The story begins with Joventino , a legendary cattleman who mysteriously disappears into the marshes. His son, José Leôncio , takes over the ranch and becomes a powerful landowner. During a trip to Rio de Janeiro, José falls for a sophisticated city woman named Madeleine . They marry and return to the Pantanal, but Madeleine cannot adapt to the wild, lonely lifestyle and eventually flees back to the city with their infant son, Jove .

The term "verified" in the context of searching for a complete novela ("novela completa") implies a desire for: