It’s remarkable how many stories from World War II still slip under the radar—stories about human resilience and resolve that deserve to be told. The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan feels like one of those stories. I’ve always been drawn to WWII narratives, particularly those set on the European front, but many focus primarily on the Holocaust and people fleeing Nazi persecution. While this novel does reference those atrocities, it tells a story I had never encountered before: a family attempting to find salvation with the Allied forces while fleeing Stalin’s army through Nazi-occupied Europe.
I knew going into this book that it was based on a true story, but I appreciated that Sullivan makes it clear—especially in the introduction and afterword—that this is still a work of historical fiction. He thoughtfully explains which elements remain closest to historical record and where he chose to embellish or consolidate real people into composite characters. That transparency helped ground the story. This isn’t a fantastical tale of an impossible journey, but a fictionalized retelling of something that really happened, shaped to work as a novel.
Sullivan does an excellent job giving each character a distinct voice. Emil, while occasionally infuriating, makes sense when viewed through the lens of his upbringing and the expectations placed on him. His singular focus is the protection of his family, even when that focus leads to questionable decisions. Adeline, on the other hand, is remarkable—steadfast, compassionate, and resilient. She, too, is driven by her devotion to her family and never seems to lose faith, even when circumstances grow dire.
Following the Martel family’s journey was both compelling and harrowing. Along the way, they gradually come to understand the scope of the atrocities being committed against Jews and others. While Emil witnesses some of this firsthand, the family is forced into an impossible position: fully aware of the horrors unfolding around them, yet compelled to prioritize their own survival. The Martels strike me as the kind of family who, under different circumstances, would have gone out of their way to help others escape. Instead, they help where they can and accept help when it’s offered—an honest portrayal of the moral compromises imposed by war.
That said, some of the chance encounters throughout the novel stretched my suspension of disbelief. The family repeatedly crossing paths with the same SS officers and other recurring figures made the world feel oddly small. I understand the narrative need for villains like Hausmann and Nikolas, and I recognize that Nazis often serve as an overarching embodiment of evil in WWII fiction. Still, the frequency of these encounters felt a bit contrived and was the point where I most clearly had to lean into the fictional nature of the story.
There were also moments where the pacing felt uneven. At times, the narrative lingered longer than necessary, only to jump ahead suddenly with the family having traveled great distances and arrived somewhere new. While these shifts could be slightly jarring, they didn’t significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
In the end, I gave The Last Green Valley 4.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a compelling, well-written, and emotionally engaging novel. Even knowing, in broad terms, how the story would conclude, I found myself fully invested—cheering the Martel family on and hoping they would safely reach their next destination. This was my first experience reading Mark Sullivan, but it likely won’t be my last.
