The Florios of Sicily

They say that in Italy there were three great families: the Agnelli of Turin, the Pirelli of Palermo, and the Florios of Sicily--this is their story.

This two-volume saga, inspired by the real lives of historical titans, brings to life the dark secrets, the loves and betrayals, and the cruel acts of revenge that marked the Florios’ century of influence. They were the uncrowned kings of Sicily: restless and ambitious, single-minded and determined to be richer and more powerful than anybody else. Yet their beginnings were humble.

Vincenzo, who lost his father at eight, builds an empire from the docks of Palermo. Driven by an insatiable desire to rise above his station and fueled by a nobility that scorns him, Vincenzo sacrifices family and love to transform his tiny spice shop into a trading empire. The name, Florio, soon instills fear and respect. While not all his descendants share his shrewd business acumen, their lives are no less dramatic and legendary. The Florio men are stubborn, arrogant, philanderers and slaves to passions. Ignazio Sr. bullies his way into the Senate while his son squanders the family fortune on spectacular parties. Not to be outdone by the men, the Florio women unapologetically demand their place outside the restraints of caring mothers, alluring mistresses, or wounded wives. Donna Franca, a muse idolized by kings and poets, manipulates her way into power, while Giovanna runs the empire from the shadows.

In this epic yet intimate tale of power, passion, and revenge, the rise and fall of a family taps into the universal desire to become more than who we are born as.

Ficção / Literatura Estrangeira