You've heard her name.
Malala Yousafzai. The young girl who bravely fought for what she believed in, and received a heartless retaliation from the Taliban. After the Taliban infiltrated the Swat Valley in Pakistan (her home town), Malala and her father together decided to fight against their enemy, the only fool proof way they knew how.
With the power of a pen and paper.
The Taliban did not care for their resistance. They proclaimed that Malala and her father were now a target in their eyes, and that they would douse water on the burning flame that was Malala's passion for education.
One day, as she was on her way to school, members from the Taliban stopped her school bus, and shot Malala and her two friends. What surely was certain death has only made her stronger. Malala survived, and she's even more powerful than ever. Now the entire world knows her name. The world knows that Malala is fighting for what the Taliban so desperately tried to take away from her. Education.
You can feel her passion in I Am Malala's pages. You can feel the change she wants to make in the world, and the fact that it is slowly making an impact on those hearing her story.
The book itself may not appeal to everyone, in that it's not all action and fighting. This is an inspirational autobiographical story, not a fictional novel. If you go into it expecting to hear the nitty gritty details of the horrid day Malala was shot, and only that, I will tell you right now that you will be disappointed.
I Am Malala tells the story of Malala's life, and how she was raised. How her family provided her the loving home and support required to grow into a strong, intelligent, powerful woman. It tells the story of her beautiful home, and how it was destroyed by hatred. It tells the story of Malala's desperate attempt to cling to the life she had, before the Taliban. When you read I Am Malala, you read Malala's life. Not just that one incident that almost took her life. You follow along with Malala as she retells her story and all of the details that made her who she is today.
One of my favorite aspects of I Am Malala (there were a lot--I rated it five stars), was her father's contribution to her life, her education, and his dedication to making the world a better place. Ziauddin Yousafzai is one of the best characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about in a novel. Only, he's not a character. He's a man; flesh, blood, and all. It won't be difficult to fall in love with him when you read I Am Malala. He is a remarkable human being. One who is dedicated to his family, his career, and the world he'll leave to his children one day. Bless Ziauddin Yousafzai.
This book is incredibly moving. Be sure you go into it with the right expectations. This is a young girl telling the story of her life, not a ghost writer making up new and exciting things in each chapter to keep readers interested. Read this book, and read it with an open mind.
Read it like Malala Yousafzai is right next to you, telling you about her life, her school, her friends, and the home that she longs to return to some day. Let her tell you of the world she longs to have. A world where girls around the globe can attend school without question, and contribute to the world as much as boys do (or even more).
Let Malala Yousafzai tell you her story.
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