Maeve answers “Does anyone know how much of this book is...”

Larissa Mazelin asked this question about Beneath a Scarlet Sky:

Does anyone know how much of this book is true and how much is fiction? I LOVED this book. If all is true, it is a phenomenal story and even better than fiction.

Maeve Agreed, it's unsettling. I'd love to know which survivors corroborated Lella's incredibly brave story. Would make a great YA book...…moreAgreed, it's unsettling. I'd love to know which survivors corroborated Lella's incredibly brave story. Would make a great YA book...(less)

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Mary F [originally posted on-about Nov. 9 2018 and fixed Nov. 15 2018, but caught up in May 2019 mass deletion event]

Hard to tell whether someone at GR tweak [originally posted on-about Nov. 9 2018 and fixed Nov. 15 2018, but caught up in May 2019 mass deletion event]

Hard to tell whether someone at GR tweaked the system so that certain threads no longer benefit from the notification system when a comment is posted, and so it's hard to know whether you'll receive notification of a reply or will circle back to check, but for the benefit of other readers who choose to drill down ...

Had there been any survivors with any contemporaneous knowledge of even one event as depicted in the novel in relation to the protagonist, as compared to survivors of the war in general, the author would be very keen about relaying that information in the Aftermath section. You will note, however, that only with regard to what is (largely negative) misinformation about Leyers does the author venture to share detail supposedly (and at times actually) gleaned from others.

If for example the author actually interviewed Giovanni Barbareschi vs. just strongly implying this on p. 511 in the Aftermath, apparently no useful information was imparted as it relates to even meeting the protagonist. Indeed, one would think that had author interviewed Barbareschi, he'd have inquired into numerous topics, incl. but not limited to what is actually a non-fact (false) assertion that Yad Vashem has ever recognized Barbareschi (or Father Re) as Righteous Among Nations. (In the book, the author states this as a matter of fact and, from other references to Yad Vashem, misleads readers to believe that he acquired what is misinformation from YV when that's not the case.) [1]

In the Aftermath, author also mentions "Giulio Cernitori" (referred to elsewhere/outside the book as Julio Cernitori), a supposed or actual friend of Mimmo's who, as described by author, was "a former partisan fighter". Also mentioned is Edouardo Panzinni (elsewhere called Edward Paniza), who was described as "another of Father Re's boys at Casa Alpina." The absence of any other details whatsoever makes it hard to conclude that there was any corroboration whatever in relation to the protagonist's tales about events. Something tells me both gentlemen are dead and so can't be asked about what they told the author.

From what I can piece together with regard to interviews of "survivors" (of the war), it seems the author did meet a man who as a child lost an eye and hand because he played with an (apparently faulty) live grenade (or he pulled the pin on said grenade - not something one does by accident). [2] This too is meaningless relative to the protagonist's tales about his life-actions but, again, had this man anything to say of a corroborative nature about, say, the antics/actions of the fictitious but at best composite character of Tito and his banditos, the author surely would be keen about relaying this.

I could go on and on with examples.

[1] ... though I seem to recall *outside* the novel at least one instance where the author explicitly stated such an interview took place ...

[2] Author stated in Aftermath that this person was Pierino Perincelli. Because the boy depicted in the novel was the son of Mr. Conte the innkeeper, one presumes that author met Mr. Perincelli during his visit to the area and saw fit to create scenes that included a boy who lost an eye/hand to a grenade. Doesn't make sense otherwise why, if all the related scenes were based on a true story, why everyone needed to remain nameless or by another name, and that the author wouldn't be eager to mention that Perincelli said "Yeah, [protagonist] was there and so was Mr. Ascari. Mr. Conte's kid was named ______." Instead, like a number of scenes, it seems like the author was inspired by non-relevant stories from folks who survived the war and worked those stories into the book as though they occurred as depicted in the book. [I fudged this in the initial post, and so decided to circle back and fix it.] ...more
Jun 11, 2019 10:13AM

Mary F Update:

For more information on recent developments that definitively establish it is fair to categorize the book as a literary fraud and hoax, start w ...more
Oct 16, 2019 08:58PM

Mary F By the way, Maeve...

https://www.goodreads.com/community_a... ...more
Nov 21, 2020 02:42PM

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Beneath a Scarlet Sky

by Mark T. Sullivan (Goodreads Author)

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