The novel 'Gabriela' was published in Brazil in 1958 and had the effect of an exploding bomb. 20,000 copies were sold in two weeks, and 120,000 within a year. The novel was published in Russian in 1961, and, according to Ilya Ehrenburg, a friend of Amado, 'People here read 'Gabriela' without stopping.'

'Gabriela' is a sunny novel. Its main character is sincere, simple-minded, selfless, and loves life in all its manifestations.