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I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
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First Thoughts of I Am Malala

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Nicole Rollins | 4 comments Mod
I just started reading this book last night, so I have only read the Prologue and Chapter 1. So far, I am hooked. I am a huge Khaled Hosseini fan. It is because of him I am drawn to stories about the Middle East.

Not knowing much about the story yet, other than Malala was shot at point blank range for standing up against the Taliban for girls' education, I am highly intrigued. Malala strikes me as an independent thinker- strong-willed and resilient. Of course, this seems to stem from her parents, whom she suggests are unorthodox Pashtuns. Her mother, though she cannot read, comes from a family of strong women. Malala's father, Ziauddin, shares everything with her mother, even though this openness between man and woman is not the Pashtun way. When Malala was born, he knew his daughter was special, holding her birth to the same esteem as that of having a boy- the dominant sex in their culture. Further, Ziauddin founded an all girls school, receiving strong opposition and threats as he campaigned for girls' education.

Malala had the support of her father to be "as free as a bird" in a society that views women and freedom as contradictory. I'm excited to learn from Malala exactly what she faced leading up to the day she was shot and how this incident has influenced the fight against the Taliban.


Nicole Oehlers | 2 comments Sorry I'm a little late to the game, busy week! I'm still on chapter three of malala, and have started the time travelers wife! Should I finish one before I begin the other?


Nicole Rollins | 4 comments Mod
I'm contemplating starting a new book...or just skipping to Part 4 of Malala. You'll have to let me know what you think of The Time Travelers Wife. There was a certain part, of when he is 15, that really bothered me and I stopped reading it. I did enjoy the movie though.


Nicole Oehlers | 2 comments Ok just finished chapter three of malala, so far I love how in depth she gets with her fathers history and how hard he worked just to go to school. People's strength never ceases to amaze me! And the bribery in other countries is so out in the open, how do people ever save money. I know it all cultural but my goodness.

I think I know what part of time travelers wife you are talking about. Where he meets himself at the age of 15, and their dad "catches them"? They didn't go into detail so I figured it was worth going on. I probably would have stopped if it went into detail.


Nicole Rollins | 4 comments Mod
Yes, Nicole! That is the scene I was referring to!

I'm curious to hear your thoughts about Malala as you get further into the book. I have yet to finish it- I read a memoir in between. I just lost interest in hearing about all the ways the Taliban changed their town and surrounding towns in Pakistan. I just think she spends entirely too much time describing the Taliban, while I'm just so eager to hear about the shooting, how it came to be and how it affected her afterwards.


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