This novel takes place ten years after the peasant revolt that took place in the Alentejo region of Portugal in 1974, aimed at improving the lives of agricultural workers and small farmers. Yet, nothing has changed. Poverty remains widespread, forcing Rosa to become a maid. However, this novel does not fall into the category of neorealist novels, as it differs from them in a completely different way. It is a gallery of characters who engage in tumultuous comic situations and rise from the heart of tragedy.