I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Review by Sabrina Pecorelli

The short:

An incredible autobiography of a teenage girl from Pakistan who gets shot by the Taliban in her quest to fight for women’s rights and access to education. 

The long:

Malala’s story begins in 2012 as she is making her way to school when a man climbs aboard her bus and shoots her in the head. She then flashes back to her birth and narrates her life from the beginning, exploring the sexism she felt in her culture, her family’s dynamics, and the Taliban’s rise after the events of 9/11. In 2009, she wrote a series of diary entries explaining life under Taliban rule, where she assumed a fake name for her own safety. At the time, the Taliban started attacking girls’ schools if they refused to close, which led to Malala’s school closing and her education was put on hold. She continues advocating for women’s education, now giving interviews condemning the Taliban for interfering with her learning. On a trip to Islamabad in 2010, Malala saw educated women with successful careers that immensely inspired her. 

In 2011, she was nominated for several international awards recognizing her commitment to women’s rights and got the chance to meet the Prime Minister of Pakistan. As her reputation continues growing and she persists opposing the Taliban, the group becomes increasingly hostile and threatens to kill her.

Her narration then comes full circle back to the moment she was shot as she describes being rushed to a military hospital and having brain surgery. Malala wakes up in England, expected to make a full recovery, when she learns she has become famous. She begins receiving international attention, as famous people and heads of state send her flowers and wish her a speedy recovery. 

The read or not to read:

MUST READ! This book offers an incredible and fresh perspective to the global jihad struggles and the fight for women’s education. The immense strength and bravery that Malala exemplifies is truly an inspiration. Highly recommend!