That is one helluva tale. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but this was remarkable. In fairness it was also remarkably bleak - unremittingly so at times. I kept think "Oh this will go right in a minute" and then reminding myself that this is not a fiction read in many senses - it actually happened. Caught between two warring forces and overcoming horrific trials to pursue their hope of immigrating to the West, the Martels’ story is a brutal, complex, and ultimately triumphant tale that illuminates the extraordinary power of love, faith, and one family’s incredible will to survive and see their dreams realized.

Last Green Valley: Northeastern Connecticut - New England Last Green Valley: Northeastern Connecticut - New England

Writer’s Digest (co-written with Connor Sullivan): “8 Ways to Add Suspense to your Novel – Writer’s Digest”

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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. At the end of the book, Mark Sullivan goes into detail about his meetings with the family, shares some pictures, and talks about what he fictionalized and why. He also sheds some light on some of the more periphery characters; notably, the story behind one of my favorite characters from the book, the Romanian Cpl Gheorghey. I thought this section was interesting and, for me, ultimately added to the whole reading experience. The first third of the book is a little slow and my enjoyment increased as some of the minor characters took paths away from our main protagonists. Overall this is a fantastic read and the second half is particularly difficult to put down. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan - Fantastic Fiction The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan - Fantastic Fiction

The ending pulls the book together marvelously. The author’s notes about the ‘fiction’ and ‘non-fiction parts were interesting.Perhaps that was the motivated thinking, perhaps it was the karma, that led him to his next story of adventure detailed in The Last Green Valley. Sullivan tells me that his inbox was near flooded with people wanting to tell him a similar story of their family and the epic struggles they endured. Ultimately, it was a retired dentist who would turn Sullivan on to the idea of the story for the novel that would become The Last Green Valley.

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Her husband startled and stared at Adeline as if she were part of a nightmare and then a desperately welcome dream. “Nothing.” Historical Novel Society: “Learning From Those Who’ve Endured: The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan” 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?

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Bozeman Author Sets the Stage with Absolutely Riveting Story MOVING. INSPIRING. HEALING. TRANSFORMING.

The Last Green Valley- a review by Amy The Last Green Valley- a review by Amy

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.

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When I asked him if it was painful for either him, as the investigator, or for Martel to recount this story, Sullivan says, “I think that Bill (Martel) recognized that it was a tough story, but I think he also knew just how cathartic it was.” It is late March 1944 when Emil, Adeline and their two boys, Will and Walt, make the difficult decision to leave the shadow of Stalin and head West towards their homeland. To do this, they will have to join a convoy of wagons that is following a team of Nazi SS officers who are retreating to German territory as the European part of the WWII conflict is approaching its end. However, unbeknownst to Emil, an evil from his past is about to reemerge. Karl Losing had a soft spot for his younger daughter and grinned when she brought him lunch. They’d sat side by side in the shade of the thresher, looking out over the golden hills of grain, and ate fresh bread with dried sausage and drank cold tea. La novela nos narra como un matrimonio con dos hijos que viven en Ucrania, tienen que huir de su país porque las tropas soviéticas se adentran y si continuan allí serán enviados a un campo de concentración en Siberia, asique es eso, o escapar con los nazis los cuales les ofrecen protección para ser trasladados a Alemania, y allí poder buscar la libertad. Sullivan’s accolades can hardly be distilled down into a single narrative as each novel that he has worked on presented its own unique adventure. Whether it has been research on his last two novels or writing with acclaimed author James Patterson, there is certainly no room for anything to be done part way. As our time in the coffee shop draws to a close, I can sense a raw magnetism and hunger about the man that belies the casual hiking clothes he sports. There is an aspect of a hunter stalking his prey that I gather about the man.