This romance novel, one of a trilogy, is based on the story of Maria, the wife of João Lopes da Costa Pinho. João Lopes da Costa Pinho emigrated to Brazil from Vila Nova da Guia in Portugal. Some say he arrived barefoot but he went on to be immensely wealthy, owning some 32 cattle and cocoa farms in the state of Bahia, northeast Brazil. The marriage did not last but in their time together they became friends with the author Afrânio Peixoto and their colourful lives inspired this 1914 novel which caused a storm. In political geography and international politics a country is a geographical entity, a territory, most commonly associated with the notions of state or nation. ... A romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... See also: 1913 in literature, other events of 1914, 1915 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Cocoa beans in a cacao pod Cocoa is the dried and partially fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which chocolate is made. ... Flag of Bahia See other Brazilian States Capital Salvador Largest City Salvador Area 564 273 km² Population   - Total   - Density 13 070 250 23. ...

In 1937 the book was turned into a film directed by Julien Mandel. Peixoto wrote the screenplay.

Source: personal family history (the contributor is related to João Lopes da Costa Pinho)