The Return
Dulce Maria Cardoso · 2011
About this book
A teenage boy and his family are among the retornados forced to flee Angola after independence in 1975. The novel captures the trauma and dislocation of Portugal's decolonization, a defining but often silenced chapter of Portuguese history.
Why read this for language learning
Dulce Maria Cardoso's 'The Return' is an intermediate read, offering a poignant narrative about displacement and identity in contemporary Portuguese. The language is clear, direct, and emotionally resonant, providing accessible vocabulary related to family dynamics, urban life in Lisbon, and the experience of returning to a homeland. It offers significant cultural insights into the 'retornados' from former Portuguese colonies and the complexities of post-colonial identity in Portugal. Learners will appreciate its straightforward yet powerful prose, making it excellent for improving comprehension of modern European Portuguese and emotional vocabulary.
Vocabulary you will encounter
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