Expedition of Hopes

November 30, 1803, port of La Coruña. To the welcoming shouts and applause of the townspeople, the corvette "Maria Pita" sets sail. On board the ship are twenty-two children aged three to nine, taken from orphanages. They are living carriers of the recently discovered smallpox vaccine, tasked with transporting the vaccine material to Spain's overseas territories in America. The children are accompanied and cared for by the head of the orphanage, Isabel Sendal. Thus begins the risky expedition led by surgeon Francisco Javier Balmis and his assistant Jose Salvan, which is dedicated to the book of modern Spanish writer, author of historical bestsellers Javier Moro.
The heroes of the novel are set to endure storms and shipwrecks, as well as face numerous obstacles: hostility from the church, corruption of officials, greed of those seeking to exploit defenseless orphans. And despite everything, the Philanthropic Vaccination Expedition was destined to become the greatest humanitarian mission in the history of mankind, aided not only by the courage of the children, who saved countless lives, but also by the selflessness of the fearless leaders of the journey, competing for the love of the only woman on board the "Maria Pita."