An unclaimed fortune, grown for centuries in a British bank account, becomes a potential windfall for Bernadito Castiñeiras and the residents of the tiny village of Yaragüey, Cuba. To receive his massive inheritance check, Bernadito must prove his lineage to the Castiñeiras nuns who first populated the region. In an isolated and impoverished town where many residents share the same surname, a feud breaks out between the "Castiñeiras" and "Castiñeyras" families.

富有写作才华的年轻窃贼马伊卡盗取了知名作家胡斯多重要作品的手稿。迫于还债的压力，他改写了手稿内容，冒名参加小说比赛并赢得了头等奖金，而不甘失利的胡斯多由此察觉了一系列事件的端倪，最终使马伊卡的命运发生了许多改变。