I love historical fiction books … especially when it has a dual timeline. The focus of doing what a person must do to survive is coupled with the emphasis of doing the right thing. The author has invested a lot of time researching the details. I learned much about the trek from Ukraine and about the Black Sea Germans. An emotional read that carries you through a myriad of emotions … from happiness to abhorrence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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This was really good. Very well written and based on a true story. The emotional highs and lows were heartbreaking! Definitely check trigger warnings. Recommend, 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the early digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Last Green Valley" focuses on the Martel family, who are trying to escape Stalin by fleeing with the Nazis who claim to protect "pure-blood" Germans. The Martel family has been in the farming industry in Ukraine for many years, but they ultimately decide they need to seek freedom.

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.

While I enjoyed this storyline, this one felt a bit dragged out. If this was 100 pages shorter, there is a good chance I would have rated it higher. Historical fiction has to be incredibly intense to hold my attention for more than 350 pages.

I enjoyed learning about the Martel family. Emil and Adeline do their best to keep their family alive. They can even crack jokes during such dark times. My gripe is that it was often too cheesy and a bit too religious for me. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's not often what I'm interested in reading.

There's not a lot to say about this one because there wasn't anything wrong with it. I think if you enjoy historical fiction, this would work for you!

This WW2 historical fiction was incredibly well written. It chronicled the journey of the Martel family, Emil, Adeline, and their two young sons as they escaped Ukraine in the last days of WW2, forced to choose between accepting Nazi protecting or falling into the hands of the Russians. I’ve read lots of WW2 stories and all tell a different, terrible perspective of those days. This was a perspective I hadn’t yet heard and the author did a wonderful job showing the journey of the family, as well as the connection they shared.

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. The writing was good, and I can see why other people will like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

What a timely book given the current events of Ukraine! I greatly enjoyed this story and the incredible characters. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Sullivan.

Mark Sullivan has once again delivered a story that draws the readers in and makes them not want to stop learning more about this remarkable family.

Early 1944, the young Martel family of four, have to make a heavy decision. The Martel family lives in Ukraine and must decide if they wait for Stalin's invasion and possibly sent to Siberia or follow the Germans who have promised to protect pure-blood Germans. Emil, Adeline and their two small boys ultimately get caught in the conflict between the two armies.

It did take me some time to get invested in the book. As an empath, there is an early scene that involves some animals that was very hard for me to push through. But once I got past that and Sullivan drew me in to the story, I could not stop.

What this family went through and also overcame is mind boggling. The one thing that I keep coming back to is how Emil and Adeline both came to realize that their mindset was so important in surviving all that came their way.

A solid 5 stars from me. Sullivan continues to prove he is a strong story teller. He spotlights stories that need to be told.

I am honestly surprised I haven't heard more people talking about this book. I do wonder, like myself, that when this book was released that the world in its chaos and uncertainty was not able to handle this heavy story. I know for me, I had started this book numerous times but due to my mental health at the time could not keep going. I am so glad that I didn't push this book aside. It deserves all the attention.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is in my top 5 for WWII historical fiction so it only figures that while The Last Green Valley was one of my most anticipated reads when it was released, I waited until now to read it.

I know the market is oversaturated with WWII historical fiction but what I love is when I come across a story I haven't heard before. The Last Green Valley is based on a real family of ethnic Germans who have lived and farmed in Ukraine for their entire lives. Being stuck in the middle of Stalin's rule and the atrocities of Hitler, they have to find their way west to claim refuge status.

You can imagine it's a harrowing journey filled with many trials and tribulations. My heart absolutely ached while listening to the audiobook so many times. Just when you think things can't get worse, they do. What I appreciated was how this family banded together and did anything to survive and find their way back to each other.

Was it better than Beneath a Scarlet Sky? Not in my opinion, BUT it was definitely worth reading as a historical fiction fan.

Phenominal book. I found myself in disbelief that this was a true story at multiple points. How could one family endure so much? I read this with my bookclub and we were lucky enough to chat with the author when we met to discuss. He is an auto-read author for me now and I cannot wait for his next book to be released!

I love everything Mark Sullivan writes, including this book!!

This was an all-absorbing moving historical novel set at the end of WWII. The story demonstrates how far a family will go to stay together against unbeatable odds. The atrocities that the Martel’s had to go through to stay together and also find freedom are both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. They showed, that in difficult times, we as humans will do what we need to do to protect our loved ones, no matter what the cost. Our inner strength shines during times like this. The story made me both laugh and cry and hit me with all the feels. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it all the more riveting to read.

Goodness, such a traumatic and emotional book. We follow the Martel family as they leave their home and life behind and embark on an epic journey. The family face unimaginable hardships and trauma along the way. So much more impactful given it is based on a true story.

A profoundly nerve-touching novel based on fact, this was gripping in its telling and in the content of the story itself. ‘The Last Green Valley’ is really well-balanced as Sullivan’s research provides realistic details and background and his style of writing ensures the reader travels with the Martel Family and experiences every fear and ounce of pain they feel.
My only problem in my reading of this was that the current political situation in Ukraine made this unbelievably difficult to finish. I only hope that those fleeing the present-day war can eventually find the happiness and peace that the Martel family found.
Despite the emotional difficulty in reading this I would really recommend it and I am now determined to read more of Sullivan’s work.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emil and Adeline Martel are faced with an impossible choice, to stay and live under a Soviet regime or head west in a convoy protected by the Nazis.

The family faces hardship, separation and physical deprivation as they attempt to forge a better life for themselves. No choices are easy and not everyone can be trusted.

I enjoyed this story, although it was harrowing in places. Events are based on fact, as the Martel family really existed. Mark Sullivan conveyed their emotions and choices with sensitivity and realism.

I admired the courage and fortitude of Emil and Adeline, especially when they were separated, and it was moving to read how their faith and love for each other kept them going.

This is not an easy read, given the subject matter, but there are some lovely moments. I particularly liked the character of Colonel Gheorghe and was pleased to learn he had been based on a real person.

I found Mark Sullivan to be engaging and sympathetic in how he conveyed the situations and choices faced by Emil and Adeline. It would have been easy to veer into sentimentality and cliche but the story remained engaging throughout and you were left caring about what happened to the family.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Lake Union Publishing, in return for an honest appraisal.

A good historical memoir looking at a slightly different nazi background and holocaust story. A good read.

This book was like nothing I had read before, and I read a lot of historical fiction novels. This was also my first book by Mark Sullivan. It was very interesting reading about a German family living in Ukraine. It is full of rich details, and follows a family's struggle to survive and stay together. I highly recommend this wonderful novel, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

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.

I loved how these two parents (Emil and Adeline) each had their own journey of growth and personal discovery while they were separated, and then were miraculously reunited. Adeline’s faith (in God and in her green valley) never wavered to a point where she felt so far away from both that she couldn’t get back on the path that she was on before. Whereas Emil, on the other hand, had quite the opposite experience, and eventually came full circle only to realize “all it took to have a good life was a cheerful, grateful mood, a clearly envisioned, heartfelt dream, and the willingness to chase it with an unwavering belief in its eventual realization”. Clearly easier said than done!

I also couldn’t help but think about Will and Walt the whole time, how this journey, and traumatizing experience must have impacted them in the rest of their lives. It’s impossible for me to imagine being a parent in a time like that (1943-48, around that era).

This one by Mr. Sullivan was not an easy read. In a lot of ways it highlights how cruel humans can be to each other under the guise of war. It also shows how being courageous, having faith and looking for the light can get you through even when you think you can't go any farther. What Emil and Adeline have endured under Stalin is horrid but what they will endure on their trek West will truly test them.

Words can't express the horrors and hardships that the Martels and their extended families went through to get to freedom. Their lives and faith are something everyone can take a lesson from in their own life.

survive the Communist regime during WWII and in the aftermath. This is an incredible portrayal of humanity and the moral dilemmas faced as the family struggle through starvation and the hardships of pre and post-war Ukraine. With a message of faith amidst the darkest moments, the theme of coming through suffering stronger is woven throughout the pages. I love learning something new as I read, and found this to be well-researched. I had little prior knowledge of the long trek of civilian Germans from Eastern Europe and their journey as refugees to freedom. Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction.

I received a complimentary copy from the aut

Good book, not like anything I've read before. Enjoyable from a writer who is new to me. Would recommend.

I don't think I can find the words to describe how much I loved this book. I have been told about other titles of this author and I am definitely going to seek some out.

This story is so moving and inspiring and I just could not wait to find out the ending. The descriptions of all the horrible things that happened were riveting. There were times I smiled and times I cried for them. I could not get the story out of my mind for a few days after reading it. I did not know it was based on a true story until the end. I didn't know this side of World War II either, and it shocked me because I have read so much about the war but not from this side. Amazing story I have already recommended to many friends and patrons of our library!