The Last Green Valley: A Novel

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When the Soviet Union invades Ukraine during World War II, Emil and Adeline decide to flee with their two young sons, Will and Walt. Unfortunately, their best chance at survival involves siding with the Nazis and heading to Germany. Will they succeed? As the Soviet armies advance, the refugees’ Long Trek westward across Europe becomes a nightmare. Swept up by battle, death, and disease, the Martels plod grimly onward, fueled by the thought that one day they will settle in a fertile green valley surrounded by mountains where they can live their lives in peace. Away from the battlefront, the clan find themselves unwanted and sometimes even a hated burden on the local peoples. As the war grinds to a close the Soviets occupy eastern Germany and begin exacting terrible revenge on the Germans . Adeline and Emil tread carefully, trying to protect and feed their family as best they can, but shifts in fortunes lead to family members becoming separated. The Martels encounter the best and the worst of humanity. Only their enduring faith and belief in each other can see them through. In late March 1944, as Stalin’s forces push into Ukraine, young Emil and Adeline Martel must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves—murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans?

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan | Waterstones

Mark Sullivan has done it again! The Last Green Valley is a compelling and inspiring story of heroism and courage in the dark days at the end of World War II. Fans of Beneath a Scarlet Sky will savor this novel based on an extraordinary and little-known tale of the war and its aftermath." - Kristin Hannah You need to go talk to Bill Martel,” the dentist said. “You need to hear how his family came to America. The entire time I was reading ‘Beneath a Scarlet Sky’, I kept thinking about the Martels’ extraordinary story.” The Last Green Valley’s storyline is another prime example of why we, as humans, should take the time to understand and learn our world history. I had to research Holodomor as I really had no recollection of learning this growing up in school. Sullivan found his niche: World War II stories revolving around people who very few have heard of but whose voices deserve to be shared with the rest of the world. His continued research landed him his next protagonists — the German-born family living on a farm in Romania during one of the most combustive times in human history. THE LAST GREEN VALLEY is about the Martels, who are literally caught between the Scylla and Charybdis — the evil of Russia’s Josef Stalin and the maniacal Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany.I think Sullivan is wonderful at researching and writing about low-profile people from history. I really enjoyed his previous story called "Beneath a Scarlet Sky." I didn't think I had an emotional attachment to the characters until something happened to one of them and I almost cried. Sullivan continues, telling me that he had been presenting his story Beneath a Scarlet Sky at a local Rotary Club meeting and people were telling him that he was never going to find another story like this in his lifetime. He said, “I remember thinking, Yes, I will. I just have to look hard enough for it.” The Last Green Valley" by Mark T. Sullivan is a WWII story of a dream that leads one family to freedom. This novel is inspired by one family's unimaginable story of courage, survival and triumph. Raw and heartbreaking the Martel family flees Stalin's Russia and Hiltler's Nazi Germany, despite extreme physical and psychological challenges, to ultimately find freedom in the USA.

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan | Waterstones The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan | Waterstones

Labai patiko tos knygos dalys, kurios rėmėsi tikrais istoriniais faktais. Parašyta puikiai ir emociškai stipriai. Nevertheless, goodbyes, separations, and deprivation do not shake the dedication of these family members to each other — making the story as inspirational as it is horrific. And recognizing how the Martels represent some 11 million other refugees during the same period put me in awe of what humans can survive. It hurt for a second there,” he said, standing up and wiping the sweat gush­ing from his forehead. “But I’m all right.”At the west end of the village, they passed Emil’s parents’ home, his child­hood home. The front door to the old place was open. There was nothing worth saving in the yard. Thank you Anne at Random Things Tours and FMcM Associates for the invitation to read and review The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan for the blog tour.

Bozeman Author Sets the Stage with Absolutely Riveting Story

Will still seemed upset. He climbed into his mother’s lap, snuggled against her chest, and said, “Tell me what it will look like, Mama.”With the soviets right behind them, and the allies closing in on Berlin the Martel family decides to join a caravan headed west under the protection of the Nazi SS. Emil Martel put it, "When we were fleeing the bear and running with the wolves." The Martels didn't care for the communist Russians or the murderous Nazis, they just wanted to make a better life for their family, and they'd endure one hardship after another to make a better life for themselves. NPS National Natural Landmark Index for Connecticut". National Park Service . Retrieved 2009-06-05.