At the Hearth of the Devil's Lair

About the Book

Maddalo McCannuck, a composer in exile, is concerned with the absence of Canadian Literature from the world’s bookshelves.

While contemplating measures to be taken - this while composing the Great Canadian Opera at his recently opened Beaver Bookstore - he has an unexpected visitor: Katy McCannuck, his child through an all-too-brief affair with Vanessa Von Kulp, a college friend and his one great love.

Feigning to be McCannuck’s friend, and not her father, he narrates McCannuck’s story to Katy.

McCannuck moved to Italy after his books, musical sheets and recordings were burnt - and his soul-mate Vanessa promised to join him in exile. When she failed to show up, he cut all ties, found a job as a digger at the archaeological site of Tana del Diavolo, or the Devil’s Lair.

Soon, McCannuck concocted a fable of a world-wise sailor, a sailor from Cabot’s expedition to Canada, who settled in Punta del Diavolo in the late 16th century, converted to sanctify his command over the locals and constructed a monastery; beneath it, the underground maze of the Devil´s Lair. As the sailor’s men fell victim to vice and local custom, the king slaughtered them, married his daughters and fled the monastery to plunder the temples of Saint Peter.

Still obsessed with Vanessa, McCannuck suffered her taunts - postcards - until he met and married Suzanne Sultana, 18, a near-copy of the blonde blue-eyed Vanessa.

Unlike her precursor, Suzanne was cold to his endless talk of legendary kings and indifferent to his work-forever-in-progress.

McCannuck worked on, confident he would find more evidence regarding his fabled king.

In daily contrast with Suzanne, who is having an affair with his field director, McCannuck dug deeper into the maze; soon, a few pieces of a mosaic came to life. Attempting to reconstruct the mosaic - his past - he discovered pieces of the puzzle were lost forever.

Upon recognising his loss, he realised that in exile, he severed himself from his land and its collective memory; in sacrificing his language he lost his identity.

In having squandered his life, in not having written the epics, in not having composed the grand symphonies, it was he, Mad McCannuck, who burned the lost books of Canada.

But he has hope. And determination. And Katy McCannuck.

He shall become the Tolstoy of the Great White North, love, murder...

About the Author

Born and educated in Montreal, Canada, 1962, Luigi Monteferrante has been living in Italy since 1984 where he writes, teaches, translates, sails and rides motorbikes. Married, no children, he spent four years in near-total seclusion to write At the Hearth of the Devil’s Lair. He has also collaborated on several (unproduced) screenplays in Montreal, Toronto, New York City. The NYC-based magazine HAPPY published Vita, a short story in its Summer 97 issue. Another short story The Lone Traveler was published in the Chicago Quarterly Review that same fortunate summer. After several recent trips to London, England, he is currently seeking employment in the UK, in the midst of completing a second novel and a collection of short stories.