The destiny of a city and the one of a woman, the incapability of the first one to shape its own fate with head held high and the courage of the second one to search for her own life; weakness and pride, male and female, Arabica and Robusta: opposite polarities accompanying the novel and getting established around the fascinating story of modern invention of the blend, the art of mixing coffee of different origins, in order to get a pleasant drink. Devoted to her land, Giuseppina Torregrossa praises its beauty, does not resign herself to its meanness and gives us a new unforgettable protagonist: proud, never taken for granted, very close to our feeling.

In the centre of Palermo, under the apartment where the Olivares family lives, the heart of a flaming dragon lives: its name is Orlando, a machine that roasts and grinds coffee coming from every part of the world filling the small shop with intense scents. Genziana, the nicest flower of the Olivares family, grows up in the coffee shop with the certainty that the future doesn’t reserve surprises, since her mother – sensual orchestrator of the lives of the whole family – can foresee it by reading coffee grounds. However, when Genziana gets ready for her bloom of adolescence, the war bursts into it, bringing sorrow and starvation. The big dragon is compelled to stop, Palermo is reduced to a heap of ruins and Genziana remains alone. A small item coming from the continent will give her some sign of hope: the mocha pot, which offers a coffee without grounds to interpret, as quick and strong as the future coming in a hurry in that beautiful and dangerous city for a lonely and proud girl.