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Sluta aldrig gå - Från gatan i Sao Paulo till Vindeln i Norrland
”Jag är född i Brasiliens vildmark och bodde i en grotta tills jag var ungefär fem år gammal. Därefter flyttade min mamma och jag in till en av São Paulos många kåkstäder – en rent livsfarlig miljö för ett barn att växa upp i. Jag fick tidigt lära mig att inte lita på polisen eller andra vuxna. Ofta fick jag klara mig själv och jag fick även ansvara för min lillebror innan jag slutligen hamnade på barnhem. Ett år senare, när jag var åtta år, adopterades jag bort till en familj i Vindeln i Västerbotten.”
Christina berättar om sitt liv som gatubarn i Brasilien, om svält, misshandel och separation. Om uppväxten i Sverige och alla kulturkrockar som uppstod när hon kom till det lilla samhället i Norrland. Hur hon har bearbetat sina upplevelser i vuxen ålder och börjat bygga upp ett nytt liv. Och när hon behöver fylla på med kraft och energi har hon ett speciellt knep: Hon kastar sig ut från ett flygplan och faller fritt i sextio sekunder innan fallskärmen vecklas ut. Att landa på fötterna är bra att kunna i många sammanhang!
Det här är en berättelse om kärlek, sorg, vänskap och förlust. Christina berättar om att överleva, om hur vitt skilda världar har format henne och hur hon har kämpat för att få ihop sina två jag.
Christina berättar om sitt liv som gatubarn i Brasilien, om svält, misshandel och separation. Om uppväxten i Sverige och alla kulturkrockar som uppstod när hon kom till det lilla samhället i Norrland. Hur hon har bearbetat sina upplevelser i vuxen ålder och börjat bygga upp ett nytt liv. Och när hon behöver fylla på med kraft och energi har hon ett speciellt knep: Hon kastar sig ut från ett flygplan och faller fritt i sextio sekunder innan fallskärmen vecklas ut. Att landa på fötterna är bra att kunna i många sammanhang!
Det här är en berättelse om kärlek, sorg, vänskap och förlust. Christina berättar om att överleva, om hur vitt skilda världar har format henne och hur hon har kämpat för att få ihop sina två jag.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2016
3157 people are currently reading
5553 people want to read
About the author
Christina Rickardsson
3 books77 followersChristina's story leaves no one untouched, and at the same time it will challenge your views on identity and culture in an era of human mobility and people seeking refuge across borders. It suggests that we are all creators of ourselves and our societies, and what we give is what we get back in return. Follow Christina on her journey from the life in poverty in Brazil to a life of entrepreneurship in the north of Sweden.
She is an entrepreneur, author and adventurer. Christina was born as Christiana Mara Coelho in Brazil, where she lived with her mother in a cave. Later they moved to a slum in São Paulo, where she lived and begged in the streets, and was subjected to starvation, physical and psychological abuse. When she was seven years old, Christina was sent to an orphanage and at eight she was adopted, against her and her mother’s will, to a home in Vindeln, Sweden.
Increasing awareness and understanding for differences, prejudices and culture shock is one of the goals of Christina’s work, and in doing so, building bridges to create dialogue, tolerance and openness in society.
She is an entrepreneur, author and adventurer. Christina was born as Christiana Mara Coelho in Brazil, where she lived with her mother in a cave. Later they moved to a slum in São Paulo, where she lived and begged in the streets, and was subjected to starvation, physical and psychological abuse. When she was seven years old, Christina was sent to an orphanage and at eight she was adopted, against her and her mother’s will, to a home in Vindeln, Sweden.
Increasing awareness and understanding for differences, prejudices and culture shock is one of the goals of Christina’s work, and in doing so, building bridges to create dialogue, tolerance and openness in society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 664 reviews
May 3, 2018
Life is fickle. Honest, emotional, compelling.
Perhaps for the first chapter, I didn't get into the flow of this book. The writing seemed stilted, unemotional, cold descriptions of a child's memories. Then, suddenly, I tumbled into the author's world headlong, completely engrossed and not wanting to put the book down.
The narrative shifts among time, place, and mood beautifully. It shows the determination to survive as a street kid in Brazil, and the culture shock of a sudden uprooting to a new family and new home in Sweden. The book is rich with life's moments that resonate worldwide: poverty, wealth, abuse, kindness, violence, tenderness, death, life, despair, and hope. The recurring theme of mothering and the strength of friends was both touching and hauntingly sad in turns.
The tale the author tells us not an easy one. She lays herself bare, sharing even the most horrific moments and nightmares of her life, and the (quite literally) soaring heights as well. Were this an American memoir, it would include references to PTSD and therapy to cope - understandable, and no shame in either. Here the author finds her own techniques, including using her experiences to help others. Kudos to her for sharing her tale and using it for positive change.
I will be rereading this, as I'm sure my rapid fire swiping reading to find out what would happen next caused me to miss some of the richness and elegance of the text.
The translator also deserves mention - were it not for names I'm unused to reading, I would have thought I was reading it in the language it was written in. Nicely done.
Perhaps for the first chapter, I didn't get into the flow of this book. The writing seemed stilted, unemotional, cold descriptions of a child's memories. Then, suddenly, I tumbled into the author's world headlong, completely engrossed and not wanting to put the book down.
The narrative shifts among time, place, and mood beautifully. It shows the determination to survive as a street kid in Brazil, and the culture shock of a sudden uprooting to a new family and new home in Sweden. The book is rich with life's moments that resonate worldwide: poverty, wealth, abuse, kindness, violence, tenderness, death, life, despair, and hope. The recurring theme of mothering and the strength of friends was both touching and hauntingly sad in turns.
The tale the author tells us not an easy one. She lays herself bare, sharing even the most horrific moments and nightmares of her life, and the (quite literally) soaring heights as well. Were this an American memoir, it would include references to PTSD and therapy to cope - understandable, and no shame in either. Here the author finds her own techniques, including using her experiences to help others. Kudos to her for sharing her tale and using it for positive change.
I will be rereading this, as I'm sure my rapid fire swiping reading to find out what would happen next caused me to miss some of the richness and elegance of the text.
The translator also deserves mention - were it not for names I'm unused to reading, I would have thought I was reading it in the language it was written in. Nicely done.
May 6, 2019
Non-fiction memoir, translated from Swedish, about the author’s journey to discover her past. Christina Rickardsson was born Christiana Coelho in Brazil. She lived in caves with her mother, and barely survived on the streets of São Paulo, before being admitted to an orphanage, where she was adopted at age eight by a Swedish couple. This is a dual story of the author’s tragic childhood experiences in Brazil, and her journey from Sweden to Brazil as an adult to connect with her cultural heritage and biological family.
I think the book is worth reading for a first-hand account of a life most of us cannot imagine, along with insight into the resulting psychological damage. She comes across as candid and still suffering. It’s amazing to me how she recalls so much of her life before age eight. While I applaud the author for calling attention to the traumatic plight of children in poverty, she is not a particularly accomplished writer. The writing is passable, though a bit choppy and very simplistic in style. The memoir was most effective for me when focused on healing and understanding, and what it means to have dual cultural identities.
I think the book is worth reading for a first-hand account of a life most of us cannot imagine, along with insight into the resulting psychological damage. She comes across as candid and still suffering. It’s amazing to me how she recalls so much of her life before age eight. While I applaud the author for calling attention to the traumatic plight of children in poverty, she is not a particularly accomplished writer. The writing is passable, though a bit choppy and very simplistic in style. The memoir was most effective for me when focused on healing and understanding, and what it means to have dual cultural identities.
May 24, 2018
What a tragic book! It is not only tragic because a little girl had to grow up living in caves and the Brazilian favela (slum) and being desperate enough to kill for half-eaten food that was thrown in the garbage. It is also tragic that the experience left Christina so emotionally scarred that she couldn't accept love in her new home in Sweden.
When it comes to Mamae in Brazil vs. Mama in Sweden, the former wins hands down even though Mamae was mentally ill and could not provide the necessities of life. Till Lili-ann's dying day, Christina could never tell her adoptive mother that she loved her. Her adoptive father, Sture, is barely mentioned. I feel bad for the adoptive parents; they certainly did not get what they bargained for.
The author glosses over the fact that she seems ungrateful to be adopted and lead a "normal" life in Sweden. The adoption saved her from a life of extreme destitution, malnourishment, disease, violence, glue sniffing and the strong possibility of death - just like her father, her brother and several of her acquaintances. Unlike millions of other "street rats," Christina was lucky enough to be whisked away to the other side of the globe where none of these problems exist. Yet all she does is moan about the fact that she didn't understand why she and Mamae may never see eachother again. I might accept these feelings in a 7 year old, but when they are still percolating in a 30-something adult, something is wrong.
The subtitle, "A Memoir of Finding a Home Across the World," says it all. The book is about Christina's quest of finding her biological family in Brazil. Yet tragically she could never find a home across the world in Sweden.
The book is not especially well written (or translated), and it gets rather preachy toward the end. I am amazed by all the 5 star reviews this book received.
When it comes to Mamae in Brazil vs. Mama in Sweden, the former wins hands down even though Mamae was mentally ill and could not provide the necessities of life. Till Lili-ann's dying day, Christina could never tell her adoptive mother that she loved her. Her adoptive father, Sture, is barely mentioned. I feel bad for the adoptive parents; they certainly did not get what they bargained for.
The author glosses over the fact that she seems ungrateful to be adopted and lead a "normal" life in Sweden. The adoption saved her from a life of extreme destitution, malnourishment, disease, violence, glue sniffing and the strong possibility of death - just like her father, her brother and several of her acquaintances. Unlike millions of other "street rats," Christina was lucky enough to be whisked away to the other side of the globe where none of these problems exist. Yet all she does is moan about the fact that she didn't understand why she and Mamae may never see eachother again. I might accept these feelings in a 7 year old, but when they are still percolating in a 30-something adult, something is wrong.
The subtitle, "A Memoir of Finding a Home Across the World," says it all. The book is about Christina's quest of finding her biological family in Brazil. Yet tragically she could never find a home across the world in Sweden.
The book is not especially well written (or translated), and it gets rather preachy toward the end. I am amazed by all the 5 star reviews this book received.
April 7, 2019
Born in the woods and brought up in the caves of Brazil. This is poverty at its rawest. Christina Rickardsson (her Swedish name) tells the story about her upbringing and the quest to find her biological mother, Petronilia Maria Coelho, who put her up for adoption when she was 7 years old and has not seen for 24 years. A Swedish couple adopted her when she was 8.
The book flits from memories of her young life on the streets and in the orphanage in Brazil to her flying back from Sweden 24 years later.
Some memories from her time in Brazil are appalling. Once again, the way disgusting men take advantage of vulnerable adults and children makes me sick. Some of the stories are repulsive. What right do men think they have to rape/sexually abuse women and children when they want? I have read many books where men around the world act in this same way. There is also one very disturbing story that the author has had to come to terms with. Survival of the fittest was never truer especially in the favelas of Brazil.
The harsh environment on the streets transpires to the orphanage also. I had to keep reminding myself that she was only seven years old when she was in the orphanage. The behaviour was that of more 15 / 16 year old girls. Christina gets through it of course. How has all of this affected her? Will she find her biological mother?
Christina goes over how countries / governments deal or, in the case of Brazil, do not deal with mental illness and extreme poverty. She also goes over the very current plight of refugees from war torn countries.
I read the Kindle version which did not have any photos. Here is Christina’s Instagram page that she mentioned in the book: https://www.instagram.com/christina_r...
The book flits from memories of her young life on the streets and in the orphanage in Brazil to her flying back from Sweden 24 years later.
Some memories from her time in Brazil are appalling. Once again, the way disgusting men take advantage of vulnerable adults and children makes me sick. Some of the stories are repulsive. What right do men think they have to rape/sexually abuse women and children when they want? I have read many books where men around the world act in this same way. There is also one very disturbing story that the author has had to come to terms with. Survival of the fittest was never truer especially in the favelas of Brazil.
The harsh environment on the streets transpires to the orphanage also. I had to keep reminding myself that she was only seven years old when she was in the orphanage. The behaviour was that of more 15 / 16 year old girls. Christina gets through it of course. How has all of this affected her? Will she find her biological mother?
Christina goes over how countries / governments deal or, in the case of Brazil, do not deal with mental illness and extreme poverty. She also goes over the very current plight of refugees from war torn countries.
I read the Kindle version which did not have any photos. Here is Christina’s Instagram page that she mentioned in the book: https://www.instagram.com/christina_r...
September 15, 2019
Mane visuomet žavi, kai knyga būna tikra kažkieno istorija. O kai ją dar pasakoja pats tai išgyvenęs žmogus tampa tik dar įdomiau. Tad su didžiuliu nekantrumu ir užsidegimu kibau į šį pasakojimą.
Tai istorija apie moterį bei jos tikrojo "aš" paieškas. Dviejuose pasauliuose.. Vienas, kuriame ji gimė ir kitas, kuriame ji užaugo.
Christiana Mara Coelho gimė Brazilijoje ir ten praleido aštuonerius savo gyvenimo metus. Tuo metu mergaitė gyveno visiškame skurde, San Paulo gatvėse kovodavo dėl duonos kąsnio bei išlikimo.. Ne, ji nebuvo palikta likimo valiai.. Turėjo motiną, kuri ją be galo mylėjo, bet deja, vien meilės nepakako.. Jos tiesiog elgetaudavo.. Taip vieną dieną Christiana atsidūrė kartu su savo broliu vaikų namuose..
Christina Rickardsson užaugo Švedijoje, šeimoje, kuri įsivaikino ją bei jos brolį. Jie gyveno gana pasiturinčiai, čia niekad netrūkdavo maisto.. Taip pat naujoji šeima suteikė kuo daugiau įmanoma meilės bei rūpesčio.
Skamba taip, tarytum moteris turėtų džiaugtis savo gyvenimu bei pamiršti skaudžią praeitį.. Tačiau ji visą laiką žinojo bei jautė, jog Brazilija yra labai didelė bei brangi jos gyvenimo dalis. Įvykus lūžiui jos gyvenime, Christina nusprendė vykti į Braziliją bei išsiaiškinti tai, kas virš dvidešimt metų nedavė jos sielai ramybės..
Stiprus bei jautrus pasakojimas apie jaunos moters išgyvenimus, kaip jai teko patirti tiek šilto tiek ir šalto.. Labai įtraukianti savo paprastumu bei nuoširdumu. Net skaitant knygą jaučiau sklindančią šilumą iš Christinos.. Tikiu, jog ji yra nepaprastai nuoširdi bei šilta asmenybė.
Jei nebijote atvirumo bei nepagražinto pasakojimo, drąsiai skaitykite šią knygą. Pažinsite geriau Braziliją, bei tai, kas verda gatvėse.. Ko mes net neįsivaizduojame ir net nenutuokiame. Bei susipažinsite su Christinos istorija, kurią manau, jog verta perskaityti kiekvienam.
June 2, 2018
Disturbed
Can I be the only reader who is deeply disturbed by the fact that the author murdered another child and did not address this further in her book? I see that it was a dire, disturbing, unfathomable life she was living and perhaps she didn’t fully grasp what she had done at the time. However, now 25 years older, she spends endless pages of this book on self reflection, yet her stabbing an 8-year-old to death barely fills a handful of pages and is never mentioned again. I find this lack of reflection incomprehensible and it ruined any feelings I may have had for her or her story.
Can I be the only reader who is deeply disturbed by the fact that the author murdered another child and did not address this further in her book? I see that it was a dire, disturbing, unfathomable life she was living and perhaps she didn’t fully grasp what she had done at the time. However, now 25 years older, she spends endless pages of this book on self reflection, yet her stabbing an 8-year-old to death barely fills a handful of pages and is never mentioned again. I find this lack of reflection incomprehensible and it ruined any feelings I may have had for her or her story.
August 15, 2019
"Kas yra švediška? Kas yra braziliška? Kas aš?"
Pamenate, kai prieš 20 metų pradėjo rodyti laidą "Atleisk", kuri su laiku virto į paieškų tarnybą? Kas ieškojo savo tikrų tėvų, giminių, kas vaikystės draugų. Tada aš buvau paauglė ir viena laida mane taip paveikė, kad išrausiau visus tėvų namus. Ieškojau dokumentų, kurie įrodytų, jog esu įvaikinta. Tuomet atrodė, kad tai smagu, galėsiu per TV ieškoti kitos šeimos. Bet neradau nieko. Mano tėvai yra tikri tėvai, sesuo irgi tikra. Jokios intrigos, neįdomu!
Ir jeigu tuomet tai atrodė kaip nuotykis, tai skaitant autobiografinę knygą "Niekada nesustok" suvoki, kaip svarbu yra atrasti savo tapatybę, savo šaknis bei vidinį "aš".
Du skirtingi pasauliai, dvi šalys ir kultūros, dvi tapatybės ir vienas žmogus. Vienoje rankoje skurdžios Brazilijos gatvelės, gyvenimas miško oloje, maisto trūkumas, niekam nerūpintys, pykčio ir smurto pilni vaikai. Kitoje - įtėvių meilė, nuosavas kambarys, nauja kalba, draugai ir mokykla. Bet ar to pakanka, jog jaustumei vidinę pilnatvę? Ar gali jau atsakyti sau: kas aš?
Autorei to nepakako, todėl knygoje ji pasakoja ne tik apie pirmuosius septynerius metus Brazilijoje, vėlesnį gyvenimą Švedijoje, bet ir kaip nusprendžia grįžti bei pagaliau pažvelgti savo praeičiai į akis.
Jei atvirai, aš nesitikėjau iš šios knygos daug, bet gavau su kaupu. Skaitant labai jautėsi autorės atvirumas, nuoširdumas, noras ne tik papasakoti savo istoriją, bet ir analizuoti, kodėl taip nutiko, ką jai tai reiškia. Kaip gyvenimas gatvėje ją privertė per greit suaugti, kiek tai turėjo įtakos jos charakteriui ir padėjo įsitvirtinti Švedijoje.
Knyga yra tokio atvirumo, jog ji net prisipažįsta apie vaikystėje įvykdytą sunkų nusikaltimą. Aš labai tikiuosi, kad autorė pasitarė su teisininkais prieš rašant knygą.
Nors atvirumo buvo daug, bet man norėjosi dar daugiau. Ypač apie tai, kaip jai sekėsi adaptuotis švediškoje aplinkoje, ar jai patiko IKEA kukuliai su spanguolėm, kokie sunkumai kilo bendraujant su įtėviais ir etc. Būtent dėl to aš pradėjau ieškoti informacijos internete, sekti ją IG, klausytis jos paskaitų. Sužinojau, jog autorė po knygos tapo žinoma Brazilijoje bei įkūrė paramos fondą skurde gyvenantiems vaikams.
Man nuotraukos knygoje nėra būtinybė, bet šioje knygoje jos labai tiko ir leido dar empatiškiau pažvelgti į autorės gyvenimą. Rekomenduoju, viena iš geresnių mano šiemet skaitytų knygų.
September 4, 2019
An inspiring story!
May 10, 2018
Brazilian-Swede, Christina Ricardsson, née Christiana Coelho lives in Umea, Sweden. At eight years-old, she and her twenty-two month old brother, Patrick, who was known as Patrique Jose Coelho, were adopted by a loving Swedish couple, Lili-ann and Sture Ricardsson. Christina remembers she spent most of her time on the streets of Sao Paulo, often without her mother. As a toddler, Patrick’s only memory is sleeping in a box.
With a friend, Christina begins searching for her biological mother in Brazil. In the adoption records Christina discovered her mother, Petronilia, is listed as abusive. However, she remembers her mother as a warm and loving caregiver. She does not remember stating “I do not want to live like this.” She worried that her biological mother could have been told this.
Christina realized there is a difference between choosing not to take care of your children and living in a society that does not give its citizens resources so they can take care of them.
This is a memoir, often sad and disheartening. Young, abandoned children are exploited and murdered. But the beauty and purity of Christina’s love and loyalty for her parent, sibling and friends is vivid and heartfelt. It overpowers the favelas, laden with crime and violence. Yet there are empathetic, warmhearted people too, living in surroundings on the fringes of an unkind, uncaring, and unjust society.
I believe Christina and Patrick’s blessing was to experience a better life. Four stars.
With a friend, Christina begins searching for her biological mother in Brazil. In the adoption records Christina discovered her mother, Petronilia, is listed as abusive. However, she remembers her mother as a warm and loving caregiver. She does not remember stating “I do not want to live like this.” She worried that her biological mother could have been told this.
Christina realized there is a difference between choosing not to take care of your children and living in a society that does not give its citizens resources so they can take care of them.
This is a memoir, often sad and disheartening. Young, abandoned children are exploited and murdered. But the beauty and purity of Christina’s love and loyalty for her parent, sibling and friends is vivid and heartfelt. It overpowers the favelas, laden with crime and violence. Yet there are empathetic, warmhearted people too, living in surroundings on the fringes of an unkind, uncaring, and unjust society.
I believe Christina and Patrick’s blessing was to experience a better life. Four stars.
June 8, 2022
Man labai patiko. Atvira, jautru, stipru. Neįprasta rašytojos gyvenimo istorija. Christiana gimė Brazilijoje visiškame skurde. Pirmuosius savo vaikystės metus gyveno miškų olose ir elgetavo San Paulo gatvėse. Turėjo mylinčią mamą, bet vieną dieną su mažuoju broliuku atsidūrė vaikų namuose. Ji užaugo Švedijoje, ją su broliu įvaikinusioje šeimoje. Buvo apsupta įtėvių dėmesio, meilės ir rūpestingumo, tačiau kankinamai ilgėjosi to, ką prarado. Ji buvo dvilypė asmenybė - Christina iš Norlando ir Christiana iš Brazilijos. Ne visada buvo lengva jas suvienyti. Ir kai vieną dieną jos pasaulis visiškai sugriuvo, ji ryžosi stoti į akistatą su praeitimi - grįžti į Braziliją ieškoti biologinės motinos ir išsiaiškinti, kas gi iš tiesų ji yra...
Labai nuoširdus, atviras, tikras pasakojimas. Rekomenduoju!
Labai nuoširdus, atviras, tikras pasakojimas. Rekomenduoju!
March 4, 2023
Labai patiko. Tikra, skaudi istorija❤
July 15, 2019
Living in Sweden and remembering nothing of her native language Portugese that she spoke until she was adopted at the age of eight, Christina Rickardsson is now 32-years-old and is about to embark on her first trip back to the country of her birth to reconnect with elements of that initial period in her life, that she vividly recalls.
Recurring nightmares of her childhood awaken something in her sub-conscious, creating an emotional/ spiritual that she decides to address by revisiting the location of her childhood.
A dual narrative flips between the present as she returns to Sao Paulo with her friend Rivia, who will act as her translator and the past where she shares the vivid memories and equally strong emotions of her early childhood years.
She reviews the adoption papers that have been locked in a safe for the past 24 years.
Some of the things she reads disturb her because they don't ring true, she retains strong and tender feelings of love towards her biological mother and recalls their trauma of their separation but has never understood why. Her story is written in a desire to restore her mother's name and tell their truth as she remembers it, to fill in the gaps in her knowledge and find out if her mother is still alive.
Her story begins with memories of living in a forest cave in the Brazilian wilderness with her mother, of surviving on the streets of Sao Paulo and her time in an orphanage before she and her almost 2-year-old brother are adopted by a Swedish couple and begin a new life there.
She recalls her friendships with other children when they live in the streets, special moments, terrifying incidents and the strong emotions they evoke are equally remembered, her instinct for self-preservation is strong and her reactions to things spill over into her new life in Sweden, where they are often deemed inappropriate.
The relationship she remembers with her mother from childhood is tender, the bond strong, she defends it, and holds tight to the memories. There is a respectful appreciation for her Swedish family and clearly a difference between her feelings and those of her brother, who recalls little of his life in Brazil before their adoption.
There's an undercurrent of sadness in this accomplished memoir, of a woman who is neither one thing nor the other, who can never let got of who she is, but must continue to live as that whom she has become.
She finds a way to navigate the two selves by turning the focus outward, towards helping others, addressing the ache of having had to suppress her true self for so long.
She shares one of the more troubling stories of her childhood in a 15 minute TED Talk linked below and the inspiration behind the words in the title, Never Stop Walking.
Christina's TEDTalk 'The Lottery of Life'
Recurring nightmares of her childhood awaken something in her sub-conscious, creating an emotional/ spiritual that she decides to address by revisiting the location of her childhood.
I watched my eyes fill with tears as I realized that the little girl who had run for her life had just kept on running. I needed to stop running and once and for all, for my own sake, process what had happened.
A dual narrative flips between the present as she returns to Sao Paulo with her friend Rivia, who will act as her translator and the past where she shares the vivid memories and equally strong emotions of her early childhood years.
She reviews the adoption papers that have been locked in a safe for the past 24 years.
I've never felt the need to find out who I am, where I come from, or why I was abandoned. I know who I am, where I come from; most of all I know that I wasn't abandoned. Kidnapping might be too strong a word to use for how our adoption transpired, but sometimes that what it felt like.
Some of the things she reads disturb her because they don't ring true, she retains strong and tender feelings of love towards her biological mother and recalls their trauma of their separation but has never understood why. Her story is written in a desire to restore her mother's name and tell their truth as she remembers it, to fill in the gaps in her knowledge and find out if her mother is still alive.
Her story begins with memories of living in a forest cave in the Brazilian wilderness with her mother, of surviving on the streets of Sao Paulo and her time in an orphanage before she and her almost 2-year-old brother are adopted by a Swedish couple and begin a new life there.
She recalls her friendships with other children when they live in the streets, special moments, terrifying incidents and the strong emotions they evoke are equally remembered, her instinct for self-preservation is strong and her reactions to things spill over into her new life in Sweden, where they are often deemed inappropriate.
On some level, I began to understand that people, especially grown-ups,weren't interested in the truth but rather in a truth that suited them. They only wanted to know about things that made stuff easier for them. It didn't matter that I was walling off part of myself, that I was turning into someone else.
The relationship she remembers with her mother from childhood is tender, the bond strong, she defends it, and holds tight to the memories. There is a respectful appreciation for her Swedish family and clearly a difference between her feelings and those of her brother, who recalls little of his life in Brazil before their adoption.
We have completely different relationships with out biological mother. Unlike me, Patrick doesn't have any memories of her. For him, she's the woman who gave birth to him and couldn't take care of him.
There's an undercurrent of sadness in this accomplished memoir, of a woman who is neither one thing nor the other, who can never let got of who she is, but must continue to live as that whom she has become.
I felt so much rage growing up that it frightened me. It filled me and destroyed me. I felt it, but I didn't know how to handle it, so I smiled and laughed even more and did well in school...I had walled off my true self.
She finds a way to navigate the two selves by turning the focus outward, towards helping others, addressing the ache of having had to suppress her true self for so long.
She shares one of the more troubling stories of her childhood in a 15 minute TED Talk linked below and the inspiration behind the words in the title, Never Stop Walking.
Christina's TEDTalk 'The Lottery of Life'
January 14, 2019
I adored this book, slept next to it until I'd finished it. It starts heartbreakingly but ends in triumph and sweetness.
I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
I'd give it 10 stars if I could.
February 13, 2020
▪️
“Prisiminimai įdomūs tuo,kad vieni išlieka, kiti dingsta visam laikui, o treti gali sugrįžti.”
▪️
“Mano ryškiausias ir gražiausias prisiminimas, išlikęs per visą gyvenimą, yra iš ano laiko. Prisimenu, kaip mudvi su mama bėgome per lietų. Vėliau, jau suaugusi, suvokiau, kiek skausmo ir liūdesio tam prisiminimui teko atsverti.”
▪️”Christiana, gyvenime yra sunkesnių dalykų nei gyventi.
Kai paklausiau, ką ji nori pasakyti, mama, prisimenu, paaiškino, kad gyveni, kol jauti džiaugsmą ir skausmą, net jei tau blogai, netenki jėgų ir tikėjimo. Blogiau eiti per gyvenimą kaip vaiduokliui, kai pats gyvas, o siela mirusi, kai esi panašus į tuščią kiaukutą.”
September 1, 2020
Самое удивительное в воспоминаниях - это то, что одни остаются в нашей памяти, а другие нет; одни улетучиваются навсегда, а другие могут вернуться
С годами я по-настоящему поняла, что такое скучать по кому-то. Не важно, когда ты видел человека в последний раз и когда был ваш последний разговор. Главное - как часто тебе хочется, чтобы этот человек был рядом.
В жизни есть вещи гораздо страшнее, чем борьба за выживание. Если ты можешь радоваться и грустить, значит, ты живой, даже если бывает больно и ты утратил веру и волю двигаться вперёд. Но идти по жизни, как призрак, когда тело твоё живо, но душа мертва, и от тебя осталась лишь сухая оболочка, - гораздо страшнее
С годами я по-настоящему поняла, что такое скучать по кому-то. Не важно, когда ты видел человека в последний раз и когда был ваш последний разговор. Главное - как часто тебе хочется, чтобы этот человек был рядом.
В жизни есть вещи гораздо страшнее, чем борьба за выживание. Если ты можешь радоваться и грустить, значит, ты живой, даже если бывает больно и ты утратил веру и волю двигаться вперёд. Но идти по жизни, как призрак, когда тело твоё живо, но душа мертва, и от тебя осталась лишь сухая оболочка, - гораздо страшнее
March 7, 2019
The true story of Christina spending part of her childhood in the slums of Brazil is both fascinating and sad. I believe her story shed light on the "street kids" of Brazil and how they were abused and murdered by the adults around them.
Why did I give this book only 2 stars? For a few reasons...
1. The small, tiny reason (actually not much of a reason at all tbh) is the fact that there were no photos of her return to Brazil even after she mentioned having a lot of photos. This wouldn't be so bad except you can Google her and find a few of them attached to articles about the book. Not sure of those photos can be seen in the physical hardcover or softcover but the Kindle version does not have any which is a shame. That would've been a great addition to this book.
2. The main reason I only gave this book 2 stars is because after she tells the story of her childhood both in Brazil and in Sweden the book devolves into nothing but preaching. The Afterword was even worse! I had to skip over most of it. I don't mind hearing the author's views on society, privilege, ect but we didn't need paragraphs of it. The story was already dotted with those thoughts so dedicating much of the last few dozen or so pages to it was ridiculous.
3. She glossed over her brother Patrick's story. Of course he is named several times throughout the book so we're very aware of his existence but it was only in the context of her looking out for him. We only hear that he was to visit his mom a "few days" after Christina visited but we don't get to know how that meeting went after all of those years of being apart. We never hear his voice or get his opinion of anything aside from that brief phone call she had to him after she arrived in Brazil.
4. This may have been an oversight with the translation but she stated towards the end that one of her brothers died and the other is missing when in fact 2 are missing. So, she has two older brothers (1 died and 1 no one in her family knows his whereabouts), she has Patrick with which she has a relationship with, but she also has a younger brother whom she never met who was adopted out and again no one in her family knows where he is. So the statement she made about 1 being dead and 1 being missing is incorrect based on her own telling earlier on.
5. She glossed over her adoptive parents. We barely learned anything about them at all. The very parents who actually took care of her and loved her for more years than she lived with her bio-mom. Of course she loves all of her parents, adopted and bio, but I found she only focused on her adopted mom more than the adopted dad and even that was only second to her real mom whom lost her due to her mental illness and poverty. Bottom line, having a chapter giving us some more insight into her adopted parents would have been nice.
6. She told us the very disturbing story of her murdering another child while in the slums of Brazil. This story was told in a "not-my-fault-blame-my-living-conditions" sort of way which rubbed me the wrong way. She did mention a few times throughout the book, the remorse she feels about it but it almost feels as if she's handling it like a witness to the crime and not the person who actually did the crime, if you get what I mean. It could be that she hasn't addressed this in therapy and her way of dealing with it is to take the view of a bystander/witness rather than the killer. I understand she was only a child but her point-of-view and way she describes this act in the book seems a bit cold and as I said, someone recounting a scene they witnessed rather than something they actually did themselves. Hope she's getting counseling about this as that's a big deal.
Overall, the story of her childhood, especially focused on her time as a "street kid" in the slums was very eye-opening for me as I had never heard this was a thing (I'm about her age) until now and it breaks my heart. I wish the preaching of how people who live in First World countries should live, think, and feel wasn't so prevalent in this book. We get the message and most of us can understand but it doesn't need to be preached to us ad nauseum.
What I wish this book was like: I really wish her story was more focused on what is being done now about the lives of the poor in Brazil and what we can do as "First Worlders" to help fix this (without the preaching, please). Maybe that's not the book she intended. Of course, maybe this was simply a memoir and nothing more and if that's the case than remove the preaching and save it for another book about social justice instead. I do wish though, that she write another book focusing on the "street kids" with some stories and anecdotes. The book could contain the history of how "street kids" came to be, how it looks for them in the present time, and what could be done to make it better and/or prevent it in the future. That would be a book I'd read and would spread awareness about this more than her "memoir" did.
Why did I give this book only 2 stars? For a few reasons...
1. The small, tiny reason (actually not much of a reason at all tbh) is the fact that there were no photos of her return to Brazil even after she mentioned having a lot of photos. This wouldn't be so bad except you can Google her and find a few of them attached to articles about the book. Not sure of those photos can be seen in the physical hardcover or softcover but the Kindle version does not have any which is a shame. That would've been a great addition to this book.
2. The main reason I only gave this book 2 stars is because after she tells the story of her childhood both in Brazil and in Sweden the book devolves into nothing but preaching. The Afterword was even worse! I had to skip over most of it. I don't mind hearing the author's views on society, privilege, ect but we didn't need paragraphs of it. The story was already dotted with those thoughts so dedicating much of the last few dozen or so pages to it was ridiculous.
3. She glossed over her brother Patrick's story. Of course he is named several times throughout the book so we're very aware of his existence but it was only in the context of her looking out for him. We only hear that he was to visit his mom a "few days" after Christina visited but we don't get to know how that meeting went after all of those years of being apart. We never hear his voice or get his opinion of anything aside from that brief phone call she had to him after she arrived in Brazil.
4. This may have been an oversight with the translation but she stated towards the end that one of her brothers died and the other is missing when in fact 2 are missing. So, she has two older brothers (1 died and 1 no one in her family knows his whereabouts), she has Patrick with which she has a relationship with, but she also has a younger brother whom she never met who was adopted out and again no one in her family knows where he is. So the statement she made about 1 being dead and 1 being missing is incorrect based on her own telling earlier on.
5. She glossed over her adoptive parents. We barely learned anything about them at all. The very parents who actually took care of her and loved her for more years than she lived with her bio-mom. Of course she loves all of her parents, adopted and bio, but I found she only focused on her adopted mom more than the adopted dad and even that was only second to her real mom whom lost her due to her mental illness and poverty. Bottom line, having a chapter giving us some more insight into her adopted parents would have been nice.
6. She told us the very disturbing story of her murdering another child while in the slums of Brazil. This story was told in a "not-my-fault-blame-my-living-conditions" sort of way which rubbed me the wrong way. She did mention a few times throughout the book, the remorse she feels about it but it almost feels as if she's handling it like a witness to the crime and not the person who actually did the crime, if you get what I mean. It could be that she hasn't addressed this in therapy and her way of dealing with it is to take the view of a bystander/witness rather than the killer. I understand she was only a child but her point-of-view and way she describes this act in the book seems a bit cold and as I said, someone recounting a scene they witnessed rather than something they actually did themselves. Hope she's getting counseling about this as that's a big deal.
Overall, the story of her childhood, especially focused on her time as a "street kid" in the slums was very eye-opening for me as I had never heard this was a thing (I'm about her age) until now and it breaks my heart. I wish the preaching of how people who live in First World countries should live, think, and feel wasn't so prevalent in this book. We get the message and most of us can understand but it doesn't need to be preached to us ad nauseum.
What I wish this book was like: I really wish her story was more focused on what is being done now about the lives of the poor in Brazil and what we can do as "First Worlders" to help fix this (without the preaching, please). Maybe that's not the book she intended. Of course, maybe this was simply a memoir and nothing more and if that's the case than remove the preaching and save it for another book about social justice instead. I do wish though, that she write another book focusing on the "street kids" with some stories and anecdotes. The book could contain the history of how "street kids" came to be, how it looks for them in the present time, and what could be done to make it better and/or prevent it in the future. That would be a book I'd read and would spread awareness about this more than her "memoir" did.
February 21, 2020
Kai kuriuos gali nustebinti toks nepalankus mūsų šios tikros istorijos vertinimas, tačiau tam iš tiesų yra priežasčių. Nesame abejingi nei skurdžiai gyvenantiems, nei iš tėvų atimtiems vaikams, o Pietų Amerikos kultūra gerokai domina jau ne vienerius metus, tad šių žmonių gyvenimas ir kasdienybė taip pat nėra svetima tema. Galbūt kaip tik tai ir padeda pažvelgti į šią knygą visai kitu kampu ir pastebėti tai, kas daugeliui praslysta pro akis išvydus raktinius žodžius – Brazilija, lūšnynai, skurdas, maži vaikai, smurtas. Istorija išties paprasta, pasakojama pačios autorės žodžiais ir prisiminimais, keičiant dabarties ir vaikystės intarpų fragmentus. Ir viskas čia būtų gerai, jei ne pamažu atslenkantis jausmas, kad rašytoja iš visų jėgų stengiasi priversti mus gailėtis savęs, tačiau pasakojimo fragmentuose matyti, kad net ir dabar, jau užaugusi moteris, ji nesigaili savo praeityje įvykdytų dalykų. Ir kalbame čia ne apie kokių monetų vagystę, o žmogaus nužudymą. Toks pasakojimo modelis pakankamai populiarus stebint pastarųjų metų tendencijas – tikros istorijos, realūs išgyvenimai. Viskas būtų kaip ir gerai, tačiau viena pagrindinių šios knygos problemų tampa itin perdėtas ir pernelyg įžūliai brukamas gailesčio elementas, kuriuo autorė mėgina ne tik susilaukti dėmesio, bet ir pateisinti atitinkamus veiksmus.
Daugybė knygos detalių lieka neaiškios, sakoma, kad viskas tikri faktai, tačiau labai gudriai manipuliuojama laiku. Autorė vis pabrėžia, kad negali atsiminti kada tiksliai nutiko vienas ar kitas dalykas bei kiek laiko jis tęsėsi, tad užkertamas kelias bet kokiai autentiškumo analizei. Žinoma, nesakome, kad viskas išgalvota (galų gale mums pateikiama ir fotografinių šaltinių), tačiau, kad tam tikros detalės sudramatintos ir pritemptos – labai jaučiasi. Norom nenorom, matant nuo viršelio švytintį autorės veidą, kyla minčių, kad knygos tikslas ne tiek atskleisti siaubingą neteisybę kadaise įvykusią vaikų namuose, kiek bandymas kuo įspūdingiau parduoti savo pagražintą istoriją, nes kaip tik tokios šiuo metu ant bangos. Lyg to būtų maža, autorė nėra tiksliai apsisprendusi kaip ir kas įvyko bei kokius jausmus jai sukėlė vienokie ar kitokie įvykiai. Labai dažnu atveju, tekste vis kartojamos tos pačios detalės, tie patys sakiniai, o tuomet už poros sekančių puslapių jau dėstoma visiškai priešinga informacija.
Galima paimti konkrečių pavyzdžių – vaikų namų direktorės Christina tai nekenčia ir bijo, tai sako, kad šioji buvo gera ir norėjo gero (nors tuo pačiu atskyrė ją nuo motinos.). Keistumais pasižymi ir biologinė merginos mama, kuri gyvendama laukinėje gamtoje sugeba išsimaitinti medžiodama laukines panteras, nuvyti medžiojančius šunis rankoje laikydama gyvatę, žaibiškai patraukti dukrą nuo jau beįgeliančio skorpiono... tačiau pasirodo ši kone antgamtiška moteris yra šizofrenikė ir nepilno proto. Taip pat viso pasakojimo metu nuolat paminimas jaunesnysis merginos brolis – Patrikas, kuris nelyginant, panašėja į išgalvotą asmenį, mat vienuose scenose jis aiškiai minimas, kitose kažkur dingęs, kas, vėlgi, verčia suabejoti autorės faktų tikrumu.
Trumpai tariant ši knyga pralenkia net ir geriausias melodramas, nes pasakojama apie merginą kurios cituojame "močiutė pagimdė dvidešimt vaikų, senelis nusižudė, mama iššoko per langą bėgdama nuo brolio, tėvas nužudytas, vienas brolis miręs, kitas nežinia kur, o svarbiausia — mama šizofrenikė.". Jei trūksta dramų dar pridėkime seksualinį išnaudojimą, smurtą vaikų namuose ir tai, kad dabar ji jaučiasi lyg laimėjusi loteriją, nes pagaliau save realizavo. Labai gaila, kad trijų šimtų puslapių knygoje aštuonmečio nužudymui buvo skirtos vos kelios pastraipos, o suaugusi moteris apie savo seną nusikaltimą mano, kad "berniukui pasisekė ir jis nepyksta". Štai tokias tad knygas mūsų dauguma įvertina penkiomis žvaigždutėmis, kas dar kartą parodo kiek mažai mūsų visuomenei reiškia tikrasis žmogaus vidus ir kaip lengvai šiuolaikinis skaitytojas pasimauna ant komercinio kabliuko, kuriame nuoširdumo seniai nelikę.
Daugybė knygos detalių lieka neaiškios, sakoma, kad viskas tikri faktai, tačiau labai gudriai manipuliuojama laiku. Autorė vis pabrėžia, kad negali atsiminti kada tiksliai nutiko vienas ar kitas dalykas bei kiek laiko jis tęsėsi, tad užkertamas kelias bet kokiai autentiškumo analizei. Žinoma, nesakome, kad viskas išgalvota (galų gale mums pateikiama ir fotografinių šaltinių), tačiau, kad tam tikros detalės sudramatintos ir pritemptos – labai jaučiasi. Norom nenorom, matant nuo viršelio švytintį autorės veidą, kyla minčių, kad knygos tikslas ne tiek atskleisti siaubingą neteisybę kadaise įvykusią vaikų namuose, kiek bandymas kuo įspūdingiau parduoti savo pagražintą istoriją, nes kaip tik tokios šiuo metu ant bangos. Lyg to būtų maža, autorė nėra tiksliai apsisprendusi kaip ir kas įvyko bei kokius jausmus jai sukėlė vienokie ar kitokie įvykiai. Labai dažnu atveju, tekste vis kartojamos tos pačios detalės, tie patys sakiniai, o tuomet už poros sekančių puslapių jau dėstoma visiškai priešinga informacija.
Galima paimti konkrečių pavyzdžių – vaikų namų direktorės Christina tai nekenčia ir bijo, tai sako, kad šioji buvo gera ir norėjo gero (nors tuo pačiu atskyrė ją nuo motinos.). Keistumais pasižymi ir biologinė merginos mama, kuri gyvendama laukinėje gamtoje sugeba išsimaitinti medžiodama laukines panteras, nuvyti medžiojančius šunis rankoje laikydama gyvatę, žaibiškai patraukti dukrą nuo jau beįgeliančio skorpiono... tačiau pasirodo ši kone antgamtiška moteris yra šizofrenikė ir nepilno proto. Taip pat viso pasakojimo metu nuolat paminimas jaunesnysis merginos brolis – Patrikas, kuris nelyginant, panašėja į išgalvotą asmenį, mat vienuose scenose jis aiškiai minimas, kitose kažkur dingęs, kas, vėlgi, verčia suabejoti autorės faktų tikrumu.
Trumpai tariant ši knyga pralenkia net ir geriausias melodramas, nes pasakojama apie merginą kurios cituojame "močiutė pagimdė dvidešimt vaikų, senelis nusižudė, mama iššoko per langą bėgdama nuo brolio, tėvas nužudytas, vienas brolis miręs, kitas nežinia kur, o svarbiausia — mama šizofrenikė.". Jei trūksta dramų dar pridėkime seksualinį išnaudojimą, smurtą vaikų namuose ir tai, kad dabar ji jaučiasi lyg laimėjusi loteriją, nes pagaliau save realizavo. Labai gaila, kad trijų šimtų puslapių knygoje aštuonmečio nužudymui buvo skirtos vos kelios pastraipos, o suaugusi moteris apie savo seną nusikaltimą mano, kad "berniukui pasisekė ir jis nepyksta". Štai tokias tad knygas mūsų dauguma įvertina penkiomis žvaigždutėmis, kas dar kartą parodo kiek mažai mūsų visuomenei reiškia tikrasis žmogaus vidus ir kaip lengvai šiuolaikinis skaitytojas pasimauna ant komercinio kabliuko, kuriame nuoširdumo seniai nelikę.
October 2, 2020
Šią knygą iš spintos griebiau kaip šiaudą - tokioje neskaitymo duobėje buvau, kad žūtbūt reikėjo knygos, kuri pralaužtų tuos neskaitadienius. Ačiū, Christina, tu tikrai tai padarei.
"Niekada nepasiduok" yra autobiografinė jaunos merginos knyga. Christina gimė ir didžiąją vaikystės dalį praleido Brazilijoje, gyveno oloje, miegojo gatvėse, vos ne kiekvieną dieną susidurdavo su pavojingais aplinkui besišlaistančiais benamiais, o sulaukusi vakaro džiaugdavosi, kad šiandien liko gyva. Sulaukusi septynerių mergaitė kartu su savo mažuoju broliu buvo palikta vaikų namuose, o iš jų dramatiškai įvaikinta vienos Švedijos poros. Mergaitės gyvenimas pasisuko visiškai kita linkme.
Tik tokie gyvenimo pokyčiai pradėjo kelti tapatybės klausimus - kas aš? Kur yra mano namai? Kas apskritai yra namai? Christina leidžiasi į kelionę, grįžta į Braziliją, kad sau atsakytų į visus šiuos klausimus. Jos kelionę lydi atviri pasakojimai, ji mintimis grįžta į savo ankstyvą vaikystę Brazilijoje, papasakoja, koks baisus gyvenimas yra gatvėje ir su kuo turi susidoroti ten gyvenantys maži vaikai. Tikrai sukrečianti, akis atverianti, susimąstyti verčianti knyga.
"Niekada nepasiduok" yra autobiografinė jaunos merginos knyga. Christina gimė ir didžiąją vaikystės dalį praleido Brazilijoje, gyveno oloje, miegojo gatvėse, vos ne kiekvieną dieną susidurdavo su pavojingais aplinkui besišlaistančiais benamiais, o sulaukusi vakaro džiaugdavosi, kad šiandien liko gyva. Sulaukusi septynerių mergaitė kartu su savo mažuoju broliu buvo palikta vaikų namuose, o iš jų dramatiškai įvaikinta vienos Švedijos poros. Mergaitės gyvenimas pasisuko visiškai kita linkme.
Tik tokie gyvenimo pokyčiai pradėjo kelti tapatybės klausimus - kas aš? Kur yra mano namai? Kas apskritai yra namai? Christina leidžiasi į kelionę, grįžta į Braziliją, kad sau atsakytų į visus šiuos klausimus. Jos kelionę lydi atviri pasakojimai, ji mintimis grįžta į savo ankstyvą vaikystę Brazilijoje, papasakoja, koks baisus gyvenimas yra gatvėje ir su kuo turi susidoroti ten gyvenantys maži vaikai. Tikrai sukrečianti, akis atverianti, susimąstyti verčianti knyga.
May 13, 2018
37 highlights in this book. That must be a record for me.
Got this one through Kindle First, mostly because the thrillers sounded lame. I’m so glad I did, it is a gem among the rough.
This memoir is heartbreaking. What Christina/Christiana went through is a life no child or adult should ever endure and yet they continue to today. But her optimism and strength shines through, while being critical to the authority figures in her life at that time. She is so honest seeming throughout. It’s humble and sincere.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone :) beware of crying.
Got this one through Kindle First, mostly because the thrillers sounded lame. I’m so glad I did, it is a gem among the rough.
This memoir is heartbreaking. What Christina/Christiana went through is a life no child or adult should ever endure and yet they continue to today. But her optimism and strength shines through, while being critical to the authority figures in her life at that time. She is so honest seeming throughout. It’s humble and sincere.
I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone :) beware of crying.
March 19, 2019
Rickardsson writes openly about her early life cave dwelling with her mamãe, and what she endured as a street kid in São Paulo, Brazil, where fighting, rape, and murder were prevalent. There’s some difficult-to-read, very brutal shit here. At 8ish, after being adopted by a Swedish family, she struggled to adjust and understand her circumstances. Alternating timelines between Brazil and Sweden ultimately lead to her return “home.” Well-written and beautifully translated.
May 18, 2018
How do some humans endure so much pain and danger ?
I cannot even begin to imagine children living at the levels of poverty they do in our world.
Christina Rickardsson is doing great things- read her story - like her FB page for her foundation; The Coelho Growth Foundation.
Go forth and be a better human for our world
I cannot even begin to imagine children living at the levels of poverty they do in our world.
Christina Rickardsson is doing great things- read her story - like her FB page for her foundation; The Coelho Growth Foundation.
Go forth and be a better human for our world
November 16, 2023
Dėja, bet knyga manęs neįtikino. Nors man ir patinka knygos, kurios yra paremtos kažkieno tai tikra gyvenimiška istorija, tačiau ši nelabai. Knyga jautri, paprasta, nuoširdi, skaitant jautėsi atsidavimas ir tokia šiluma iš pačios knygos autorės. Knygoje daug Brazilijos, tai tikrai šią šalį galėsite drąsiai pažinti. Vertinu tikrai autorės drąsa pasidalinti savo istorija iš savo išgyvenimais su kitais, kad galbūt padėtų ir įkvėptų kitus, tačiau, kaip sakiau, istorija kiek per daug paprasta tokiems įvykiams papasakoti. Na jei patinka tikros istorijos ir biografijos – tai ši knyga kaip tik Jums.
March 26, 2019
What a great memoir. I thought Christina’s story was so incredibly moving. It took a chapter or two to get into it, but once I did, I was completely captivated. She did such a great job of showing the horrific poverty she endured while showing how much her mother loved her. The book bounced between chapters from her past and chapters in the present, dealing with the search for her mother. I felt so bad for her and the trauma surrounding her adoption and I could understand why it took her so long to adapt to her adoptive parents. So glad I took the chance and read this one.
October 6, 2021
Quite a horrifying memoir, though an incredible story, about how a street child from San Paulo, Brazil, who lived alternatingly between the streets and a small cave in a forest until her mother brought her to an orphanage, survived and remembered her childhood even after being adopted by a wealthy family in Sweden. Trying to incorporate her two identities and worlds seems to take up the bulk of Christina'Christiana's life, and rightly so-- anyone who had seen and survived the amount of tragedy this woman had by the time she was just 8 years old- the fact that she's still alive to tell the tale, and on top of that actually living as a functional adult, is all pretty amazing. The writing isn't the best, but this is a translation, so I don't know if its slightly detatched tone is from the translation or the original story-- even in the most shocking and hearbreaking parts of this book, I didn't feel moved to tears- detatchedly intrigued, yes, for sure, but the book has a cold-ish tone to it that kept me from reacting in ways that seemed more appropriate and more typical of me when I read heart-wrenching memoirs. This one didn't do that for some reason. So 3 stars for a very interesting memoir, unlike anything I've read before, but not sure I'd recommend it to anyone specifically.
May 31, 2018
This true story gives us a real glimpse into two different worlds: that of an impoverished child living in a cave and then on the streets in a Brazilian ghetto, and the other in a well-to-do village in Northern Sweden. I don't think any travel would give us a more accurate idea of what real life is like for such unfortunate children.
The author writes her story by alternating the periods in her life. One chapter takes place in her childhood in Brazil, and the next one takes place with her adopted family in Sweden. This alternating does not make it difficult to comprehend, in actuality, the alternating helps us really feel the culture shock she went through. I loved this story, but I cried through much of it.
Kudos also to the translator, because this book never feels as if it were written in any language other than English.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to open their mind to the realities of growing up poor. While the U.S. does have a limited amount of social safety nets, I believe poverty-stricken families in this country are not so far removed from the hardships faced by the impoverished of Brazil.
The author writes her story by alternating the periods in her life. One chapter takes place in her childhood in Brazil, and the next one takes place with her adopted family in Sweden. This alternating does not make it difficult to comprehend, in actuality, the alternating helps us really feel the culture shock she went through. I loved this story, but I cried through much of it.
Kudos also to the translator, because this book never feels as if it were written in any language other than English.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to open their mind to the realities of growing up poor. While the U.S. does have a limited amount of social safety nets, I believe poverty-stricken families in this country are not so far removed from the hardships faced by the impoverished of Brazil.
February 23, 2018
Snudd på en femma här. Kunde. Inte. Sluta. Läsa. Ett oerhört starkt öde, en oerhört stark berättelse. Läs den.
May 25, 2018
A truly amazing story, but unfortunately I don’t think the author pulled me into it the way she could have. I couldn’t generate the amount of empathy she deserves. Maybe it was lost in translation.
November 25, 2021
Įdomi, greitai įtraukianti ir labai jaudinanti tikra istorija...😇 šis nuostabus kūrinys leidžia pažinti kitokį gyvenimą, leidžia pajausti, išgyventi kitokius jausmus ir labai susimąstyti koks gi visgi tas gyvenimas yra. Kaip svarbu gyventi , kad išlikti...👌
Perskaičius šią knygą prisiminiau posakį, kuris man labai tiko šios istorijos apibendrinimui ... "Dangus toks pats, o visiems skirtingai mėlynas "...
Perskaičius šią knygą prisiminiau posakį, kuris man labai tiko šios istorijos apibendrinimui ... "Dangus toks pats, o visiems skirtingai mėlynas "...
January 20, 2021
3,5
Istorija įdomi, bet tekstas silpnas.
Istorija įdomi, bet tekstas silpnas.
May 5, 2022
Tikra istorija. Tai suaugusios moters pasakojimas apie vaikystę, kelionę į Braziliją, mamos ir savo šaknų ieškojimą.. Šiurpinantis pasakojimas apie gyvenimą olose, išmaldų prašymus, alkį, draugės mirtį, šiukšlynuose tykančius pavojus, draugystę.. Įvaikinimą..
Po 24 metų gyventų Švedijoje Christina nusprendžia išvykti į Braziliją, susirasti mamą, kad išsiaiškintų kas įvyko mamai palikus ją ir brolį vaikų namuose.. Aplankiusi vaikų globos namus, autorė suprato, kad jai labai su broliu pasisekė, jog juos įsivaikino švedų šeima, kad gavo išsilavinimą, buvo mylimi.. Autorė taip pat aplankė ir Brazilijos lūšnynus. Viename didžiausiame lūšnyne gyvena 4.2 mln žmonių.
Po tokios istorijos pagalvoji ar tikrai jau tavo bėdos tokios didelės, kai tu nežinai ką reiškia gyventi lūšnyne, kovoti dėl kąsnio rasto konteineryje.. nežinai ką reiškia matyti kai į artimą draugą paleidžiama kulka, ką reiškia išgyvenimas tikąją to žodžio prasme..
Po 24 metų gyventų Švedijoje Christina nusprendžia išvykti į Braziliją, susirasti mamą, kad išsiaiškintų kas įvyko mamai palikus ją ir brolį vaikų namuose.. Aplankiusi vaikų globos namus, autorė suprato, kad jai labai su broliu pasisekė, jog juos įsivaikino švedų šeima, kad gavo išsilavinimą, buvo mylimi.. Autorė taip pat aplankė ir Brazilijos lūšnynus. Viename didžiausiame lūšnyne gyvena 4.2 mln žmonių.
Po tokios istorijos pagalvoji ar tikrai jau tavo bėdos tokios didelės, kai tu nežinai ką reiškia gyventi lūšnyne, kovoti dėl kąsnio rasto konteineryje.. nežinai ką reiškia matyti kai į artimą draugą paleidžiama kulka, ką reiškia išgyvenimas tikąją to žodžio prasme..
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