The story is based on Varella's time as a physician volunteering at Carandiru Penitentiary in São Paulo from 1989 up to the 1992 massacre which left 111 inmates dead, but is made up of fictionalized incidents and characters.

With more than 500,000 copies sold, Estação Carandiru is one of the all-time best-sellers in Brazil and was adapted into the 2003 film Carandiru directed by Héctor Babenco.

[1] Varella is portrayed by Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos in the film.

[2] The book won the Brazilian literary award Prêmio Jabuti in 2000.

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