Iara Sarmento

Millionaire Roberto Albuquerque runs over Maria Cristina, and the two fall in love. But the young man's mother, Viridiana Albuquerque, disapproves of the relationship because the girl is poor. In the final chapters, already driven mad, Viridiana sets her own dress on fire.

The story narrates the sorrows and misfortunes of Father Tião, who lives in a small town in the interior.

The telenovela narrates the romance between Carolina and Augusto in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro. As a child, Augusto swore eternal love to a girl, without knowing her name. Years pass, but the young man is unable to become involved with any other woman, earning him a reputation as a great womanizer among his medical school classmates. During a weekend in Paquetá, however, Augusto meets Carolina and falls in love with her, unaware that she is his childhood sweetheart. The plot also shows a group of young people who, amidst parties and passions, become involved in campaigns for the liberation of slaves.