This book offers Paulo Freire's retrospection on his life and work. These reflections, conceived in the form of 18 letters to his niece, Cristina, provide a backdrop for a deeper understanding of the experiences--including his exile---that have informed his thinking and teaching. The first 10 letters look back on Freire's childhood and youth. The 11th letter focuses on his 10 years at the Social Service of Industry (SESI), Regional Department of Pernambuco, Brazil, where Freire was involved in the most important political-pedagogical practice of his life and where he learned how to deal with the relationship between practice and theory. The 12th letter discusses some defining moments: Freire's involvement with the Movement for Popular Culture, Cultural Extension Service at the Federal University of Pernambuco, and adult literacy in Angicos, Rio Grande de Norte. The 13th letter is a transition between letters about personal experiences and letters that respond to contemporary challenges to his work. The last four letters discuss these topics: relationships between education and democracy; liberation and freedom; advising those writing graduate theses and doctoral dissertations; concerns about domination; and current educational and political debates. Notes by Ana Maria Araujo Freire and an index are appended. (YLB)