You have to read this book

​I am a huge reader. This should not come as a shock. It is inspiring to see how others put words together. I do "like" other people's reviews and often choose my books based on them, yet, aside from writing reviews for friends' and colleagues' work, I have never wanted to recommend what I am reading. I know that genre, time frame, and character are very particular for most people. But I recently read a book that made me want to scream the title on a busy street corner.
I found this book riveting. The book title is "Beneath a Scarlet Sky" by Mark Sullivan. You know the kind I am talking about; I read it while cooking, in the bathroom, and about any place I could fit it in. It became an obsession.
The story is multilayered, and I can't say too much without giving it away. Still, I would sum it up by saying it is the story of a young Italian boy whose determination and tenacity helped him survive WWII against all odds. I know, you are thinking, not another book about WWII. Well, I thought the same thing until I was about 25 pages in.
It is the kind of book that, once finished, you might not be able to read for a few days as you rehash the story and reread the epilogue over and over. There was so much to unravel. The author does a beautiful job of making us question what we believe to be true.  
Each word and idea is carefully calculated to make you feel…think….
So in a conversation with Mom, who had just finished it, I sympathized with her questions and finally shared with her that I believe the main idea of the entire story is this: Good and Bad are simply a matter of perspective. These exact lines appear in the story, but for me, they were also the background of all the action.
So now I am thinking and talking to just about everyone about this concept. On the most basic level, we can use a person living in a ghetto who steals bread to feed his family. Our immediate, first-world response would likely be he is a criminal. But do you think his family would feel that way? Do you think he would?
The lines between good and bad are very blurry. Even the classic story of Robin Hood broaches the topic. Yet how many of us taught our children, Robin Hood was a criminal? Exactly!
Your perspective might change, and you will learn and grow with one story.
So back to the point, if you are looking for a good (great) book, pick up a copy of "Beneath a Scarlet Sky." You are welcome.