Malala Yousefzai, a young education activist, tells her story. She is an amazing person who has been put into some really tough situations and responded well to the pressure. Being shot in the head and surviving to continue her education activism is a great headline. Unfortunately, it seems like this book was made largely to capitalize on that headline. She says she doesn’t want to be known as the girl who was shot by the Taliban, but the book’s very subtitle undermines her. I think the creative control of this book got away from her, and it’s this disjointed message that my rating reflects.
I think Malala’s personal recollections are fascinating to delve into, especially when she justifies her perspective, and her response to would-be assassins is simply breathtaking:
“Like my father I've always been a daydreamer, and sometimes I'd imagine that on the way home a terrorist might jump out and shoot me on those steps. I wondered what I would do. Maybe I'd take off my shoes and hit him, but then I'd think if I did that there would be no difference between me and a terrorist. It would be better to plead, "OK, shoot me, but first listen to me. What you are doing is wrong. I'm not against you personally, I just want every girl to go to school.”
The background of Pakistani and Taliban conflicts is very helpful in the context of the book, and I didn’t find it to be too distracting. I see criticisms that she paints Islam and Pakistan in unfavorable light. I feel like her love for her religion and country is on full display. Ultimately, I just was not excited by the book. Malala’s life perspective is excellent, but the book is only alright. Also, her father seems legit crazy - but if that’s the demeanor one needs to take to raise strong women who stand up for their beliefs, maybe we could all learn from him.
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