Brazil 1821. Upon his return to the imposing farmhouse, Antonio, a rich cattle herder, finds out that his wife dies in labor. Forced to live in the property with numerous African slaves, he marries his wife's niece. A restless soul, he returns to droving, leaving his young wife behind alone with the slaves.

Raised as Catholics by the Queen of Portugal, the orphans Leonor, Brites, and Mécia are sent to the Brazilian colony with the order to get married. The harsh adaptation to the precariousness of the New World is felt differently by each of them.