Post by pagalmariam on Jan 18, 2014 20:06:24 GMT -8
(we don't have a section for Book discussions right? So I hope I'm in the right place here)
I just read this Book "I AM MALALA ... the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban", by Malala Yousafzyai (with Christina Lamb).
I have heard of Malala before (guess almost everybody did). And when I saw this book cover in the book store, I had to buy this book immediately.
I just loved reading it from cover to cover. I am immensely impressed by this girl who started writing about life with the Taliban's at age 11.
I wouldn't say her writing style is fully developed. In fact I got quite confused at times as she picks up lines of thoughts and drops them again very quickly. But she adds an amazing input about the history of Pakistan, Swat Valley, Pashtun's and so on. I think I will re-read it again just to get hold of all these historic threads, trying to get them in order in my head.
What impressed me most, is her strong sense of need for education. Her ability to stand up for a cause, that could have caused her life and that of her family. And that all from early age. It seems that she did not need to develop this desire to speak out, it was already there in her.
Another thing I loved about this book was the honesty it is written in.
Malala does not try to convince you that everything is black or white. She gives you strong insides of how much she loves her home country. She tells you how much she loves the Pashtun culture, and her Swat Valley - more then Pakistan. But she is a Pakistani who loves that country as well. She openly tells about the ups and downs the country has gone through, the failure of Politicians and Military. She brings across a quite western thinking, without loosing connection to her culture.
Interesting is especially how she brings up the help by western countries. She is quite thankful for the aids, but does not describe them as the great savior of the country - rather she wishes that the country would be able to help itself. She projects a thinking that could probably stand for the thinking of most Pakistanis. (I don't know if I could find the right words, I find it difficult to describe the thoughts I had when reading the book).
It is refreshing to read her inside-story without all the load of opinion that you get when watching the news and reading the newspapers.
It is also the story of a Father who has an incredible love for his Daughter. Malala clearly wouldn't be the same person, not having this great man as a Father.
Of course, the immense violence, the injustice - especially against woman, the stupidity of those misusing their power - all that and more made me very sad. But in the end the book leaves you with a good feeling, that in the end the goodness can really win, that evil can be defeated, even though this is not the end yet. Malala's miraculous survival brings a feeling of hope with it.
I wish Malala all the best for her future, and may she become a big politician to be able to fulfill her dreams.
If anyone else read the book - I would love to ready your thoughts about it.
I just read this Book "I AM MALALA ... the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban", by Malala Yousafzyai (with Christina Lamb).
I have heard of Malala before (guess almost everybody did). And when I saw this book cover in the book store, I had to buy this book immediately.
I just loved reading it from cover to cover. I am immensely impressed by this girl who started writing about life with the Taliban's at age 11.
I wouldn't say her writing style is fully developed. In fact I got quite confused at times as she picks up lines of thoughts and drops them again very quickly. But she adds an amazing input about the history of Pakistan, Swat Valley, Pashtun's and so on. I think I will re-read it again just to get hold of all these historic threads, trying to get them in order in my head.
What impressed me most, is her strong sense of need for education. Her ability to stand up for a cause, that could have caused her life and that of her family. And that all from early age. It seems that she did not need to develop this desire to speak out, it was already there in her.
Another thing I loved about this book was the honesty it is written in.
Malala does not try to convince you that everything is black or white. She gives you strong insides of how much she loves her home country. She tells you how much she loves the Pashtun culture, and her Swat Valley - more then Pakistan. But she is a Pakistani who loves that country as well. She openly tells about the ups and downs the country has gone through, the failure of Politicians and Military. She brings across a quite western thinking, without loosing connection to her culture.
Interesting is especially how she brings up the help by western countries. She is quite thankful for the aids, but does not describe them as the great savior of the country - rather she wishes that the country would be able to help itself. She projects a thinking that could probably stand for the thinking of most Pakistanis. (I don't know if I could find the right words, I find it difficult to describe the thoughts I had when reading the book).
It is refreshing to read her inside-story without all the load of opinion that you get when watching the news and reading the newspapers.
It is also the story of a Father who has an incredible love for his Daughter. Malala clearly wouldn't be the same person, not having this great man as a Father.
Of course, the immense violence, the injustice - especially against woman, the stupidity of those misusing their power - all that and more made me very sad. But in the end the book leaves you with a good feeling, that in the end the goodness can really win, that evil can be defeated, even though this is not the end yet. Malala's miraculous survival brings a feeling of hope with it.
I wish Malala all the best for her future, and may she become a big politician to be able to fulfill her dreams.
If anyone else read the book - I would love to ready your thoughts about it.
