In 1925, Gabriela, a poor, uneducated, yet charming woman becomes cook, mistress, and then wife of Nacib, a bar owner in Ilhéus, a small Brazilian coastal town run by the local colonels.
Fernanda is content with her life until she meets Miguel, a drug addict, bisexual male prostitute. She becomes captivated by him and leaves her family behind in favor of a new life filled with sex and debauchery.
