I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Book Review

I finished I Am Malala this week and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it.
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⁣Part of the reason I love reading is because I love learning - especially about people who have completely different backgrounds and life experiences than me. Not only is this book a portrait of courage in the face of terror, but it made me highly highly aware of my own privilege as a white American. I truly can’t imagine going through all that Malala experienced - especially at such a young age.⁣
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Most people know Malala as the young Pakistani girl that was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating for education. While the book provides extensive details on this defining experience (and its aftermath), it also allows the reader a look into Malala’s life growing up in Pakistan and her family’s history.⁣
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⁣While I did find the book a bit slow at times, Malala’s story is so inspiring and incredibly eye opening. What I liked most about the book was learning about daily life in Pakistan. I also found it interesting to hear about the Pakistani people’s feelings towards the US and other international governments - particularly surrounding the events of 9/11 and the raid that killed Bin Laden (which took place on Pakistani soil without the knowledge of the Pakistani government).
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⁣It doesn’t feel right to give this intimate memoir a star rating, so I’ll just say, if you enjoy learning about other cultures and/or badass women, you should add this to your list!