A review by kendyllgull
Child of the Dark: The Diary of Carolina Maria de Jesus by Carolina Maria de Jesus

3.0

I think Carolina Maria de Jesus is an individual that deserves more recognition; she opens our eyes to poverty and racism in the 1950s-1960s Brazil. This is the only book I've read by Carolina and I don't feel like it would be right to comment on her writing ability based on her personal diary. I found her diary very interesting, but also very redundant. Carolina also doesn't give a lot of context or background so events can be vague or confusing. Anyone looking for insight into poverty or racism should read this book. However, I would highly recommend that you supplement this book with "The Life and Death of Carolina Maria de Jesus" by Robert M. Levine. Levine puts more of Carolina's struggles into perspective by giving a more biographical account of her life including historical background on Brazil. As an individual, I have a lot of respect for her; she had an amazing determination and was an incredibly hard worker. I don't know if I would recommend her diary to everyone, but I would recommend people learn about her.