Passions and crime still have shelter in the world; societies worry too much, and it is necessary to take life as it is given to us. In the centuries to come, women will be freer because of their education, customs and social institutions: there will be justice for them. This novel is a mixture of melodrama, thriller and defense of women's freedom. Deborah and Maria are dissatisfied with their respective marriages: the former, because her husband forbids her contact with the outside world after accusing her of adultery; the latter, because she has to marry a mean and pathetic man to silence the rumors about her allegedly deviant behavior. As their husbands try to control these women's desire, they seek to regain their freedom. Originally published in 1884, Deborah has the power to shake readers in the 21st century.