I am Malala reflects on the life of Malala Yousafzai. Malala is a fifteen year old girl who refers to herself as “the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban.” In the book, Malala takes the reader through the journey of her life before she was shot. She writes about growing up in Pakistan with her family and her love of learning. In October of 2012 the Taliban took control over Swat Valley in Pakistan, where Malala lived. On her way home from school one afternoon, her bus was stopped by the Taliban and Malala was shot in the head. She suffered a severe brain injury, and was immediately rushed to the hospital. She was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, England and she was not expected to live more than a few hours. It's a miracle that Malala survived. Surprisingly, she made a phenomenal recovery, but her fight wasn't over yet. After she regained her health, Malala decided that she was going to continue her fight for education, in Pakistan and worldwide. Her family strongly supported her in this fight. As an educator himself, Malala’s father encouraged her to never back down for what she believed in, and she never did. She continues to live her passion today, as she is the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is also a recipient of numerous other awards for her work in campaigning for women's education. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Malala’s story is truly inspiring. She gave great insight on life in the Swat Valley as far as education and family life. Malala also provided great visuals of her family and friends as they went about their lives. I liked how Malala wrote about the entirety of her life, and not just her experience being shot. It was interesting to reflect on the differences in her life before and after the incident. Her life in Swat was much different than the lives Americans live. Education was a big deal, and it is something that many people around the world take for granted. It was amazing to follow Malala on her path to recovery and her will to keep fighting for girls education. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is looking for an empowering read.
In October of 2012 the Taliban took control over Swat Valley in Pakistan, where Malala lived. On her way home from school one afternoon, her bus was stopped by the Taliban and Malala was shot in the head. She suffered a severe brain injury, and was immediately rushed to the hospital. She was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham, England and she was not expected to live more than a few hours. It's a miracle that Malala survived. Surprisingly, she made a phenomenal recovery, but her fight wasn't over yet.
After she regained her health, Malala decided that she was going to continue her fight for education, in Pakistan and worldwide. Her family strongly supported her in this fight. As an educator himself, Malala’s father encouraged her to never back down for what she believed in, and she never did. She continues to live her passion today, as she is the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Malala is also a recipient of numerous other awards for her work in campaigning for women's education.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Malala’s story is truly inspiring. She gave great insight on life in the Swat Valley as far as education and family life. Malala also provided great visuals of her family and friends as they went about their lives. I liked how Malala wrote about the entirety of her life, and not just her experience being shot. It was interesting to reflect on the differences in her life before and after the incident. Her life in Swat was much different than the lives Americans live. Education was a big deal, and it is something that many people around the world take for granted. It was amazing to follow Malala on her path to recovery and her will to keep fighting for girls education. I would highly recommend the book to anyone who is looking for an empowering read.