The story is set in a diamond mining region in Bahia, in 1860, a year after the terrible drought that became known as “hunger of 60”. The main plot involves the sisters Maria Alves and Maria Dusá and the tropeiro Ricardo Brandão. The sisters do not know each other and have very different personalities and social positions. In the backlands of Chapada Diamantina, with a miserable life situation, Raimundo offers his daughter, Maria Alves, to the tropeiro Ricardo Brandão in exchange for supplies. Ricardo, despite falling in love with the girl at first sight, leaves her free to choose whether or not he wants to accompany him. Maria prefers to stay by her brothers' side, although she doesn't remove Ricardo from her thoughts. In the village of Xique-Xique, Ricardo meets Maria Dusá, the unknown sister of Maria Alves who lives in one of the most sophisticated houses in the region. From then on, many disagreements mark the path of the trio.