A historical novel set against the backdrop of 18th century Naples. At its center is the English ambassador and avid collector of antiquities and rocks from the volcano, Lord Hamilton, his beautiful wife Emma, and the legend of the Napoleonic Wars, Admiral Nelson. The passionate love affair between Emma and Nelson defies all protocols, even impacting historical decisions. A powerful and multi-dimensional work, viewed through the lens of Susan Sontag, written with absolute historical consistency, where desire, favor, humiliation, and luck shape the lives of the characters. Sontag masterfully composes the portraits of historical figures, kings, politicians, and intellectuals like Goethe or de Sade, and “maps the paths of passion and desire” (The Guardian).