Written by Spanish novelist Benito Pérez Galdós, Marianela tells the story of a poor orphaned girl who serves as a guide to Pablo, a young man who has been blind since birth. Unable to see her appearance, Pablo knows Marianela only through her voice, her kindness, and the world she describes to him. Their close friendship gives her hope that she may finally be loved.

Everything changes when a doctor arrives with the possibility of restoring Pablo's sight. As Marianela begins to fear what he will think when he sees her for the first time, the story becomes a moving reflection on beauty, love, and the painful difference between dreams and reality. Tender and deeply emotional, Marianela is one of Galdós's most memorable novels.