I have just finished reading The Last Green Valley by Author Mark T. Sullivan.

This story follows the Martel Family, and begins in late March 1944 as Stalin moves into the Ukraine.

The voices of the book are German born Emil and Adeline Martel.

I have read many books about war, and this horrific time in history, and still find it eye opening and alarming.

This is a very good historical fiction, and the second book I have read by the author. I did find “Under a Scarlet Sky”, a bit more engaging to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Mark T. Sullivan and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced copy to read and review.

#TheLastGreenValley #NetGalley

I only wanted to read this book because I loved Beneath The Scarlet Sky, so glad I read this one, it was one of those that you just couldn't put down ! I loved reading about historical fiction based on real life people, this one hooked me right from the beginning, such as easy read and made you want to keep reading to see what was going to happen to the family. Loved how Adeline always had her faith in God, her undying love for her husband (a true love story) and family. Even thought Emil struggled with his faith he found it and was determined to find his wife and kids. All of the struggles they endured, bad luck, horrible weather, no food, illness. And still they never gave up and never stopped loving each other. One of my favorite books this year!! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC, it was amazing!

I rarely say this about a book -- but I did enjoy Beneath a Scarlet Sky better -- which was Mark's last book. But even with that being said -- his books are always worthy of 5 stars. His writing is impeccable and his research is extraordinary. I struggled to figure out why this one wasn't my favorite - and I think it's because it wasn't a true story. I did read that it was inspired by a family - but I think that was the disconnect. There are few exceptional historical fiction writers for me and he is definitely one of them!! I've read a lot of historical fiction -- end. of the war stories like this one always fascinates me because there are not that many books that capture it well. If you love historical fiction -- he is definitely a writer you will want to become familiar with.

Mark Sullivan did it again, after the amazing book Beneath the Scarlet Sky, Sullivan has written an extraordinary book in The Last Green Valley.

Following the lives of the Martel family, an ethnic German family, their trek from Ukraine to Germany during the last period of WWII, and then their journey to America.

You can feel their fear, desperation, hunger, sadness but also their joy, hope and happiness.

It is a truly moving story and Sullivan does a great job in telling the real story of the. Martel family.

I can't wait to read his next book.

While I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them I found this story to drag on. It is a storyline that is not really known; the ethnic Germans that were moved to Ukraine for farming. Caught between the Russians and the Germans in WWII the Martel family makes the decision to go west to escape eventually both forces. This is where I thought the story just went on way too long. The back story in Ukraine is very interesting and what they had to endure to leave there. One really understood the characters and the different family members' viewpoints. Based on a true story I found it interesting, just a little too long.

What a phenomenal read of heroism on behalf of the Martel Family. They were from the Ukraine and had suffered at the hand of the Russian forces one time before and new how cruel they could become. They envisioned a life much better and knew they would find it , but not if they remained.
German heritage was not only a hindrance because the Soviets would want them for work slaves and the Germans would see them as traitors, but they needed to find the Allied lines.

The author uses strong characters that take us on a journey of peril and he has written a book of intrigue and one that you need to keep reading to find out what happens next. It starts out slow , but picks up and at various times it goes away from the key elements, but it does not take away from the overall view of what the book represents which is family and staying strong in faith.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

“This is an American story, an immigrant story, a spiritual and universal story. May we all dare to chase such dreams, experience such grace, and lead such miraculous lives.” —
Mark Sullivan, Bozeman, Montana, July 21, 2020

And what a story The Last Green Valley is. The Martel family Emil, Adeline and their sons Walt and Will are living a tough life under Stalin rule in Ukraine. Do they continue to wait for the Russians to advance or do they take a chance and escape with the Nazis.
Their decision leads to their dream of freedom but to reach this dream they encounter horrific and traumatic years as refugees barely surviving at times.
The story is hard to read at times but the author writes with feeling and depth. It is extremely well researched and the author’s notes at the conclusion of the book are a must read.
A truly engaging read about the power of faith, love and the ability to survive.

A fabulous book, well written with twists and turns that keep the reader hanging on a cliff edge.

Set in WW2 this book follows the journey of Emil and Adelaine Martel and their two young boys escaping the Soviets and Stalins despicable regime.
This is a book of historical fiction, love, faith, and their will to live and find a better life together.

I would highly recommend this book and author.

Mark Sullivan has adroitly infused the Martel’s courageous account with this traumatic period in history. A truly moving and immersive story which transported me on this harrowing journey.

I was very excited to get an ARC of this book from NetGalley because I absolutely loved the author’s earlier historical-fiction-based-on-real-persons book, Beneath a Scarlet Sky. This story takes place at the end of WWII as the Martel family begins The Long Trek from Ukraine to the West to escape Communism. Sullivan’s writing style is so good; he makes the characters come to life and you find yourself cheering them on during the good times and (of course!) the horrors. I will definitely recommend this to my book clubs when it is published. My only complaint was that there was a lot of current slang in this book that I doubt was being used in the 1940s. I hope the editors will catch and correct this before publication. A five star read

The Last Green Valley is absolutely stunning. Based on the real life story of the Martel family, it is a testament to the human spirit and a book that will captivate from the first to the last word.

World War II is raging, and as a German immigrant family, the Martels are caught between the advancing Russian army and the retreating German troops. Loading all that they can on a wagon, Emil and Adeline, along with their two young sons Walt and Wilhelm, face an arduous journey West into an uncertain future. Adeline dreams of finding a green valley to call home, a place of beauty and freedom. Just when it seems they may be getting closer to that dream, Emil is captured by the Russians and taken to a POW camp where he is one among many forced labourers. All that keeps him going is his determination to be reunited with his family.

Meanwhile, Adeline and the boys face their own hardships, and finding a strength she has to dig deep to find, she makes her way to Berlin, a city devastated by war. As the months go by, she begins to lose hope of ever seeing Emil again. Will her family ever find their green valley?

Meticulously researched, this book is written so beautifully, and the description is so vivid you can't help but be transported into another time and place. It will devastate you, it will uplift you, and it will force you to think about life differently. Absolutely one of the best books I've read in a long time, it is truly magnificent.

This is a “based on a true story” book, retelling the story of a family's journey at the end of WWII, as they flee west toward freedom and uncertainty. The author explains in the Preface that he did extensive research about the real family and their journey; and used all of the records he was able to find to help him accurately tell the story; while filling the gaps with plausible details.

Generally historical fiction is not my favorite genre, but the author does a good job of keeping the story interesting; there is quite a bit of action and difficult decisions that the characters are forced to make. At first I didn't find the characters to be very intriguing, but he more I read, the more I became invested in the characters and interested in how they would survive the ordeal.

Overall, this is a dramatic and somewhat inspiring story; and if you are particularly interested in this time period (WWII) then this might be even more enjoyable for you.

After reading beneath a scarlet sky I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book! 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 Martels are one of many families of German heritage whose ancestors have farmed in Ukraine for more than a century. But after already living under Stalin’s horrifying regime, Emil and Adeline decide they must run in retreat from their land with the wolves they despise to escape the Soviets and go in search of freedom.

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 realised. Another mind blowing read Warning!- I suggest that you don’t pick this book up if you are short of time. From the first page I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down.

A very interesting read about a displaced German family trying to escape the Red Army coming at them from the rear and and Nazi SS before them.
Their struggles to reach the west and the allied troops are both harrowing and distressing
I did enjoy the book and found it informative about the starvation policy of the Russians

The Last Green Valley is fiction based on the true story of Emil and Adeline Martel and their two boys. The Martels are descended from Germans who immigrated to the Ukraine under Catherine the Great, who was looking for skilled farmers to work the land and feed Russia. Under Stalin, the Ukraine suffered terribly, and many people saw the German invasion as a sort of reprieve from the oppression. As Stalin’s troops started to push the German army back, the Germans took the Native German peoples along with them with the idea that these people would repopulate the areas the Germans had taken over. Although the Martels were not fans of Hitler’s, they knew what life was like under Stalin and their hope was to go as far west as possible and find the Allied Army.

This really is a story of love, tragedy, perseverance, and family. The writing is engaging, the characters are well developed, and yes, there is literary license taken, the story is based on real events. But even knowing the outcome I found myself unable to put the book down, needing to find out what twist came next for the family. Definitely a page turner. If you like WWII historical fiction, or historical fiction of Eastern Europe, you’ll enjoy this. I am definitely reading the author’s other work, Under a Scarlet Sky. He has also written a series with James Patterson which I liked. I didn’t realize this was the same author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This historical novel, one based on real-life, is the story of Emil and Adeline Martel who are caught between the Russian and the Germans in their native Ukraine during WWII. They have to flee – but both east and west pose great danger and the following years are difficult indeed. It’s a powerful and compelling story, but if I hadn't known how firmly based it was on fact I would have been impatient with it. There are just so many coincidences that credibility is pushed to the limit, even if we are told that it all happened just as described. The writing style is straightforward and accessible but comes across as rather flat – this is no literary novel. Frequent flashbacks interrupt the narrative flow for no good reason that I could see, and in fact detract from the reader’s involvement. Definitely worth reading, as it’s an excellent exposition of the plight of so many displaced refuges during the war, but somehow the characters never quite came alive for me, and I remained interested, but disengaged throughout.

This historical fiction, based on true facts, story tells of a very brave family during horrific times in World War II. The love this couple has for each other and for their children is both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. Though separated and having to learn how to deal with persecution, war, and imprisonment, their hope of being reunited remains strong throughout. This is a well written and engaging tale about just how strong the human spirit can be during the most unimaginable times. If you enjoy reading about the unsung heroes of World War II or if you’re just looking for an example of how an indomitable spirit and hope can pull you through tough times, then this book is a must read. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced read copy.

Inspired by true events, we follow the Martel family as they flee Ukraine in search of a better life at the end of WW2, protected by the Germans and pursued by the Russians.
It took me a while to get into this book but once I did, I was with them, every step of their journey.
It’s a story about hope, resilience, love and above all, family.
Historical fiction fans will enjoy this book and my thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written book, and a real page turner, setting out the flight of the Martel family from eastern Europe to reach freedom in the west at a time of upheaval and when many scores were being settled in the aftermath of WW2. The true level of suffering experienced by the Martels and many like them at that time can probably never be adequately described, but this is a book that I cannot recommend strongly enough if you are interested in that turbulent period of history.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy of The Last Green Valley for my honest review.

Wow. I just finished this fabulous story with tears in my eyes! My heart broke so many times for what Emil and Adeline endured with their children go find freedom! This is not an easy read, but I feel the story of the Martel family is important and should be told! This is the first book by Mark Sullivan I have read, but since starting this one, I purchased Across a Scarlet Sky and will also be reading that one. Excellent writing I loved this!!