day with my baby grand daughter. She likes to sit on the shopping cart and skim through the children books. On the other side of the table I heard a customer ask the stocking clerk 'Why don't you have Beneath A Scarlet Sky?" I walked over and said "I know something about that book...and you can find it on Amazon for a good price. I'm the son of the protagonist, Pino". The guy nearly fell over and told me that it was his favorite book and that he buys them all the time from Amazon, and gives them out as gifts.....Took him out side to my car and gave him a 'signed book from my father" ....a rarity now, as I'm running out. It's not uncommon for me to hear that the story has brought people to tears.....we never get tired of hearing about this Coral and I thank you for expressing your thoughts. Michael Lella, Pino's Son.
What a great story about the book at Costco😀
I just started reading the book, which I'm liking so far. Are the events real, or are they fiction by the writer to fit a general story by the protagonist? For instance is the lake described in Val Di Lei real, false memory of the protagonist, or made up by the author?
The events are real.....there are a few things that were embellished, but very, very little. I describe these things when I give my presentations.....Mark Sullivan did a terrific job in writing and describing the reality of the story and he estimates that approximately 90% of it is accurate. I can tell you specifically what is real and what is not, but the main events of the story really happened....He guided Jews to their safety over some ot the most rugged mountain terrain as a 17 year old for Don Luigi Re at Casa Alpina. He was then inscripted in the "Organization Todt" and acted as a spy for his Uncle Alpert while driving for the Nazi General. He did witness all of the atrocities mentioned, he did fall in love with the maid of the General's mistress Dolly, and he did witness her execution, running from the scene. He did "single-highhandedly" arrest his General and eventually escort him to the Austrian Border through the treacherous Brenner Pass. These are just some events that really happened, but they form the basis of the story. Unfortunately, much of it cannot be proved as there is no or very little existing records.....it doesn't matter to us. We know it happened and growing up, I knew many of the people who personally witnessed these events who explained them to me. Sullivan had a "magical" way of describing the people and events without ever knowing them....I for one, knew (most of) those people, many of whom were close friends and relatives....Don Luigi Re, Carletto Beltramini, Uncle Albert and Aunt Greta, Uncle Mimmo, Aunt Cicci, Licia Albanese and of course, my grandparents Nonno Michele and Nonna Gemma (Porzia). Michael Lella, Pino's Son.
Is the lake described in the book, the way that Pino described it to Sullivan? Or did Sullivan embellish it?
What lake? Como, Garda or Val Di Lei? this question is best asked by Mark Sullivan himself on his FB website, MarkSullivanauthor ...
I asked about the lake Val di Lei in my first question, that's why I was coming back asking the same question, and didn't specify the name of the lake again.
Oh sorry.... I get so many questions,....I still think this is one best answered by Mark Sullivan. I knew of the events at Val Di Lei when I heard them from Uncle Mimmo who built a small cabin on the plateau of Motta.
I know that he guided Jews to the top of the Gropera and then skied down to Val Di Lei where they rendezvoused with the Swiss. My Dad used to carry people on his back and ski if that's what your're asking....he was that good of a skier.
I'm asking if there was a lake in Val di Lei or if that is fiction by Sullivan.
No. There is a lake there. Look at it on google maps. It's a small Alpine lake.
I absolutely loved this book! Mr. Lella is a true hero and a role model for men everywhere. Strong through the tough times. I can't even begin to imagine what he must have felt when he went through these atrocities. I live such a sheltered life here in America. I am in awe of how well he came through all of the living hell that he was put through. He is truly a magnificent man. He is right up there with men I would like to meet when I someday get to Heaven. God bless you Mr. Lella.
You keep evading my question, which is interesting. My question is, did your father, Pino Lella, tell Sullivan that there was one lake which he was showing to the people he was smuggling across the border; or he never mentioned the lake to Sullivan, and Sullivan added the detail to make it more real?
Giovanni, I’m not evading anything and I’ve tried to answer your question three times. I told you three times, that question is best directed to Mark Sullivan. I don’t know exactly what my father told him about Lake Val Di Lei.
And I have no reason to evade your question!
Did your father ever mention the lake to you? The way it is presented in the book, the lake seems a big deal. I have no way to contact Sullivan since his website only has contacts for two publicists and an agent.
I actually do not recall my father specifically mentioning lake Val Di Lei to me. I’m curious to know what your obsession is with this lake. My father told me that he skied down to the lake and then met with the Swiss on the border. He also told me that one of his routes was to the Splugen Pass as well, which is not mentioned in the book. I had no idea that you could not contact Mr. Sullivan directly through his FB website. Other people do all the time...
Do you mean he told you he skied down to a lake, without naming it? Or did he say he skied down to the lake in Val Di Lei?
Look Giovani. My father was 17 when he escorted Jews over the Alps into Switzerland, that was 76 years ago and he's 93 now. His routes were numerous, but one of them was up the spine to the "Gropera" where there was an old stone hut. From there they could ski down to "the lake" (Lago Di Lei), at that time covered in ice. My father briefly mentioned these things to me 50 years ago when he brought me and my brother to Madesimo to ski. I also heard the stroy from my Uncle. My Dad was not in the mood to elaborate about his WWII experiences exploits to us kids at the time. I can't tell you if he specifically mentioned "Lago Di Lei" or that he simply "skied down to a lake". Bottom line, it doesn't make any difference....we know the lake was Lago Di Lei.
Now I've asked you twice what is "your obsession with this lake" and interestingly, YOU have not answered that. What's the big deal about whether or not my father told me (or to Mark Sullivan for that matter), that he skied down to "a lake" or specifically "Lake Val Di Lei". It's the same lake and it's the only one there to the south of the Gropera.
Sorry to chime in, but reading this conversation is almost like reading an interrogation. I am now truly intrigued as to what is so important about the lake to Mr Ciriani
Me too Celia...I try to answer all questions as best as I can and this guy sounds as though he's cross-examining me in court. This little Alpine Lake has no significance at all to the story and yet he seems to be obsessed with it. Thanks for chiming in!
Perhaps best to just operate from assumption that there's maybe a disability-level OCD/anal retentive element in play. I think the (relative) minutia on which Giovanni got hung up is the specific description of the lake in the book relative the fact that Lago di Lei/the 8+ kilometer long (?) reservoir was created by way of the dam construction started in 1957 and finished in 1960-61.
The body of water or absence or location thereof in 1944 wouldn't be the sort of anomaly that'd make my list of pressing mysteries-discrepancies, etc., but to each his-her own. :)
Mary F, the reason why I was pressing Michael, was to try to understand the origin of this untruth: whether it was the author who added fluff; or whether it was a false memory of the protagonist; or whether it was made up for some reason I do not know yet. Michael wrote in the comments above that his father told him about the lake being there, then also the uncle told him. Now I'm finding out, from reading Alberto Ascari's biography, that he was married at the time, and during the war he was running other businesses in other parts of the Mediterranean. So this seems to be another untrue detail. So I don't know what to think; implanted false memories, dementia or fraud are all hypothesis.
Giovanni wrote: "Mary F, the reason why I was pressing Michael, was to try to understand the origin of this untruth: whether it was the author who added fluff; or whether it was a false memory of the protagonist; o..."
I've assessed a majority of - if not most of - the many fictional contrivances, including but not limited to casting folks that didn't belong (from the author choosing to miscast Leyers at the top to people like Peter Daloia at the bottom), and making up scenes to showcase his selection of real and fictional people, as well as materially altering authentic historical events to suit the author's choice of narrative, etc., etc. were all a product of the author's choice and imagination.
For what it is worth, I've no reason to disbelieve that the protagonist and his family were acquainted with the Ascari family, and Mike has offered that Alberto didn't meet his father in 1943 as depicted, but instead years earlier because an Ascari bought some dealership from a relative of (if I recall correctly) the protagonist's mother.
Again, I'm afraid the lake thing and now the Ascari thing are (relative) minutia as compared to other problems.
Mary F, I agree with you that the historical discrepancies you have found are more important; I could only speak about the lake because that's the point where I am in the book.
It seems that besides the author making up scenes, as you point out, there might be a wider conspiracy or, that there are sock puppets involved. For instance, the person who signs these posts with the name Michael Lella, wrote that his father told him about the lake 50 years ago; so that casts a doubt on what Michael writes in this forum as well.
I was also thinking about the book’s editorial style. I’ve had the impression that there was no copy editing done on the book; all major rules about copyediting were flaunted. I know serious publishers have rigorous copy editing processes in place, and the fact that these rules are totally ignored in this book, makes me think that the book was pushed despite alarms raised by the discrepancies you have found. So it would not be surprising if the publisher or the author had created sock puppets in this forum and other forums like Amazon, to give it rave reviews and inflate its popularity.
As suggested elsewhere, you can rest assured that it’s ok to ditch qualifiers such as “the person who signs these posts with the name Michael Lella”. I'm persuaded that account is not being operated by the author or a designee pretending to be Mike. :)
It's prudent, however, to be skeptical of what is written because of his relationship to the book, the protagonist, the author. It isn't as though he's in a position to do anything but object to the information that indicates the author's choices were shady, reckless and just plain dumb (no need to get into his own choices or those of the protagonist)
I will say that on a few occasions, Mike's comments have cleared up some questions and narrowed the possible explanations for X-Y-Z. Most is relatively inconsequential, like the Ascari topic or whether his father ever claimed to have met or translated for Mussolini (he didn't), etc.
* * *
Lake Union can not be considered a serious publisher. (The fact that it's an Amazon affiliate is serious, to be sure.) I don't know of any fiction publishers who tend to give a particular damn about red flags or truth in BOTS-BOATS leisure-entertainment products regardless of whether the subject matter and people are being misused and abused. LU might care that the author hoodwinked readers down the road, but its executives won't care unless there's a rather large stink.
They take a hands-off plausible deniability approach. There's dough to be made and career ladders to be climbed - who cares whether readers are misled to believe that they’ve come away from a book knowing “a lot” instead of very little true or authentic history about the who-what-why-how of the time and place. Lake Union was created to produce mass market commercial fiction and cater to (for one) the book club crowd.
Yes, there’s a definite abundance of bot-generated ratings associated with the book. GR staff would likely address if someone went on record to point out a given individual account anomaly. They would not, however, just tweak the analytics and protocols that could prevent the fake ratings in the first place. As for fake reviews, I only know about one project over on Amazon proper because of the laziness and incompetence of whomever coded the bots.
Among other obvious giveaways, bots were populating shell fake accounts (sometimes preexisting, sometimes brand new) with a limited but identical or virtually identical list of product reviews as cover for a review about this book and a few others. Reviews for the book were being copied verbatim from a limited selection of first- and second-day reviews ... over and over. But for no apparent reason that I could see, since the book was getting more than enough legitimate reviews.
Someone at Amazon later tweaked the word search parameters so that no longer could one easily identify how many times a review was replicated. Luckily, the (impermissible) first-day review posted by author’s good if not best friend Damian Slattery - “Sullivan’s Pinnacle of Storytelling” - was replicated a mere two times before (it seems) being taken off the list of review content to be misused and recycled. (In lieu of emailing Slattery directly to suggest that he at least ought to revisit the review to remove the reference to what is an improper and false claim that the author was ever a Pulitzer Prize nominee, I chose to explain how that was a problem in a review comment.)
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Michael
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Sep 26, 2018 05:40PM
Dear Gerard. so honored that you were personally touched by my Dad's story...I read thousands of reviews, but yours was one that stood out, and when that happens , I must respond. Feel free to reach me personally at michaellella@yahoo.com. and we can chat. I'll give you some insights about the story and book that are more personal...
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Hello Michael. I read the book a year ago, but fulfilled a lifelong dream to vidit the Italian Lakes just a few weeks ago. A couple days into my trip, I was filled with thoughts of your Dad, and downloaded the book to reread and have him with me as I explored this special place. I didn’t want to have a favorite lake, but it turned out that I do...and it is Lake Maggiore. I hope your Dad has many more years to enjoy it.
Thank you Karla. You should check out the little town of Lesa. My Dad likes to frequent a pastry shop in the morning for coffee and a pastry. You might catch him there!!!
michael......i am on the final chapter. I literally threw the book across the room and didnt go near it for 2 days, such was my emotions whenever Anna was killed. Pino is such an inspiration and my heart felt broken for him when i read of annas death. Best book ive ever read
Lawrence. Don't know why my father's story has more of an impact on some rather than others. I appreciate the feedback and when it touches people like you, I try to respond. Thank you for your interest and taking the time to express your opinion. Hope your emotions are back under control......
I remember feeling the same. I suddenly wished it was fiction.
Thank you, even more heartbreaking.
My father Pino spoke very little of the War while growing up. Occasionally, in very rare moments, he would blurt out some shocking statements that remained fixated in my mind to this day. One of them, when I was about 12, described the terror he felt after witnessing the execution of Dolly, the mistress of "Mon General"....To this day, he cannot forgive the Italians, his own people of the hideous and hysterical mob brutality he witnessed. I believe it was worse than that....through Mark's investigation, we believe (Mark and I) that he witnessed not only the execution his General's mistress, but also of her maid Anna, whom he loved. From that moment onward, he tried in vain, to block out the memory of that terrible moment. He never spoke of it for 61 years...until Mark Sullivan befriended him in 2006 and it was revealed in a moment of utmost candor.
Thank you, Michael. I am so moved by Pino’s story. Thanks to him for sharing his experience and for being a true hero.
You Welcome Dawn. Took him a long time to come out and share it. You can thank Mark Sullivan for bringing it to the public. He had the foresight, and the writing talent to get it out there. thanks for reaching out to me...
My husband and I just finished reading your fathers story. I’m so very thankful he shared this brilliant heart renching story. If I had read this book earlier in my life one of our sons would be named Pino. Pino, Ana would be proud and now she will always be remembered. Thank you again for sharing your lovely story of bravery , faith, and trials Amy Johnston
Your a very brave man. Thank you for your service
Don Johnston
Pino and Micheal my husbands family is from Italy The name is Izzo where the cont to live. The father is the mayo and Dr of there small town. Pino you are our my family now
I enjoyed reading the story of your father. This was an incredible story of inspiration and honer.
I usually cry watching movies. This book made me bawl. It's an amazing heroic yet tragic story. No one ever comes out of a war whole. But in spite of so much adversity your dad led a fruitful life. Reading this book was an honor. Can't wait for the movie.
Stay tuned Judith, we have some good news about the Mini Series coming soon. Thanks for expressing your thoughts about my father's story. He's made me cry a couple times too....when I used to get spanked (kidding).Michael Lella
I just finished Beneath a Scarlet Sky. I couldn't help but fall in love with Pino Lella. His bravery, his love of his family, and Anna, touched my soul.
Thank You Marjorie for sharing your opinion. My father would be flattered of course. He is a brave man for sure and what he experienced in the War affected him for the rest of his life, including to this very day.
Michael Lella, I read this book a couple of years ago and I still think about it. Is there still a chance that it might be made into a movie?
Yes Connie. It's been signed with Amy Pascal Productions and will star Tom Holland (of Spider Man fame), to play the role of my father. They have decided to turn it into a Television Mini Series and they are in the process of screen writer negotiations. As soon as we can, we will make an official announcement.
One of the best books I've ever read. I continually think about it, and have recommended many times,
Thank you so much Connie. It has touched the souls of many people and we are continuously flattered. We have very few critics and maybe only one who is obsessively negative....
I just finished the book and I am at a loss for words, I ended up in tears throughout the book. A truly moving book and I enjoyed seeing the other side of the war. Truly fantastic story!
Thanks Coral. Give the credit to Mark Sullivan.... I was at a Costco store the other day with my baby grand daughter. She likes to sit on the shopping cart and skim through the children books. On the other side of the table I heard a customer ask the stocking clerk 'Why don't you have Beneath A Scarlet Sky?" I walked over and said "I know something about that book...and you can find it on Amazon for a good price. I'm the son of the protagonist, Pino". The guy nearly fell over and told me that it was his favorite book and that he buys them all the time from Amazon, and gives them out as gifts.....Took him out side to my car and gave him a 'signed book from my father" ....a rarity now, as I'm running out. It's not uncommon for me to hear that the story has brought people to tears.....we never get tired of hearing about this Coral and I thank you for expressing your thoughts. Michael Lella, Pino's Son.
What a great story about the book at Costco😀
I just started reading the book, which I'm liking so far. Are the events real, or are they fiction by the writer to fit a general story by the protagonist? For instance is the lake described in Val Di Lei real, false memory of the protagonist, or made up by the author?
The events are real.....there are a few things that were embellished, but very, very little. I describe these things when I give my presentations.....Mark Sullivan did a terrific job in writing and describing the reality of the story and he estimates that approximately 90% of it is accurate. I can tell you specifically what is real and what is not, but the main events of the story really happened....He guided Jews to their safety over some ot the most rugged mountain terrain as a 17 year old for Don Luigi Re at Casa Alpina. He was then inscripted in the "Organization Todt" and acted as a spy for his Uncle Alpert while driving for the Nazi General. He did witness all of the atrocities mentioned, he did fall in love with the maid of the General's mistress Dolly, and he did witness her execution, running from the scene. He did "single-highhandedly" arrest his General and eventually escort him to the Austrian Border through the treacherous Brenner Pass. These are just some events that really happened, but they form the basis of the story. Unfortunately, much of it cannot be proved as there is no or very little existing records.....it doesn't matter to us. We know it happened and growing up, I knew many of the people who personally witnessed these events who explained them to me. Sullivan had a "magical" way of describing the people and events without ever knowing them....I for one, knew (most of) those people, many of whom were close friends and relatives....Don Luigi Re, Carletto Beltramini, Uncle Albert and Aunt Greta, Uncle Mimmo, Aunt Cicci, Licia Albanese and of course, my grandparents Nonno Michele and Nonna Gemma (Porzia). Michael Lella, Pino's Son.
Is the lake described in the book, the way that Pino described it to Sullivan? Or did Sullivan embellish it?
What lake? Como, Garda or Val Di Lei? this question is best asked by Mark Sullivan himself on his FB website, MarkSullivanauthor ...
I asked about the lake Val di Lei in my first question, that's why I was coming back asking the same question, and didn't specify the name of the lake again.
Oh sorry.... I get so many questions,....I still think this is one best answered by Mark Sullivan. I knew of the events at Val Di Lei when I heard them from Uncle Mimmo who built a small cabin on the plateau of Motta.I know that he guided Jews to the top of the Gropera and then skied down to Val Di Lei where they rendezvoused with the Swiss. My Dad used to carry people on his back and ski if that's what your're asking....he was that good of a skier.
I'm asking if there was a lake in Val di Lei or if that is fiction by Sullivan.
No. There is a lake there. Look at it on google maps. It's a small Alpine lake.
I absolutely loved this book! Mr. Lella is a true hero and a role model for men everywhere. Strong through the tough times. I can't even begin to imagine what he must have felt when he went through these atrocities. I live such a sheltered life here in America. I am in awe of how well he came through all of the living hell that he was put through. He is truly a magnificent man. He is right up there with men I would like to meet when I someday get to Heaven. God bless you Mr. Lella.
You keep evading my question, which is interesting. My question is, did your father, Pino Lella, tell Sullivan that there was one lake which he was showing to the people he was smuggling across the border; or he never mentioned the lake to Sullivan, and Sullivan added the detail to make it more real?
Giovanni, I’m not evading anything and I’ve tried to answer your question three times. I told you three times, that question is best directed to Mark Sullivan. I don’t know exactly what my father told him about Lake Val Di Lei.And I have no reason to evade your question!
Did your father ever mention the lake to you? The way it is presented in the book, the lake seems a big deal. I have no way to contact Sullivan since his website only has contacts for two publicists and an agent.
I actually do not recall my father specifically mentioning lake Val Di Lei to me. I’m curious to know what your obsession is with this lake. My father told me that he skied down to the lake and then met with the Swiss on the border. He also told me that one of his routes was to the Splugen Pass as well, which is not mentioned in the book. I had no idea that you could not contact Mr. Sullivan directly through his FB website. Other people do all the time...
Do you mean he told you he skied down to a lake, without naming it? Or did he say he skied down to the lake in Val Di Lei?
Look Giovani. My father was 17 when he escorted Jews over the Alps into Switzerland, that was 76 years ago and he's 93 now. His routes were numerous, but one of them was up the spine to the "Gropera" where there was an old stone hut. From there they could ski down to "the lake" (Lago Di Lei), at that time covered in ice. My father briefly mentioned these things to me 50 years ago when he brought me and my brother to Madesimo to ski. I also heard the stroy from my Uncle. My Dad was not in the mood to elaborate about his WWII experiences exploits to us kids at the time. I can't tell you if he specifically mentioned "Lago Di Lei" or that he simply "skied down to a lake". Bottom line, it doesn't make any difference....we know the lake was Lago Di Lei.Now I've asked you twice what is "your obsession with this lake" and interestingly, YOU have not answered that. What's the big deal about whether or not my father told me (or to Mark Sullivan for that matter), that he skied down to "a lake" or specifically "Lake Val Di Lei". It's the same lake and it's the only one there to the south of the Gropera.
Sorry to chime in, but reading this conversation is almost like reading an interrogation. I am now truly intrigued as to what is so important about the lake to Mr Ciriani
Me too Celia...I try to answer all questions as best as I can and this guy sounds as though he's cross-examining me in court. This little Alpine Lake has no significance at all to the story and yet he seems to be obsessed with it. Thanks for chiming in!
Perhaps best to just operate from assumption that there's maybe a disability-level OCD/anal retentive element in play. I think the (relative) minutia on which Giovanni got hung up is the specific description of the lake in the book relative the fact that Lago di Lei/the 8+ kilometer long (?) reservoir was created by way of the dam construction started in 1957 and finished in 1960-61. The body of water or absence or location thereof in 1944 wouldn't be the sort of anomaly that'd make my list of pressing mysteries-discrepancies, etc., but to each his-her own. :)
Mary F, the reason why I was pressing Michael, was to try to understand the origin of this untruth: whether it was the author who added fluff; or whether it was a false memory of the protagonist; or whether it was made up for some reason I do not know yet. Michael wrote in the comments above that his father told him about the lake being there, then also the uncle told him. Now I'm finding out, from reading Alberto Ascari's biography, that he was married at the time, and during the war he was running other businesses in other parts of the Mediterranean. So this seems to be another untrue detail. So I don't know what to think; implanted false memories, dementia or fraud are all hypothesis.
Giovanni wrote: "Mary F, the reason why I was pressing Michael, was to try to understand the origin of this untruth: whether it was the author who added fluff; or whether it was a false memory of the protagonist; o..."I've assessed a majority of - if not most of - the many fictional contrivances, including but not limited to casting folks that didn't belong (from the author choosing to miscast Leyers at the top to people like Peter Daloia at the bottom), and making up scenes to showcase his selection of real and fictional people, as well as materially altering authentic historical events to suit the author's choice of narrative, etc., etc. were all a product of the author's choice and imagination.
For what it is worth, I've no reason to disbelieve that the protagonist and his family were acquainted with the Ascari family, and Mike has offered that Alberto didn't meet his father in 1943 as depicted, but instead years earlier because an Ascari bought some dealership from a relative of (if I recall correctly) the protagonist's mother.
Again, I'm afraid the lake thing and now the Ascari thing are (relative) minutia as compared to other problems.
Mary F, I agree with you that the historical discrepancies you have found are more important; I could only speak about the lake because that's the point where I am in the book. It seems that besides the author making up scenes, as you point out, there might be a wider conspiracy or, that there are sock puppets involved. For instance, the person who signs these posts with the name Michael Lella, wrote that his father told him about the lake 50 years ago; so that casts a doubt on what Michael writes in this forum as well.
I was also thinking about the book’s editorial style. I’ve had the impression that there was no copy editing done on the book; all major rules about copyediting were flaunted. I know serious publishers have rigorous copy editing processes in place, and the fact that these rules are totally ignored in this book, makes me think that the book was pushed despite alarms raised by the discrepancies you have found. So it would not be surprising if the publisher or the author had created sock puppets in this forum and other forums like Amazon, to give it rave reviews and inflate its popularity.
As suggested elsewhere, you can rest assured that it’s ok to ditch qualifiers such as “the person who signs these posts with the name Michael Lella”. I'm persuaded that account is not being operated by the author or a designee pretending to be Mike. :) It's prudent, however, to be skeptical of what is written because of his relationship to the book, the protagonist, the author. It isn't as though he's in a position to do anything but object to the information that indicates the author's choices were shady, reckless and just plain dumb (no need to get into his own choices or those of the protagonist)
I will say that on a few occasions, Mike's comments have cleared up some questions and narrowed the possible explanations for X-Y-Z. Most is relatively inconsequential, like the Ascari topic or whether his father ever claimed to have met or translated for Mussolini (he didn't), etc.
* * *
Lake Union can not be considered a serious publisher. (The fact that it's an Amazon affiliate is serious, to be sure.) I don't know of any fiction publishers who tend to give a particular damn about red flags or truth in BOTS-BOATS leisure-entertainment products regardless of whether the subject matter and people are being misused and abused. LU might care that the author hoodwinked readers down the road, but its executives won't care unless there's a rather large stink.
They take a hands-off plausible deniability approach. There's dough to be made and career ladders to be climbed - who cares whether readers are misled to believe that they’ve come away from a book knowing “a lot” instead of very little true or authentic history about the who-what-why-how of the time and place. Lake Union was created to produce mass market commercial fiction and cater to (for one) the book club crowd.
Yes, there’s a definite abundance of bot-generated ratings associated with the book. GR staff would likely address if someone went on record to point out a given individual account anomaly. They would not, however, just tweak the analytics and protocols that could prevent the fake ratings in the first place. As for fake reviews, I only know about one project over on Amazon proper because of the laziness and incompetence of whomever coded the bots.
Among other obvious giveaways, bots were populating shell fake accounts (sometimes preexisting, sometimes brand new) with a limited but identical or virtually identical list of product reviews as cover for a review about this book and a few others. Reviews for the book were being copied verbatim from a limited selection of first- and second-day reviews ... over and over. But for no apparent reason that I could see, since the book was getting more than enough legitimate reviews.
Someone at Amazon later tweaked the word search parameters so that no longer could one easily identify how many times a review was replicated. Luckily, the (impermissible) first-day review posted by author’s good if not best friend Damian Slattery - “Sullivan’s Pinnacle of Storytelling” - was replicated a mere two times before (it seems) being taken off the list of review content to be misused and recycled. (In lieu of emailing Slattery directly to suggest that he at least ought to revisit the review to remove the reference to what is an improper and false claim that the author was ever a Pulitzer Prize nominee, I chose to explain how that was a problem in a review comment.)
