"When I received prizes for my work at school I was happy, as I had worked hard for them, but these prizes [Nobel Peace Prize, for one] are different. I am grateful for them, but they only remind me how much work still needs to be done to achieve the goal of education for every boy and girl. I don't want to be thought of as 'the girl who was shot by the Taliban' but the 'girl who fought for education.' This is the cause to which I want to devote my life."
-Malala, from her memoir
I had wanted to read this book since its release in 2013. I had heard about this young woman and read about her in the newspaper and couldn't help but be impressed. The subtitle of the book is The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, which is really her story in a nutshell.
Malala certainly told her story well, in great detail, with the help of journalist Christina Lamb, but also educated me about Islam, the history of Pakistan and Pashtun culture.
Born in 1997, Malala was a beloved daughter in a culture that valued sons much more. Her parents were very loving but also supported and encouraged her in her desire for an education. In fact, her father Ziauddin, from an early age, dreamed of opening his own school for both boys and girls. He accomplished that goal and Malala says she grew up in that school. According to her memoir she was a very bright and driven student. By the age of 11, she was writing under a pen name "The Diary of Gul Makai" about life under the Taliban and passionately arguing for the education of girls in her community. She did interviews and became well-known as an activist right along with her father. Of course, when her homeland came under the control of the Taliban, she was at risk in speaking out. (The Taliban burned many schools and closed others to girls, including her father's school.)
In 2012, Malala was shot at close range while riding home from school on a bus. Her injuries could have easily been fatal. She was soon moved to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, where her recovery was thought to be somewhat miraculous.
At only 17, Malala was the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the first Pakistani. On her 16th birthday, she addressed the UN with a plea for free education for all children. She is still active in the campaign for universal education and began the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization to advocate for it. If I had to choose 3 adjectives to describe this young lady they would be courageous, determined and wise (beyond her years). But then I would still want to add one more: passionate.
There were so many great quotes from the book, it was hard to pick one to feature. Another I really liked was from Malala's father when speaking in France: "In my part of the world most people are known by their sons. I am one of the few lucky fathers known by his daughter."
Although not exactly a page turner, I am rating the book a 4. I am VERY glad I read it. Malala's story is truly inspiring!
Malala certainly told her story well, in great detail, with the help of journalist Christina Lamb, but also educated me about Islam, the history of Pakistan and Pashtun culture.
Born in 1997, Malala was a beloved daughter in a culture that valued sons much more. Her parents were very loving but also supported and encouraged her in her desire for an education. In fact, her father Ziauddin, from an early age, dreamed of opening his own school for both boys and girls. He accomplished that goal and Malala says she grew up in that school. According to her memoir she was a very bright and driven student. By the age of 11, she was writing under a pen name "The Diary of Gul Makai" about life under the Taliban and passionately arguing for the education of girls in her community. She did interviews and became well-known as an activist right along with her father. Of course, when her homeland came under the control of the Taliban, she was at risk in speaking out. (The Taliban burned many schools and closed others to girls, including her father's school.)
In 2012, Malala was shot at close range while riding home from school on a bus. Her injuries could have easily been fatal. She was soon moved to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England, where her recovery was thought to be somewhat miraculous.
At only 17, Malala was the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the first Pakistani. On her 16th birthday, she addressed the UN with a plea for free education for all children. She is still active in the campaign for universal education and began the Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization to advocate for it. If I had to choose 3 adjectives to describe this young lady they would be courageous, determined and wise (beyond her years). But then I would still want to add one more: passionate.
There were so many great quotes from the book, it was hard to pick one to feature. Another I really liked was from Malala's father when speaking in France: "In my part of the world most people are known by their sons. I am one of the few lucky fathers known by his daughter."
Although not exactly a page turner, I am rating the book a 4. I am VERY glad I read it. Malala's story is truly inspiring!
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