I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Nov 12, 2013 Jeff Scott rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir, pakistan, favread13pub13

Pakistan doesn’t often take center stage on the topic of the Taliban or schools for girls. Afghanistan gets most of the ink and for obvious reason. On one hand Khaled Hosseini and Greg Mortenson discuss day to day life and the need for schools. On the other hand, there are more than a handful of books that discuss the war in Afghanistan and how to win hearts and minds. These books attempt to demonstrate what it is like to live under the Taliban, but these authors can’t claim to actually experien Pakistan doesn’t often take center stage on the topic of the Taliban or schools for girls. Afghanistan gets most of the ink and for obvious reason. On one hand Khaled Hosseini and Greg Mortenson discuss day to day life and the need for schools. On the other hand, there are more than a handful of books that discuss the war in Afghanistan and how to win hearts and minds. These books attempt to demonstrate what it is like to live under the Taliban, but these authors can’t claim to actually experience it themselves.

The Taliban can infest these small communities, seduce them, terrorize them, and control them. Whereas most books on the topic suggest outsiders coming in to help (whether soldiers or school builders), few show how people in the community have also taken a stand to build schools and fight the Taliban. No one can tell this story better than a young girl growing up under these conditions, fighting for schools, for the right for girls to attend these schools, and to speak out against the Taliban. Even after Malala is shot, she is a beacon for people everywhere who believe in the right to an education. These books cannot hold a candle to her memoir.

Malala is on the way to school when her school bus is stopped by Taliban agents who fire three shots at her, one of them in the head. They shout out, “Who is Malala?” They want to find her and silence her. This book is her reply.

The daughter of a school administrator, her story is told from the ground up. She tells how her people came to the area, the story of her father’s struggle to fight for his education, as well as his struggle to establish schools in one of the most impoverished areas of Pakistan. She tells the story of her country, a repeated tale of democracy replaced with military dictatorships. There are every day struggles to establish a school, but it’s not until the Taliban begin to seep into the area that the situation turns increasingly dire.

Malala describes how easy it is for the Taliban to win the hearts and minds of villagers in the area. They broadcast through the radio (a medium most Pashtuns have) and provide aid where the government has failed to do so. They begin to turn the people against the local schools, particularly the girl schools. BBC reporters covering the story find out about Malala and suggest she writes a blog for BBC Urdu.
It isn’t until the Taliban begin to take over the town and turn towards the Pakistani capital that the military strike back, forcing the evacuation of Swat. One of the best lines in the book describes the biggest difference between being an outsider looking into Taliban controlled areas and those who are stuck within it. They are blamed for the rise of the Taliban by the military. "This is typical," he said. "We people of Swat were first seduced by the Taliban, then killed by them and now blamed for them. Seduced, killed, and blamed."

Even after the Taliban are removed there are still constant threats that lead to the shooting. It’s shocking that the Taliban targeted this 15 year old girl and marked her for death. The last quarter of the book covers how she was rushed to major hospitals and nearly died. If not for the international attention she may have died. She is air-lifted to the UK hospital where soldiers are sent with serious injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The afterword is really the most heartbreaking aspect of the story, even though it isn’t intended to be. In Swat, her family is not wealthy and they have no furniture in their home, but they don’t need it. She has all the amenities in her English home, but she states how even though her neighbors are so close, they may as well live miles away. She misses her community and her home. It is said that no one leaves Swat of their own free will unless it is for love or poverty. She is too big a target and the consequence is her exile. It is keenly felt as she compares her life now in England with her life in Swat.

She is also very much a 15 year old girl as she lists the Twilight books as her favorite, Ugly Betty as one of her favorite TV shows, and Angelina Jolie as her favorite actress. This is the book to read if you are searching for a real life perspective of that region and the obstacles the everyday people must deal with to establish schools, build society, and fend off the seduction of the Taliban. ...more

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Dec 03, 2013 pianogal rated it liked it

Shelves: z2014-reads, non-fiction

The second half of this book is better than the first, which I feel gets bogged down in a lot of unnecessary details. I have very little understanding about life in this part of the world, but I can't imagine being brave enough to do what Malala did. The world would be a much better place if more people would fight for what they believe in instead of just for money and power. ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Kate rated it liked it

Shelves: nonfiction

I want to begin by saying that I am reviewing the book, not the woman. Obviously, Malala is an outstanding young woman who has endued and done outstanding things. What I didn't like about the book so much was that it felt slightly disjointed at times. Things were repeated or jumped around in a very odd fashion. ...more

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Nov 16, 2013 Chelsea rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction

Malala is an amazing and inspirational young girl from Pakistan who was tragically shot by the Taliban for speaking out for girls' rights to attend school. She opened my eyes to the struggles faced by the innocent people, especially in Pakistan, who are caught up in corrupt governments and political issues. ...more

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