Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.

It is November 1927. Seventeen-year-old Izabela Rosa “Bel” Bonifacio wakes in her parents’ house in Rio de Janeiro. The morning is already hot, and Bel fantasizes about swimming in the beautiful pool in their garden. She knows, however, that the pool is simply a status symbol that her father built to further reinforce his wealth. It would be improper, according to her father, for the neighbors or the servants to see her in her bathing suit. A son of Italian immigrants, Bel’s father has made a fortune in the coffee industry and works hard to have his family be accepted by Rio de Janeiro’s aristocracy. To this end, he has planned an elaborate 18th birthday party for Bel, hoping that the lavish party will help introduce her to society and attract an aristocratic husband.

Three years ago, Bel and her parents moved from Bel’s childhood home in the mountains. Now, the confines of the city and her father’s materialistic ambitions chafe at Bel’s passionate spirit. Bel finds solace in the company of her maid, Loen, who teases and comforts Bel as she dresses for another day of piano lessons and dress fittings.