I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
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Malala Yousafzai & Christina Lamb
I come from a country which was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday 9 October 2012, she almost paid the ultimate price. Shot in the head at point blank range while riding the bus home from school, few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in Northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, and of Malala's parents' fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. It will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. Winner of Magic FM Non-fiction Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards 2013Amazon.com ReviewA Look Inside I Am Malala*Girls attending Malala’s school in Pakistan.*The Headmistress of Malala’s school.*The seat that Malala sat in.*A beautiful view of the Swat valley, where Malala is from.ReviewMalala's evocation of place, beautifully and lovingly described, and her paean to her father with his own passion for education, are fascinating. But so is her toughness. She describes seeing a young girl selling oranges, clearly unable to read or write: "I took a photo of her and vowed I would do everything in my power to help educate girls just like her. This was the war I was going to fight." This remarkable book is part memoir, part manifesto. I feel enriched from having read it. I also feel humbled. Our obsession with school performance is suddenly marginalised by a story in which education, quite literally, proves a matter of life and death. TES Malala's voice has the purity, but also the rigidity, of the principled. Whether she is being a competitive teenager and keeping track of who she beat in exams (and by how much) or writing about the blog for the BBC that catapulted her on to the international stage ... or talking about Pakistan's politicians ("useless"), Malala is passionate and intense. Her faith and her duty to the cause of girls' education is unquestionable, her adoration for her father - her role model and comrade in arms - is moving and her pain at the violence carried out in the name of Islam is palpable. -- Fatima Bhutto Guardian [C:\Users\Microsoft\Documents\Calibre Library]
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"Utterly inspiring. The things she has gone though! She’s my hero"
C
Carrot
"It's hard for me to put into words my experience of reading this book. I had heard of Malala, certainly, and had seen her interview with Jon Stewart, one of the best interviews I've seen in a long time. She is a very impressive young woman. But reading this book made me appreciate the work she and her father have done all the more; as well as feel anger, frustration, and fear--and not just about what happens in other lands, but what too often happens in my own world. It did also do exactly what she set out to do when she agreed to put her story into book form--it leaves me with a burden in my heart and mind about how I can more directly engage in the issue of advocating for the equal access of girls to education worldwide. Such a foundational issue with direct impact upon so many other problems.... <br/><br/>As for the book itself, I very much appreciated that it was written with a bit of a surprisingly matter-of-fact approach. Although Malala is the center of the story, she's actually not really the center of the story. The story continually points beyond her to the issues she's addressing. Her story is told carefully in such a way that you understand that it's only one of so many same stories. She and her ghost-writer have done an excellent job of lifting up a community of Malalas and potential Malalas. Without taking anything away from what Malala herself has done, she often points to many other girls and adults who were doing similar things, or who wanted to do similar things but were prevented from doing so by frightened (with good reason!) parents or relatives. It points to how strong youth can be as spokespeople; how deeply important education is; and how brave people can be when they're fighting for what they believe in.<br/><br/>I highly, highly recommend this book."
Sandra Hasenauer
"A harrowing narrative that transpires into a inspiring tale of hope from a young, brave, and determined girl who overcomes the oppression of the cruel Taliban and the corrupt politics that harbors them. Malala teaches us that there is hope in humanity and great things can be achieved even in really grime circumstances. I love what she stands for and hope this is what defeats the braindead religious bigots throughout the world, including the Taliban."
Ranjan Lamichhane
"Malala was just living her life in Pakistan when the Taliban took over and turned her world upside down. Malala was always a strong spirit, and always found substance in education and in spite of the Taliban continued to write and read just as her family had hoped and pushed. One day on her way home from school she was shot in the head at point blank range and while there was slim chance of her surviving, that’s exactly what she did. Instead of being pushed around by the Taliban, she pushed the limits of what it means to fight for what you believe in. Malala fought terrorism with education for girls everywhere and her adventures landed her in New York City at the UN. Her silent yet strong voice won her a Nobel Peace Prize, and the youngest person to do at that. I saw Malala speak, and her passion and courage it’s no wonder she is changing the world. I know that this book is commonly used in high school classrooms, this was not my favorite book, and I struggle with the lack of relatability and the constant struggle. While I give my highest respects to this book, it’s just not my first choice of reading material."
Brittani Roe
"An extremely moving story. I definitely believe her message is doing so much good. It is an emotional story. It is sad, uplifting, funny, and so much more. I cried, I laughed, and enjoyed the book so much. I fully understand why she won the Pulitzer Peace Prize. She is an amazing young woman who is an excellent role model for all young girls. The story of how she was shot by the Taliban just for getting an education, her recovery, and how she became the activist she is today is a story that you will never forget. How she has inspired so many, including her family to live life to the fullest is truly remarkable."
Lori Humphrey