Book Review: The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

“What possesses men to do such evil? Are they even human? Can’t they see that when you kill someone or destroy a holy place, the faith always goes on? Don’t they see that in broken hearts and ruins, something always glows?”

Mark Sullivan, The Last Green Valley

Review:

Yet again, I procrastinated reading a book that I’ve been actively wanting to read for several years. In this case, I’m going to use the excuse that I was letting this age like wine on my bookshelf. I enjoyed Mark Sullivan’s Beneath A Scarlet Sky so much that I think I was a little nervous that another book could never measure up. How (happily) wrong I was! 

Inspired by a true story, the book follows the Martel family as they flee a Stalin-ruled Ukraine during World War II. Unfortunately, in order to do so, they must be escorted by the Nazis as they are considered to be of ethnic German blood. Life with the Nazis isn’t easy, especially with Emil’s dark history under their control, but the family deems this escort to be a necessary evil to ensure their freedom. 

Their path to freedom is riddled with obstacles. There’s no avoiding the evil people at the helm. Tragedy follows them everywhere. Adeline’s faith carries her through, encouraging her young sons (and some extended family) to keep their sights on their dream — a green valley to call their own. Emil respects his wife’s unwavering faith but struggles with his own. The choices he was forced to make in order to spare his life and protect his family haunt him. Things he could never share with Adeline. 

I loved this book so much. I loved the characters and their mix of personalities. I loved the spiritual themes, the history, the hope, the character growth… I could sing so many praises. I felt as though I was there traveling along with the Martels. I’ve read so much historical fiction by now that lately I’ve struggled to find books in this genre that I connect with as many follow the same formula and plot points feel recycled. I think the book being based on real people adds something extra to the storytelling. While the writing undoubtedly follows a certain and familiar formula, I wasn’t bothered by any moments of predictability. 

I’m excited to move on to All the Glimmering Stars next! Hopefully, I won’t put it off as long as I did with both of the author’s other books… but then again, both have been five-star reads. Timing is everything, right? 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Based on a true story.
• Interesting family dynamics.
• The spiritual elements.
• Malia!! I loved her character so much.

What I didn’t like:

• Some story lines and characters just dropped off with little to no resolution which was disappointing.
• It was extremely obvious when something terrible was about to happen.

Afterthoughts:

I don’t know why I’m so shocked by how much I loved this book given how much I loved and still think about Beneath A Scarlet Sky.

Where to buy the book: