Carolina Maria de Jesus’ book Child of the Dark is an informative, yet riveting, collection of events about a single woman’s life in the favelas (slums) of São Paulo. In this book, de Jesus talks about her everyday struggles to raise three children, alone and penniless. She talks about the adversities she faces with a blunt tone. De Jesus also captures the essence of the futility that her fellow favelados (impoverished slum-dwellers) feel. …showed first 75 words of 562 total…

…showed last 75 words of 562 total…de Jesus’ diary is a useful text for understanding the mentality of the impoverished, not just in Brazil, but anywhere in the world. Her vivid recollections of her own experiences as well as the other favelados serve to teach us the mindset of someone who leads a life very different from our own. De Jesus teaches us of the values of raising a family and keeping hope alive, even in the face of such adversity.