The world is no stranger to the atrocities committed by ISIS. The violent, manipulative, and power-hungry terrorist group has altered the way the world thinks as well as negatively impacted the lives of numerous young people. Nadia Murad’s harrowing autobiography, The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State, details her life before, during, and after being held captive by ISIS militants. Her powerful story has led to a reckoning in the international community. Alongside Amal Clooney, her lawyer, and author of the eloquent and powerful foreword, Murad continues to inch closer to holding ISIS accountable for its actions on a global scale.
Nadia Murad wastes no time in detailing her lovely and calculated life before ISIS tore it apart. Through her thoughtful words, Murad creates beautiful and inviting imagery of a part of the world that is widely perceived as poor and wartorn. Murad reveals a childhood filled to the brim with love, hope, and adventure to readers. Nadia Murad’s life in Kocho, including her ability to live a normal childhood, came to a halt the day ISIS entered her village. Murad was then held captive by ISIS, where she was separated from her family and sold from one militant to the next.
One of the most impactful aspects of this book is Murad’s young voice. While it is easy for the reader to get caught up in the magnitude of the horrific events that took place, what pulls everything back into perspective is the voice of a young woman looking for a way to escape captivity and find her family. Murad’s raw and innocent tone provides readers with an honest account of captivity. From almost being forced to convert to Islam to failed escape attempts, Murad does not even bother to buckle readers in before taking them on the emotional roller coaster that was her life for just over a year.
Undoubtedly, the most disturbing aspect of Murad’s account was that while unfathomable, her situation is all too common amongst young women in areas occupied by terrorist groups. After reading her story, the thought of all of the young women who continue to be held captive by ISIS is sickening. Murad was recently awarded a Nobel Peace Prize because of her unwavering devotion to hold ISIS accountable and desire to achieve justice for the young women whose stories are all too similar to her own. While Murad takes readers to a dark place in The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State, she ultimately becomes the light for her audience to guide them through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone mature enough to tackle the subject matter. Murad’s story is heavy, but it needs to be shared with the world.
Nadia Murad wastes no time in detailing her lovely and calculated life before ISIS tore it apart. Through her thoughtful words, Murad creates beautiful and inviting imagery of a part of the world that is widely perceived as poor and wartorn. Murad reveals a childhood filled to the brim with love, hope, and adventure to readers. Nadia Murad’s life in Kocho, including her ability to live a normal childhood, came to a halt the day ISIS entered her village. Murad was then held captive by ISIS, where she was separated from her family and sold from one militant to the next.
One of the most impactful aspects of this book is Murad’s young voice. While it is easy for the reader to get caught up in the magnitude of the horrific events that took place, what pulls everything back into perspective is the voice of a young woman looking for a way to escape captivity and find her family. Murad’s raw and innocent tone provides readers with an honest account of captivity. From almost being forced to convert to Islam to failed escape attempts, Murad does not even bother to buckle readers in before taking them on the emotional roller coaster that was her life for just over a year.
Undoubtedly, the most disturbing aspect of Murad’s account was that while unfathomable, her situation is all too common amongst young women in areas occupied by terrorist groups. After reading her story, the thought of all of the young women who continue to be held captive by ISIS is sickening. Murad was recently awarded a Nobel Peace Prize because of her unwavering devotion to hold ISIS accountable and desire to achieve justice for the young women whose stories are all too similar to her own. While Murad takes readers to a dark place in The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State, she ultimately becomes the light for her audience to guide them through. I would highly recommend this book to anyone mature enough to tackle the subject matter. Murad’s story is heavy, but it needs to be shared with the world.