Surviving Vesuvius: A Lucky Escape from the Tragic Fate of Ancient Pompeii

Set in 79 CE, this narrative nonfiction account follows the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii’s destruction. It draws on Pliny the Younger’s contemporary letters, placing the seventeen-year-old Roman student across the bay as tremors become increasingly frequent. The book also imagines perspectives from people in Pompeii known to have lived there, including Julia Felix and Julius Polybius. Painterly illustrations and a timeline accompany this account of the volcanic disaster.