'Il-Vendetta tas-Sahhar Malti'

Author: Emilio Lombardi

Publisher: Sliema / 1976

Pages: 176

The book I am reviewing today (it's out of print anyway) is one of the 80+ books authored by Emilio Lombardi, one of Malta's most prolific authors of all times.

Born in 1881, and died in 1956, aged 75 years, he was recognised in his time as one of Malta's leading authors. He even had a street in Sliema (Trejqet Emilio Lombardi) named after him.

He set up a printing press later known as Lombardi Printers, a family-run business.

Emilio was the son of Giovanni, an Italian, and of Giuseppina Weiss and was born in Alexandria on 14 January 1881. His family relocated to Malta when he was 10 years old.

From a tender age, his biography says, he was already showing interest in printing and when he was 16 years old he was apprenticed to a printing press owned by Carmelo Mifsud in St Ursula Street in Valletta. But right from the beginning he desired to own his own printing press.

On 21 October 1901, he got married to Fortunata Galea from Valletta. They had nine children (seven boys) and lived at 92, St Trophimus Street.

In 1899, he set up his own small one-room printing press, grandly named Tipografia Nazionale in Lion Street, Floriana. The room was later to become the Caritas Malta centre.

Then he moved to Sliema and he set up at the heart of the Ferries area. He renamed the press as Stamperija Lombardi in the Sacro Cuor parish on the corner of St Trophimus and St Mary streets.

By the time he was 15 Emilio was already writing novels which he then printed at his printing press.

He was a keen observer, a religious man and a very social being who loved to travel.

He died as all around him they were celebrating the parish feast at 8.40pm on 17 June 1956, aged 75 years.

Among his novels: Marziale, Tghallaq u baqa haj, Battista (2 Vols), L-assassin ta' Chiara Guerin, Saverja, Eliezer u Naida, Bint l-Ikkundannat Bla Htija, Antonietta Jew Il-Misteru ta' Monte Carlo, Il-Misteri ta' Rdum il-Madliena, Annie, Bint il-Qattiel, Cecilja, Bint il-Bojja ta' Torin, Gabriella, Bint ir-Re tal-Hallelin, L-Ghamja Jew Bin L-assassin tal-Mdina, Beatrice - Il-Vittma tat-Tradiment, Is-Sigriet tal-Qrar, Guditta - Bint il-Barklor tal-Port il-Kbir, Martina - Jew Il-Misteri ta' Ghar Hasan, l-Iltiema, Rio Rita - Il-Martri ghall-Imhabba, L-Imghallaq bla Htija, Benjaminu Jew Vendetta fuq Ulied, Guljetta, Il-Vendetta ta' Cikku l-Kattiv, Sara - Bint l-ikkunndannat, L-Izmorfja Maltija - Dizzjunarju tal-Holm, Ester - Il-Vittma tar-Reghba, L-Ghama ta' Lourdes, L-Ilsira Hamida, Rozi, L-Gharusa tal-Qalbieni Toni Bajada, Lucilla, it-Tfajla ta' Pompej, Il-Forza tad-Destin, Il-Midfuna Hajja, Bertu, Oreste Rockman, Gorg, it-Tmunier tax-Xwieni tal-Ordni, Rebekka Callus, Luqa Briffa, Lieni l-Karkariza and the book being reviewed today.

Even without translating each and every title, one understands the general trend of all this prodigious output - most of the stories are set in Malta in the past, and they have a tinge of tragedy in them.

The book I am reviewing today is set in a Malta of some centuries back, at a time of sailing vessels, frequent interchange with nearby Sicily and even Calabria.

Despite what the title says, the wicked magician is not Maltese.

A ship runs aground on the Dragonara Reef but all on board are saved including a small boy. But the man who was supposed to be taking care of the boy cannot be found.

A rich man with a house in the area saves everyone and takes in the boy to educate him. But the boy repays this generosity with implacable hatred.

He manages to destroy the life of one woman who is sentenced to be exiled from Malta. And when this woman was about to find employment in Catania, they found out she was pregnant and threw her out, suspecting her to be a woman of loose morals.

But there is an overlying justice and all the wrongs are made right.

The Maltese of this story is not yet the proper Maltese "tal-Ghaqda" of today but well on its way to be so.