Marks of A War (Marcas De Uma Guerra) by Sandra Pina

Marcas de uma Guerra (Portuguese Edition) - Sandra Pina, MaurĂ­cio Planel

"August,1942. Brazil enters the fight against the Axis Powers. The war in Europe begins to cause great changes in the lives of Brazilians, as in the fate of young Hilda, a student with Italian roots and dreams of becoming a nurse. Amid the chaos brought by war, Hilda knows love, confided in the pages of her diary..."

 

 

This novel is a fairly short, albeit succinct story about how exactly World War II influenced South American countries, more specifically Brazil.

 

Humanity has a tendency to forget how much suffering we went through in war periods, so it’s always good to remember.

 

Brazil is the only country in South America to actively participate in the war by sending tropes to support the Allies.  Back in 1942 this movement was a huge step for a country that had been relatively free of world sized conflicts.

 

Hilda was also a refreshing main character, independent and strong in her youth, doing her best to fight against the “traditions” of time.

 

I have both Native and Italian blood in my family, so it was interesting to realize how each half of my family tree would be in different sides of this war. It was also good to hear from my grandmother about how her own life was influenced by the conflict.

 

If this book were a little longer I would have given it 5 stars easily, but since we had little time to actually explore all the contexts I’m giving it 4 stars. Still completely worth the reading.