The Various Flavors of Coffee by Anthony Capella is an engrossing, first-rate historical novel that follows the life and loves of Robert Wallis, a bohemian would-be poet whose life is dramatically changed by a cup of coffee. In 1896, the 22 year-old Wallis is living in London, frequenting coffeehouses and whorehouses and affecting a dandy's style although he has no income. One morning, a coffee merchant overhears his remark to a waiter that his coffee is “rusty” and offers him a job to help develop a standard “vocabulary of coffee.” Accepting the challenge, Wallis embarks on a journey in the coffee trade that will transform his life.