Book Club: I Am Malala

I have a confession to make.  I didn’t finish this month’s book club book.  Actually, I initially announced I Am Malala would be the read for last month’s ThriveAP book club but I was still trying to work my way through the story.  While I haven’t quite finished I Am Malala, I figured I should go ahead and post my premature review for those of you who follow along with the book club and noticed my slip up.  Oops!

I Am Malala is the memoir of Malala Yousafzai, a confident, fearless young woman from Pakistan.  By the young age of 11, Malala had established herself, along with her family, as a voice for women’s education.  She and her father were powerful advocates for schooling for girls in their village and country.  Her strong voice was heard not only by young women in her community but also fatefully attracted the attention of the Taliban.

One day, on the way home from school, a man boarded Malala’s school bus.  He asked “Who is Malala?”.  None of the girls spoke a word but heads turned Malala’s direction and she was instantly shot in the head.

We all heard Malala’s story on the news- the young girl so resolute she survived a gunshot to the head.  Her injuries didn’t silence her but rather strengthened her voice for education.  Malala is an endlessly inspiring young woman and alerts us to the reality that life in other countries isn’t what it is for us here at home.  She raises awareness of the need for change across the globe, for equal opportunities for girls particularly when it comes to schooling.

I Am Malala begins by describing the history of her region, the Swat Valley, which gets a bit lengthy to read through.  As I continue to read (I will find the time to finish!) however, the book gets closer to present day and more focused on the present capturing my attention.

What did you think of Malala’s story?

Don’t forget to start next month’s read Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey.