Based on the 1865 novel of the same name by 19th century abolitionist writer Bernardo Guimarães, it tells the story of the struggles of Isaura, a white-skinned slave, to find happiness during the Brazilian Empire.

It starred Lucélia Santos in the title role and Rubens de Falco as slave owner Leôncio Almeida, the main antagonist.

However, her master, the Comendador, is not particularly fond of Isaura and forbids Dona Ester from letting her dine with them like a family member.

At the beginning of the story Leôncio, the Comendador's son arrives home from Paris where he attended university but did not acquire a degree as he was more interested in debauchery.

Dona Ester, Leôncio and Isaura soon move to the Almeidas' countryside residence in Campos, where we meet new characters: Francisco the cruel overseer who led the plantation in its owner's absence, André, the newly bought slave who incites Francisco's hatred by his dignity and bravery, and neighbour plantation owners Dona Alba and her children Tobias and Thais.

Leôncio, pretending to be in mourning, goes on a travel, but not before condemning Isaura to regular slave work, in spite of the fact that his friends, including Malvina's brother Henrique, all believe he set her free.

When Leôncio comes back, he's still obsessed with Isaura and offers her a choice: either to become his mistress, or to go to a plantation, where she'll cut sugar cane 14 hours a day.

Isaura, who now pretends to be a white lady named Dona Elvira, meets and falls in love with Dom Álvaro, who is one of the richest men in Brazil.

Despite help from Álvaro and his lawyer friend, Leôncio manages to take Isaura, André and Santa home, and sends Miguel to prison.

He promises Isaura that he will let Miguel be released from prison and sets her free if she marries a man of his choosing – Beltrao, the hunchbacked gardener, whom she doesn't love.

Isaura accepts, to set her father free, and also because Rosa wrote a fake letter that makes her believe Álvaro forgot her and married.

Emperor Pedro II, whose daughter Princess Isabel was responsible for the signature of Áurea law which abolished slavery in Brazil, visited Guimarães to congratulate him for the book's repercussion.

[4] Eneida do Rego Monteiro, a Literature teacher in Colégio Dom Pedro II, Rio de Janeiro, suggested to Gilberto Braga to adapt Guimarães' novel to a soap opera.

[7] It was a major hit in South America, the Eastern Bloc, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, countries in Africa, Indonesia, and the People's Republic of China.

Small FIAT police vans were for a while called "Isaura", a reference to the slave-like treatment that awaited most of those that were unlucky enough to ever be dragged into one.

A running joke was that Tefta Cami, the minister of public instruction, went to the national TV station to see the last part of the series, in order to see it before the others.

The series was also the first telenovela broadcast in Algeria, where it aired under the title إيزورا (Isaura) dubbed to Arabic in a summer of the 1980s at 6 p.m. (AST) on EPTV.