Book Review: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai 

Summary

When you were 15 years old, what were you doing? You were probably going to school, doing homework, playing sports or involved in a club, hanging out with your friends or reading books on weekends. Malala had a very different life when she was fifteen. Malala Yousafzai grew up in Swat Valley in Pakistan where it was illegal for women to go to school. Yousafzai wanted to get an education more than anything and so did her family, especially her father. Her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, was one of the biggest advocates of women’s education in Swat Valley and encouraged her to go to school.

Malala and her father were activists about women’s education in Pakistan, but there was a group that was not as supportive. The Tehrik-i-Taliban was a terrorist group in Pakistan that wanted all women to stay at home. Although they tried to intimidate Malala and her family for their outspoken activities, they did not back down. This led to the event that changed Malala’s life and made her a leader in women’s education around the world. When she was 15 years old, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban and survived. The bullet hit her left eye and went through her shoulder. Although she was injured, she lived to tell the tale. I Am Malala tells the tales of Malala’s upbringing, fight against the Taliban, how she survived her assassination attempt and how she is advocating for women’s education today.

Review 

Malala is the definition of, “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” to an extreme degree. After her miraculous recovery, she avidly continued her activism. She was the youngest person to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, at the age of sixteen, and now is an advocate for women’s education. This book will leave you utterly inspired at how resilient the human spirit is and how Malala’s courage ultimately saved her life.

This book is perfect for anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t have the ability to create change – because you do. No matter what scenario you are in, you have the ability to make an impact. Even if it’s something small, you can create a ripple effect when you take a step in the right direction. Malala’s journey has led to worldwide activism towards improving and increasing women’s education in developing countries. Although her journey probably didn’t turn out the way that she thought it would, she has changed the world. All it takes is one small step – what’s yours?

Yasi Agah

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Yasi Agah is a born and raised Californian living out her dreams in New York City. She loves to read, write, listen to podcasts, and teach yoga. Becoming by Michelle Obama makes her cry every time she reads it.