Maria is a romantic novel written by Colombian writer Jorge Isaacs in 1867, which takes place in the hacienda "El Paraiso" located in the municipality of El Cerrito in the Valle del Cauca, in which Isaacs really lived. Although this novel is classified as a romantic, it contains a few moments of humor; can be observed in the jokes that makes the father of Efraín or Maria, always full of respect.

The love story of America. The romance of the American and British excellence, Maria moved and enchanted readers for over a century, since in this work are not tender and tragic romance of Efraín and Maria only but also the landscape in all its splendor vallecaucano. This work Isaacs, a descendant of Jews from Curacao, is also distinguished by its beautiful language and the correctness of its plot development, which , in its simplicity, reveals an author who knows how to get to the depth of their characters.  

This is a beautiful 19th century novel , a classic of Latin American literature. This is the story of a young Jewish woman of Colombia and the love of his life, a young man she grew up with. The idyllic and tragic love between María and her cousin Efraín. It is September in the Andean region of Colombia is represented perfectly with the natural imaging parameters and customs of the time. It is both tragic and inspiring, and there is a good reason why this is a classic. It's characters, landscapes, and the end of fear are very memorable.