Stolen Girls by Wolfgang Bauer
Book Review
I think it's safe to say this is one of the most devastating books I’ve ever read. Approach with caution…
Stolen Girls was Malala’s April selection for her book club through Literati. For more information on Literati, check out my story highlight or the reel I posted on April 27th.
TW: Extreme violence, terrorism, kidnapping, rape, gruesome murder, torture, mutilation, suicide and more
Despite it’s exceptionally heavy subject matter, Stolen Girls is an incredible piece of literature. The book weaves together first-person stories from women kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram with historical data and detailed information on Nigeria. Boko Haram, which means “Western education is forbidden” has killed more people than ISIS, however, little is known about the organization - including who finances it, how decisions are made and what goals they have long-term. The stories included from the brave women who escaped Boko Haram captivity are absolutely devastating; however, combined with their heartbreak is strength, courage and perseverance against all odds.
A few interesting facts I learned about Nigeria from Stolen Girls:
✨While Nigeria is the second richest country in Africa (after Egypt, ahead of South Africa), the economic divide between the North and South region is extreme.
✨Southern Nigeria is home to the oil and film industries while the Northern region has hardly any infrastructure and 76% of the population lives in bitter poverty.
✨Internationally, Nigeria has the highest percentage of children not attending school and 70% of the country’s population cannot read and write.
✨In 2014, Boko Haram occupied a fifth of Nigeria. The Northeast of Nigeria is widely considered Boko Haram territory.
I’m glad I read this one, but it was undoubtedly a difficult read. While the book is a short 147 pages, I found I could only read little bits at a time. Due to the incredibly personal and sensitive content of this book, I don’t feel I can give it a star rating. However, I definitely recommend it to those who are interested in current affairs and/or want to better understand what’s happening in Nigeria (so long as you can handle the trigger warnings).
