Book review: I am Malala

I took on I am Malala so that I would be able to participate in the University of Wisconsin Go Big Read this season. Every year the university selects one book for a book club type of event with the goal of getting as many people in the community thinking about and talking about the same book. This book is the perfect pick for this effort as it is about a girl who was attacked for her efforts of fighting for education for girls.

Malala reads like a non fiction selection, which it is. So, no surprise there. It begins with and is filled with much historical and cultural information. While it may seem like these details drew out the prelude to the actual meat of the book, those details are necessary in understanding why Malala was compelled to fight for her right to education, why she was viewed as such a threat by the Taliban, and what she meant to her family. In my opinion, she is truly deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize she won earlier this month.

I really enjoyed that Malala did not seem to have any bitterness at any point in this book. Her life seems disadvantaged and unfortunate  to western observers, but Malala understood that this was her plot in life and only wanted her right to education. She feels education is a right for every boy, girl, woman, and man and instead of her life becoming about making enough money to escape her life, meeting a love who would sweep her away, or settling into what was expected of her, Malala focused on her love of learning and the desire to make sure everyone has the same opportunity.

Further, she did not seem to be bitter about being shot in the head (Not a spoiler alert. This is non fiction and that fact was splashed all of the news for months.). She focused on her recovery and how she would continue to help girls pursue their educational interests. She thought she'd go back to her home and her life would return to normal. This couldn't happen and Malala was also not bitter about the changes that had to come in her living situation to keep her family safe.

With only 50 pages left in the book I learned that I would have to miss the book event my local chapter had planned. I was tempted to just put the book down and move on to something else, however I did want to see how the tragic events happened and how Malala would recover. I couldn't give up. So, I mustered through it and then I donated the book to another chapter member so she could read it and take my place at the book club discussion.