"...an excellent work of history and social commentary..." PUBLISHERS WEEKLY On Thursday, 8 May 1902, the citizens of Saint-Pierre, Martinique, huddled together in their spectacular cathedral. For only God could save them from the disaster about to befall their city. Earlier that morning, the sky had turned black with volcanic dust and a slow, steady rain of ash had begun to fall. Mont Pelee, the island volcano that had remained dormant for so long, had suddenly come alive. Within minutes the beautiful city had been destroyed along with its thirty thousand inhabitants. The only apparent survivor of the disaster was Ludger Sylbaris, a twenty-seven-year-old labourer. This is the thrilling story of that fateful day.