Under the Volcano is Malcolm Lowry's portrayal of one man's constant struggle against the forces that threaten to destroy him. Geoffrey Firmin, a former British consul, has come to Quauhnahuac, Mexico. His debilitating malaise is drinking, an activity that has overshadowed his life. On the Day of the Dead, 1938, his wife, Yvonne, arrives in Quauhnahuac, inspired by a vision of life together away from Mexico and the circumstances that have driven their relationship to the brink of collapse. She is determined to rescue Firmin and their failing marriage, but her mission is further complicated by the presence of Hugh, the consul's half brother, and Jacques, a childhood friend. The events of this one day unfold against the backdrop of Mexico.

First conceived during Malcolm Lowry’s years in Mexico, the earliest manuscript for Under the Volcano faced repeated rejection before Lowry devoted himself to four years of rewrites between 1940 and 1944. The work was nearly lost in a fire at the Lowry's cabin in Dollarton before being completed. Lowry's second wife, Margerie Bonner, rescued the unfinished novel, but all of Lowry's other works in progress were lost in the blaze. The novel was finished in 1945 and published in 1947 in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

The limited edition of Under the Volcano is presented in two states: Numbered Edition and Lettered Edition. The Numbered Edition has a 6” x 9” trim size and is limited to 250 copies. It is signed by Michael Schmidt, Chris Ackerley, and Sara Tyson, and includes seven color illustrations by Sara Tyson. The volume features a handbound Bradel binding with printed cloth-covered boards and a cloth spine. The covers feature an illustration by Sara Tyson spanning both boards, and the spine is adorned with a foil-blocked Bugra label. The text is set in Linotype Aldus with Michelangelo for display and is printed by offset lithography on Mohawk Via Laid paper. The edition includes Hahnemühle Bugra endsheets and is housed in a cloth-covered clamshell enclosure with velour-lined trays. This edition includes an introduction by Michael Schmidt and an afterword by Chris Ackerley.