The main axis around which the book revolves is the integration of refugees from a town in Asia Minor into Greece. It is mainly based on interviews with refugees from Sille of Iconium, an interesting material that is cross-referenced with similar information from literature as well as archival material.
The study is divided into three parts: the first refers to life in Sille (1900-1924), the second to the life of Sillian refugees in Greece (1924-1956), and the third part refers to the refugee consciousness of the first, second, and third generations. The relative emphasis given to the first part is due to the belief that the adaptation and integration of the Sillians is a function of their life there. After all, the first part certifies the truth of the characterization of the Sillians as "a population of merchants".