The Fire in the Mountain: A History of Sicily, Mount Etna, and the Island's Volcanic Legacy

From the acclaimed author of The Land Where Lemons Grow, comes a luminous account of Sicilian history, geography, culture, and cuisine, as seen from the slopes of Mount Etna. For centuries, Mount Etna has sent lava to engulf the towns and villages, terraced fields, orchards, vineyards, and citrus groves that nestle across its slopes. But still it remains home to a quarter of Sicily’s population. Why? Because Etna has always rewarded her people after every eruption with a landscape of unparalleled fertility, richness, and drama. In this extraordinary new book, Helena Attlee combines travel writing with history, mythology, geology, gastronomy, and horticulture to tell a unique story of life in the shadow of Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.