I am Malala

I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, 327 pages

At the age of 15, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman, targeted because she and her father had become outspoken proponents of education rights for girls in her home country of Pakistan. I am Malala is her story of growing up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan, of fighting for what she believes in despite the threat of violence, of becoming a world-renowned champion for her cause despite her age and gender.

While the world Malala describes is fraught with violence, fear, and judgement (by different factions of Muslims, as well as by non-Muslims), the overlying message of her memoir is one of peace, of love, of acceptance, and above all, of the importance of education. This is a wonderful, inspiring book, and should be required reading in this day and age.