Cirrus@Austlit

'A rich, lyrical novel forged out of the fiery heart of Sicily, The Volcano tells the tumultuous story of Emilio Aquila, a boy whose very thoughts make him an outcast from his own village.

'Fleeing into the labyrinthine caves high on the slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna, and surrounded by the echoes of his island's mythical past, Emilio's withdrawal from the world leads him toward a life of introspection and self-examination. Yet these higher ideals are interrupted by the arrival of the villainous Rocco Fuentes and by Emilio's tormented passion for a girl beyond his reach.

'Emilio's determination to live on his own terms turns him into what he most despises - a criminal and kidnapper - and compels him to seek a new start half a world away. But will he be able to escape the shadows of the past? And will Australia ever be more to him than a place of suffering and regret?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.