Book Review: I am Malala

"Once I asked God for one or two extra inches in height, but instead he made me as tall as the sky, so high that I could not measure myself."

-Malala Yousafzai

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai was the February book of choice for Bon's Book Club.  I put it on hold at the local library earlier this year and finally got my hands on it a week or so ago. To read The Life of Bon's full review on the book click here.

In case you are not familiar with Malala Yousafzai, she is the young woman who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 for standing up for girl's education.  The bullet entered her left eye socket and exited through her left shoulder and after multiple surgeries and swelling of her brain, she survived.  Her book focuses on the history of the Taliban in Pakistan, the transformation of the place she calls home, her fight for the right to go to school, and what happened following her getting shot.

The most inspiring part of this novel for me was Malala's age.  She was 15 when she was shot by the Taliban and much younger when she began speaking out against them.  Her story is a powerful one and provides a much different perspective on the war in the Middle East.  It also goes into detail about the differences between how men and women are treated in Pakistan.  For example, the birth of a son is a cause for celebration while the birth of a daughter is not.  The culture is very different than that of our society.

It was a hard book to get through at times and I think it could have been much shorter than it was, but I would still recommend you give it a try.  I think it demonstrates how much we take for granted living in a free country and having the right to an education.

Next up on my 2014 Reading List is The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls.