By Malala Yousafzai, Christina Lamb
Little, Brown and Company, 2012. 327 pgs. Nonfiction
Malala Yousafzai grew up in Pakistan during the years that the Taliban began to grow in power and influenced daily life in Pakistan more and more. As the daughter of a school principal, Malala and her father spoke out in favor of education for girls, a dangerous act as the Taliban had forbidden older girls to attend school. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school. Amazingly, she survived, and has now become a powerful advocate for girls' education, speaking in front of presidents, world leaders, and the United Nations.
I listened to this, and it was one of the best best audiobooks I've ever heard, which makes sense considering it won a Grammy. Much of the book talks about Pakistan: it's history, customs, culture, and the evolving political landscape over Malala's lifetime. It's actually quite fascinating and helps to set context for the attack on Malala in 2012. I would recommend this to anyone, but especially to teens and young adults. You will learn a lot about what is happening in this part of the world, as well as about this amazing young woman who stood up for what she believed in such a dangerous time and place to do so.
BHG
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