I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Edu… (2024)

June 2021

I bought Vogue for the first time, just to read the interview. At 23, she comes across as very much the same person, but nuanced. Her best friend from Oxford is quoted as saying:
“She came into university as an adult, and left it as a young adult.”

Review continues below photo...

Image: Malala on Vogue’s cover (Source.)

University gave her choices and time for herself, including time to - nearly - miss essay deadlines. She deserves a pedestal, but in many ways, she wants to be, and is, delightfully normal.

Having graduated in the first summer of the Covid pandemic, she’s still not quite sure what to do next, but campaigning for girls’ education is still core to her mission, and she hasn’t ruled out politics. The power of storytelling is part of that, hence her deal with Apple TV+ to produce animations, dramas, and children’s shows. She prefers consensus to confrontation and thinks activism by tweet is not enough.

Her modesty, charm, and giggles still shine through: she didn’t mention her Nobel prize on her application to Oxford (but of course, they’d know). When Kate Phelan tentatively asked her if she’d had a boyfriend at Oxford, Malala’s reaction made her (the journalist) “feel like I’m torturing a kitten”. But later, Malala picks up the subject, though unsure if she will ever get married, or even wants to. At 23, that seems sensible.

She may not know where she wants to go next, but she did manage to visit Pakistan in 2018. The beautiful Swat Valley she loves, and to see her grandmother and aunt before they died.

You can read the Vogue interview HERE.

June 2020

Malala graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in PPE (Politics, Philosophy, Economics). The Oxford course has a remarkable number of famous politicians and public figures among its alumni, listed HERE. When the Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic subsides, may the world be her oyster.

Image: Malala celebrating graduating, in traditional Oxford style (Source.)

Review from 2016 of 2013 book

This is a powerful story about a child, but with topical, global relevance.

The media is full of alarming reports of extremists of all religions, across the globe. Finding perspective can be hard, especially for non-believers, and it’s important to balance valid criticism and condemnation with avoiding the suggestion that all followers of a faith are mad, bad, or dangerous to know.

So it’s good to read a positive portrayal not just of a religious person, but a Muslim one. The fact she is young, female, and influential is all the better.

Who Is Malala?

People around the world know her by her first name. They know she campaigned for the right of girls to attend school, initially via an anonymous blog on BBC Urdu (aged 11). That she was shot in the head by the Taliban and eventually airlifted to hospital in Birmingham, UK - a city where she and her family currently live. That she has a very close relationship with her father. That she spoke at the UN on her 16th birthday. That she was the youngest Nobel laureate when, aged 17, she was joint winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. That she’s a devout Muslim. That she’s a giggler.

That, I knew. I read this to understand, especially why Ziauddin (her father) is so enlightened about women and their education; how and why Malala became a campaigner so young; the role and opinion of Tor Pekai (her mother, who was illiterate); and her two younger brothers, Kushal and Atal, raised in a culture that favours boys and men, but perpetually in the shadow of their sister.

I learned the chronology, and a fair bit about Pashtun culture, the natural beauty of Swat, recent Pakistani political history, Taliban tactics, and the difficulty of living as a displaced person at home and abroad.

I discovered that Malala loves Cheesy Wotsits, Justin Bieber, Ugly Betty, styling her hair, Twilight, halal KFC, gently teasing her father, high(ish) heels, pink, and squabbling with the elder of her younger brothers. She’s proud of her academic prizes because she earned them, but has mixed feelings about the others, because they remind her of how much still needs to change.

She comes across as a charming mixture of serious and light-hearted, mature and child-like, loyal to her heritage, but open to other ideas and influences. The perfect example was doing henna hand tattoos using symbols from chemistry and calculus, rather than the traditional flowers and butterflies.

But I still don’t feel I really understand the family themselves.

Who are Tor Pekai and Ziauddin?

Theirs was, unusually, a love match, rather than an arranged marriage.

Tor Pekai may be uneducated and in the background, but “My mother comes from a family of strong women” and Ziauddin always shares information and decisions with her. He’s the dreamer; she’s the practical one. After Malala had been airlifted to the UK and the family were battling bureaucracy to join her, it was Tor Pekai’s threatened hunger strike that got things slowly moving.

Ziauddin apparently overcame a childhood stammer by determination and public speaking. He was conscious of his preferential treatment for being a boy, particularly in terms of education, and felt that was wrong. He was briefly radicalised in his youth, but going away to college when Benazir Bhutto was PM, he discovered “women who had greater freedom and were not hidden away as in in his own village”. That seems insufficient explanation for founding a chain of schools against extraordinary odds, and speaking out against governments and terrorists. “It was my grandmother’s faith in my father that gave him the courage to find his own proud path.” Hmm.

One answer to my questions is the fact that Ziauddin carries a version of Martin Niemöller’s famous poem in his pocket, First they came for....

Whose Voice, Whose Truth?

The more significant biographies will be written decades hence, but until then, this is an important and readable book, and I don’t want to diminish that. It is by Malala in conjunction with journalist, Christina Lamb. The writing can be a little uneven and plodding, I sometimes lost track of how old Malala was, and it’s not always clear to what extent her thoughts and words are really hers, or have been modulated, moderated or embroidered.

Maybe it doesn’t matter. When the Islamic studies teacher couldn’t be trusted, her father advised, “Learn the literal meaning of the [Arabic] words; don’t follow his explanations and interpretations. Only learn what God says. His words are divine messages, which you are free to interpret.”

There’s a fair bit of mythologizing. “My father always said ‘Malala will be free as a bird’ but I wondered how free a daughter could ever be.” She was always special: the family’s luck changed after her birth, omens abound etc. “All children are special to their parents, but to my father I was his universe” – he had a wife and two other children!

But given Malala’s life and stature on the word stage, mythologizing is perhaps inevitable and even appropriate. But.

Controversy

Although feted around the world, Malala remains a controversial figure in the country she loves, and to which she repeatedly and firmly says she wants to return.

The extremists think her a puppet of the west, and too liberal in her interpretation of Islam. Even moderates dislike her for symbolising bad aspects of their country, and think her hypocritical for living in greater comfort abroad (as if it were her choice).

The Pakistani government created the role of Educational Attaché in the UK for Ziauddin so the family would have income and diplomatic passports - and, crucially, not be eligible to claim asylum in the UK (which would make Pakistan look bad).

What Next?

“We might be the world’s best-treated refugees.” The Yousafzai family may live in greater material comfort now, but the pain and loneliness of their new lives, especially for Tor Pekai, is made plain.

It’s not safe for Malala and her family to return to Swat at the moment. Meanwhile, she received an excellent education at an academically-selective private girls’ school in Birmingham - a city with a large population of Pakistani heritage. She’s two years older than the other girls in her class, but did well, after the initial shock of no longer being effortlessly at the top of the class. I assume her brothers are receiving a similar education.

After that, there was speculation she might go to the US for university; the only certainty was that it wouldn’t be Pakistan. In the end, she went to Oxford to study the famous PPE (Politics, Philosophy, Economics) course. While still at school, she reiterated the decision made aged 13 that she wants to be a politician, so Oxford's PPE, followed by many British and overseas political figures, makes sense. How and where she applies it remains to be seen. She’s certainly fearless and determined: she only agreed to meet President Obama on condition they could talk, rather than just have a photo opportunity, and when she was awarded Pakistan’s first National Peace Prize, she accepted it and then gave the PM a list of demands!

Just as importantly, Tor Pekai is attending classes in English, reading and writing.

Image: Malala celebrating graduating, with her family (Source.)

Religion in My Life

I was raised as an Anglican (Church of England), at home and at school. A somewhat passive (non-evangelical) sort of faith, with dramatic architecture, good music, and beautiful words.

In my late teens and early twenties, I earnestly sought a personal experience of God. There were times it felt close, but I never quite got there.

Eventually, I gave up the quest, and was happier facing my truth. I dabbled in Dawkins and agnosticism, and am now at the stage where I am somewhat bored with the debate, and actively dislike organised religion and many of the beliefs that go with it.

Nevertheless, I retain a visceral affection for the beauty of some religious practices (only some), and respect for good and sincere believers, including those among my family and friends.

I don’t share Malala’s faith, but I admire her sincerity, courage, commitment, and passion for worthy causes. She has paid a high price. I hope she continues to think it's worth it.

Good and Evil; God and the Godless

History is full of people who have done evil things in the name of religion (including those who shot Malala) and non-religious people who have done great and altruistic things. But we should not forget the opposite.

Malala cites the Koran as saying “God wants us to have knowledge”. Her explicit religious faith may sustain and drive her, but she evangelises for girls, women, and education, rather than God. Even unbelievers and followers of other faiths can support her in that.

She thanks God for saving her – but she’s keen to thank people, too. It also strengthened her campaigning resolve, “I was spared for a reason – to use my life helping people”.

Maybe the truth is that the world has good and bad people in it, and that their religion is no more relevant than whether or not they like Justin Bieber.

Quotes

·“My life has changed, but I have not.”

·“For us girls, that doorway was like a magical entrance to our own special world. As we skipped through, we cast off our headscarves like winds puffing away clouds to make way for the sun then ran helter-skelter up the steps.”

·The Taliban take control of the valley, commit atrocities: “All this happened and nobody did a thing.”

·“Some people are afraid of ghosts, some of spiders or snakes – in those days we were afraid of our fellow human beings.”

·“They can stop us going to school but they can’t stop us learning.”

·“The Taliban is not an organised force… It’s a mentality.” In the film, when Ziauddin is asked who shot Malala, he says it wasn't a person, but an ideology.

·“I love physics because it’s about the truth, a world determined by principles and laws – no messing around or twisting things like in politics.”

·“I am Malala. My world has changed but I have not.”

Book versus Film

A couple of weeks after reading the book, I saw the film, He Named me Malala.

It’s a good complement to the book: each has things the other does not, so I recommend both. I don’t think it matters which is first.

The film uses charming animated sequences to illustrate the legend of Malalai and scenes from the life of Malala’s parents.

On screen, you see more of brothers and mother, a little more of Malala's personality – especially her famous giggle, get a feel for being on the receiving end of hordes of journalists at international events, and see some of the education projects the Malala Fund is sponsoring. However, it’s no more enlightening on the relationship between Malala and her parents than the book is.

The book has more (gentle) mention of Malala’s own faith, more background in Pakistani culture and politics, more about Ziauddin’s motivation and the schools he founded, and covers the family’s difficulties in joining Malala in the UK.

Being resident of the area, Valley of Swat, where she lived (basically she is from the adjoining District Shangla whence her father came to Swat and established private school), I find the authenticity of the most of events described and actions claimed hard to believe (as do almost all the residents).
First there is the question of Local Talibans forcing girls from going to schools. That is not true. I was, as everyone else, a regular listener of the Taliban's daily half an hour or so long FM radio broadcast and they only verbally 'forced' girls to wear proper veils when going to school, which was hardly an enforcement as the local culture is already extremely conscious of the 'veil' (Mala herself wears a scarf). However, to my knowledge they 'encouraged' girls to leave 'western' schools but they 'claimed' that after installing an Islamic government here in the area, they would set up proper 'exemplary' girls schools. In fact, in the local tribal society it is unthinkable to 'force' a woman or girl from doing or not doing something as it is tantamount to man-handling them, which is, frankly speaking, a sure way to get killed or beaten not only by relatives (distant or near) of the woman/girl but anyone who is nearby. Anyone here can testify to fact that on various occasions many 'individual' talibans were mercilessly beaten up by locals when they spoke to shopping women reproachfully. Additionally, the Talibans were locals (later they were joined by savages from central Asian region and Afghanistan but they kept to themselves) and they never held absolute power here.. As opposed to the official stance, the people of Swat never left their homes when Talibans were in control, as a matter of fact, they were 'forced' to leave when army started the operation by the army.

Secondly, Talibans were never in control of the city where Malala resided for so long as to impose their alleged rule. They entered the city in early May ( I was there buying DVDs with friends) by then the impending military operation had already caused educational institutions to close indefinitely. A week or ten days after the 'invasion' of the city (they, despite the hype, actually numbered not more than two or two and a half dozen who 'occupied' few private buildings and hotels) army entered the city. In any case, people started to leave the city after Taliban 'invasion' for fear of artillery and aerial bombardment by the army. Therefore, it highly unlikely that there were any female students still going to schools. This 'timing' problems also exist in her 'diary', dated January & February, which records the 'incidents' on her way to school. Valley Swat is officially a 'Winter Zone' and all educational institutions are closed for winter vacation on the 25th of December to 1st of March.

Thirdly, no one is aware of anyone raising their voice for the general cause of girls education at any point during the uprising in any way or on any forum (since there was nothing as such called for). However, I personally am aware of two occasions where a relative(s), affiliated with the Talibans, tried to stop daughters or sisters of close relatives from going to school and were physically forced to abstain from any such acts in the future.

I personally do not wish to malign anyone's reputation, especially not that of the adorable yet unfortunate Malala whose courage and personality I admire. However, as the history is been written, I would disapprove of any one who may, innocently, inadvertently or deliberately, represent truth in a distorted form. We were unfortunate enough to have had Talibans forced upon us, let us not be burdened with half-truths and tarnished representation.
I am not alone in these perception, everyone share them here. That was the reason that the students of prime Girls College in the city here refused their college to be named after Mala.. In fact, the allegedly' repressed young girls vociferously protested out the college any such decision that forced the army and official authorities to relent.

I am led to understand that there is a 'Malala Fund' with millions of dollars with the aim to spread girls education in my area.. May I respectfully ask when would a dollar from that money be spent here for the cause?

I absolutely loved this book. I have been following this story ever since Malala Yousafzai was shot and articles about her began to appear on CNN.com. I was always captivated by the way Malala spoke in interviews before she was attacked: I simply loved the sound of her voice and the sight of her face, which seemed to shine with her spirit. She might not think she is beautiful, but to me she is stunning. I adore the bright colors she wears and the liquid wonder of her eyes.

It was difficult to read about the shameful, cowardly attack on her, from her own POV. I empathized so much that it was painful to hear the details--some of which she could only describe as being what was told to her about the shooting.

On the other hand, I will always remember one statement she made. "A Talib fires three shots at point-blank range at three girls in a van and doesn’t kill any of them . . . I know God stopped me from going to the grave. It feels like this life is a second life. People prayed to God to spare me, and I was spared for a reason— to use my life for helping people."

It will always give me chills to think that it is amazing indeed that a Talib gunman fired three bullets, intending to kill one young girl--and that, unbelievably, he failed. I find it very hard to argue with the idea that Malala was, in fact, spared for a reason.

The parts I enjoyed most about this autobiography were the beginning and end, where Malala speaks about her home, the Swat Valley, and everything that she loved and was proud about there: from her amazing father who, unlike most Pashtuns, celebrated when his wife gave birth to a daughter, to her best friend Moniba, with whom she giggled and played with, and who was also her rival for top of the class at at Kahshul School.

When Malala described an ordinary day in her old life, fighting with her younger brothers, listening to the village women who would gather at her mother's in the afternoon, I was absolutely charmed. It seemed that there was no ghostwriter and that I could hear Malala's voice speaking the words aloud as clearly as I had heard her speak on videos about her mission to help all girls, everywhere, get an education. I was fascinated to read that Malala was named after the brave Malalai of Maiwand, the greatest heroine of Afghanistan, and startled and concerned to read about the Pashtunwali code, by which all Pashtuns live, which deals with honor, but which demands revenge in kind for any attack or killing and can lead to never-ending blood-feuds easily.

When it came to the terrifying attack and all that happened in its aftermath, I was glued to the book, reading page after page with breath-snatching speed. There was so much that I had never even imagined: the suffering of her parents after the shooting, the story of how they worried about ever seeing their daughter again once Malala was airlifted to England. I think that any reader from ten years on up could read and be just as captivated as I was. Although many parts of this story brought tears to my eyes I couldn't stop reading, and although I knew that Malala would make it I was white-knuckled while I learned about the details of her medical treatment.

The only part that seemed to bog down was the middle of the book, where Malala describes many political events in her homeland. In these it seemed that Malala’s voice was obscured and I rather quickly got lost in the details of which leader promised what and how this or that man became corrupt and never came through on their promises.

Even if you just skim through this part, the book is most definitely worth reading. I came to love Malala even more dearly than I could have imagined, and to admire and even envy the bond she had with her father, the man who was determined to open a school in which girls could be educated. I couldn't help but feel great affection for all Malala's family, her people, and everything in the beautiful valley she misses as she lives in exile.

I was hoping that Malala would win the Nobel Peace prize this year, not out of pity for someone who was a survivor of a hideous attack, but simply because I believe she has had an amazing effect on the world. She has brought together people from all over the globe in a way that I believe will have profound implications for the key to a better life for women in countries where it is currently against the law for girls to have a true education. I also thought that it would be stunning if the Nobel committee acknowledged that a teenager—a teenage girl—could have had so great a role in making people of different cultures understand each other.

But Malala has plenty of time, and I have no doubt that she will distinguish herself again and again with her moving speeches, her gentle, stubborn nature, and her unique view of life in years to come. I hope that there will be more books by Malala in the future about why education is so important for girls around the world.
Finally, I would like to say “Wah wah” to Malala about the entire autobiography. She says that this is what one says when a particular line or stanza of a poem pleases you, and is a bit like “Bravo.” Wah wah and Bravissima to Malala.

A few days prior to her 18th birthday, Malala Yousafzai has returned to Oslo, to attend the Oslo Education Summit, insisting that all children worldwide have a right to education. Her defiant slogan claims, "Books not Bullets!"

Malala claims, "I measure the world in hope, not doubt" and "Pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism". Last year in Oslo, Malala was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with another child rights activist, Kailash Satyarthi. They were honoured "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education". At 17, Malala was the youngest person ever to receive this award; Malala Yousafzai is indeed a determined and remarkable person. In this book, I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban, she tells her incredible story.

The book is an absorbing read, an amalgam of Malala's own memoir, plus a history of the troubled country of Pakistan. Most readers will have lived through some - if not all - of the times described, unlike the author, startlingly only 15 herself when she wrote it. To many of us this is not "history" but merely remembrance of current events happening elsewhere in the world during our lifetimes. Could she have a proper grasp of such complex issues of current affairs?

Malala is fluent in Pashto, English, and Urdu. She is articulate, brave, compassionate, informed, driven - and very focused. Growing up at the heart of an area targeted by the Taliban, she had a unique experience living under a developing regime of terror. When Osama Bin Laden was eventually discovered in hiding, it was, to everyone's shock, just a few miles away from where Malala herself lived. Along with the guidance and influence Malala's activist father has had on her, perhaps she was destined to become the person she is.

The book starts with a prologue, briefly describing the day when she was shot, from Malala's point of view. The name "Malala" means "grief-stricken". Malala was named after Malalai of Maiwand, a famous Pashtun poetess and warrior woman from southern Afghanistan. It was an unusual name, which many thought to be unlucky or inappropriate.

Reading her account, it is clear that her father knew from the start that there would be something different about this child. Malala was allowed to stay up at night and listen to all his political conversations with his friends, long after her two brothers had been sent to bed. She was encouraged to read and think; to have a mind of her own.

The Yousafzai family were part of a large Pashtun tribe in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. Her family consisted of her father Ziauddin and her mother and two younger brothers. They were very poor, but part of a strong community in Mingora. There were comparatively few modern amenities such as running water and electricity; waste disposal and disease were a big problem, but the valley itself was lush and beautiful, and Malala thought her home was wonderful.

This first part of Malala's story is entitled "Before the Taliban". Malala describes her grandparents and parents' history, how events had shaped each generation in her family. There was her father, an outspoken poet and education activist, who overcame his chronic shyness to learn public speaking to impress his own father. There was her more traditional, uneducated mother, who too began school at the age of six - but stopped before the term was over. Malala includes many family anecdotes, explaining the varying cultural mores as she does so, and interspersing the account with the troubled political history.

The section has 8 chapters, and is over a third of the book. It takes the reader carefully though all the difficulties Pakistan has faced since its creation on 14th August 1947. Malala relates the views of her people, who regretted the loss of Swat's identity when it joined Pakistan. Additionally, the creation of a "home for Muslims" within Pakistan's boundaries was established too hastily, inevitably resulting in other faiths such as Hindus fleeing across the border to India. Economic chaos ensued, and peace has never yet come about.

Since then, Pakistan has suffered under various regimes. There have been three Indo-Pakistan wars, several military coups, and numerous unsuccessful attempts at a military coup. The regime has lurched between military rule and democracy, between dictatorships and brief periods when a Prime Minister such as Benazir Bhutto was in power. She served two terms, but was eventually killed, clearly assassinated, although Malala carefully chronicles the muddled events. Pakistan has had varying degrees of both political and police corruption and is in constant turmoil.

It is remarkable that any normal life can survive such conditions, but the life Malala describes is a happy one. Her father's greatest love apart from his family was the Khushal Public School which he established. The values of education ring clear and true throughout, having been instilled in Malala from a very early age. She also begins to develop her own opinions, drawing from her experience.

One shocking episode helped to crystallise her views. Malala came across some scavenger children, who lived inside a huge mountain of rubbish. They had matted filthy hair, were dirty, diseased and covered with sores and lice. Picking out cans, bottle tops, glass and paper from the rotting pile of rubbish, they would sell them to a garbage shop for a few rupees, barely enough to live on. Malala begged her father to take a couple of these starving children into his school without pay, and inwardly vowed that she would work as hard as she could towards a time when every one of those children would have an education by right. In the meantime she wrote a letter to God, and sent it down the Swat river.

Towards the end of this first section, it is apparent that the Taliban's influence had begun to be felt in the Swat valley. Across the border in Afghanistan, the Taliban had enforced a very strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. In horror folk learned of the massacres, the brutality towards women, the denial of food to ordinary people, the burning of homes, crops and land.

Malala explains that the majority of the Taliban were made up of Afghan Pashtun tribesmen, simple ignorant people who had always been looked down on by many educated people, including those poor themselves, such as Malala's family. Recruits were resentful of any who had advantages, such as good jobs, and easily influenced by a fundamentalist idea of Islam. Seeing an opportunity to seize power, with weapons in their hands, they took it. There were many variations of interpretation of Islam present in Pakistan, not to mention other religions, but Malala's people could see others fleeing for their very lives as the regime continued. They were equally suspicious of the US, thinking that they inflamed the situation, causing innocent casualties.

The local "Mufti", a religious leader, was making decisions for the whole community. He was very critical of Malala's father's school; the girls should not be seen, they must be segregated. They should not learn certain inappropriate subjects. He made increasingly outrageous statements, such as that Ziauddin was running a "harem" in his school. Purdah was insisted upon for younger girls, and more strictly. The Mufti was determined to enforce his own brand of Islam; individual interpretation was quashed.

The section ends in 2005, when a massive earthquake in Pakistan killed over 70,000 people. Fundamentalists seized on this as a sort of punishment, a seal of approval on all their edicts.

The second part is entitled, "The Valley of Death. Malala is now 10 years old, and she describes the arrival of the Taliban in her village. A self-proclaimed Taliban leader named Maulan Fazlullah had risen to power, through a popular local radio station in Swat, appealing mostly to the ignorant and uneducated. In his radio broadcasts he offered instruction on how to obey the Quran. He soon had many followers - including Malala's own mother. His demands became more strident and fanatical, calling for an end to televisions, DVDs, and other modern technology. The public humiliations began of anyone who didn't obey his interpretation of the law, including women who did any work outside the home.

The 7 chapters in this section are primarily about the suppression of the people of Swat, and the growth of Taliban influences. Some of the episodes referred to - the beatings, the beheadings - are harrowing, despite this being seen through the eyes of a young girl. Malala's education continues, but the reader is wondering for how long this can continue. Many girls have been taken away from the school and sometimes Malala is the only girl in her class. Very competitive, she has two close friends, equally clever.

As time passes it becomes increasingly difficult for Malala to study. Military tanks are in evidence everywhere. On one occasion, travelling in a relative's car, the driver panicked, asking her to hide a CD of music in her clothes. Malala often began to feel afraid when on the streets, imagining that every man she met was a member of the Taliban. She and her friends stopped wearing their school uniforms and hid their books as they travelled to and from school. The beatings and beheadings continued. A nearby school was bombed during a prayer service in honour of a fallen police officer.

When Malala is 11, she is approached by the BBC who feel that a child's viewpoint would be very significant. She is asked to write an anonymous blog about her life, and chooses the pseudonym "Gul Makai". People she knows, including some of the girls at school discover it but she wisely keeps it secret. The Taliban's powers are increasing. They have instructed families to send them the names of marriageable women, so that marriages can be arranged for them. They have announced a date in 2009, by which all girls' schools must be closed, yet Malala keeps hoping that something will prevent this. She becomes bolder and more confident, being taken in 2008 by her father to Peshawar to speak at the local press club. She has written a clear and passionate speech, "How dare the Taliban take away my basic right to education?"

Inevitably though, the final day of school arrives. Malala cannot believe it; her books are her proudest possessions. She is followed around by a camera crew from the New York Times, making a documentary. Her life seems empty without school, and increasingly the family are living in fear of their very lives. Malala compares their existence to a family of which she has just read, in "Anne Frank's Diary". Deciding they will have to leave their home, Malala's family, like many others, flee to relatives. Others flee to friends, even though this means that in some homes the males have to leave. The Pashtun tradition of hospitality conflicts with the belief that an unmarried female should not reside in the same home as a male who is not her relative, but they respect both principles. Malala goes to school again with a cousin. She is now 12 years old, although everybody is living in too much turmoil to mark her birthday in the way they always had.

The third part is entitled, "Three Bullets, Three Girls". We know what this section is going to be about, but now we also feel we know the girl herself; her history, and how her individual experience slots into the mess and bloodshed that is Pakistan's inheritance.

It is three months later, and Malala's family return home to find much of their village destroyed during the battles. The Taliban has gone, the Pakistani Prime Minister promises, but many people don't believe it. Some return and eventually school resumes, but many stay away. During these 5 chapters, Malala's beliefs become more fully formed. She wonders what it would be like to leave school at 13 to be married, just as one of her classmates has.

The climate of opinion changes. There are still tanks on every street corner, machine guns posted on rooftops, checkpoints all along a route, but now people blame the US. Why were they still there, 3 years later? There was even outrage at the American raid that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. The details were unclear. Why had the US conducted the raid on their own, without telling the Pakistanis or seeking help from them? Conspiracy theories abound. Had the Americans perhaps even actually killed bin Laden years earlier?

Clearly the Taliban are still present, carrying out atrocities very close to their home. On Malala's 14th birthday, when she is officially considered to be an adult, the family learn that one of Ziauddin's outspoken friends has been attacked. Malala agrees to follow her mother's advice, and even though the school is so close, she takes a rickshaw to school, and the bus home.

The section ends with the shooting which made world headlines. On 9th October 2012, a Taliban gunman shot Malala through the head, neck, and shoulder as she rode home from school on the bus after taking an exam. Although Malala can remember very little about it, being preoccupied with her own thoughts, the masked gunman apparently shouted, "Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all". Her identity became obvious, at which point he shot at her. Two of her friends, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan, were also wounded, but survived.

Part four is entitled, "Between Life and Death". It contains just 2 chapters, about a time of which Malala can remember very little. Immediately following the attack, she was rushed to Swat Central Hospital. There she remained unconscious, in a critical condition. The political machinations behind the scenes continued. The chapters give clinical details, and credit one doctor, "Dr Fiona", for preventing Malala's death when staff neglected to follow specialist procedures necessary for the brain and body to recover. She insisted that Malala be sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK for intensive rehabilitation. Her parents were not able to travel to see their daughter, due to protocol. What comes across to the reader is the ignorance apparent at every level, but also a sense that it is possible for individuals to overcome this, even when the odds seem stacked against them.

The final, fifth part "A Second Life" also consists of 2 chapters. Malala now tells of her recovery more from her personal experience. By 17th October, she had come out of her coma and begun to repond. She was terribly worried about the cost of her treatment, thinking that her father would have to sell his land. She still had not been able to see her father. Eventually everything progressed to the point where the Pakistani government paid for her treatment, she was able to be visited by her family, and best of all, she had no lasting brain damage, only nerve damage.

On 3 January 2013, Malala was discharged from the hospital to continue rehabilitation at her family's temporary home. On 2nd February she had a five-hour operation to reconstruct her skull and restore her hearing. Since March 2013, she has been a pupil at the all-girls' Edgbaston High School in Birmingham. Although happy there, she evidently misses her old life, and would love to go home some day. She realises that her new classmates regard her as a children's rights activisit, but sometimes longs to just be the normal simple Pashtun girl of old, in Minora ...

The co-author of this book is Christina Lamb, a British journalist who is currently Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times. Her credentials for helping to write this particular book are impeccable. She first interviewed Pakistan's Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in London in 1987. She then continued her work as foreign correspondent in Pakistan, journeying through Kashmir and along the frontiers of neighbouring Afghanistan. She has interviewed the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Always working in war-torn countries, she was even once deported back home. Commenting on the worsening devastation and destruction by the president Robert Mugabe and the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front since she started reporting from Zimbabwe in 1994, she maintains that this has been her most harrowing experience.

In 2006, Lamb was reporting from Southern Afghanistan, meeting with town elders. The team were then supposedly directed to a safe route out, but soon after they had left, the British were attacked by Taliban fighters. Anyone who experienced running through irrigation trenches, with Kalashnikov rifles and mortar firing from all directions, for two and a half hours, is well qualified to co-author this book. Immediately after this book she wrote another about her many years in Afghanistan and Pakistan. She is critical of many missed opportunities by the US, to help resolve the long war, blaming the poor relationship US has with Pakistan for many of the continuing problems of terrorism.

Interestingly it is possible to see the seeds of that book within this one. Often the voice of Malala seems critical of the US, and their inability to be effective, even a mistrust of American troops. But whose is the underlying voice? It is impossible to really know.

Other parts of the book suggest the hand of an experienced foreign affairs correspondent. The indepth knowledge of both contemporary issues and the country's history and political situation, as well as of the many different tribes, languages and customs within each region, is so very extensive. The issues are complex and quite difficult for the general reader, only aware of the basic schism between Sunni and Shia Muslims, to assimilate.

The roots of the split are ancient, originating in a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims such as Malala's family follow the orthodox and traditionalist branch of Islam, which takes as its precedent the actions of the Prophet Muhammad. Shia Muslims are followers of Muhammad's son-in-law and cousin, whom they claim as Muhammad's successor, believing that only God has the prerogative to appoint the successor to his prophet. But there are massively complex distinctions between all the different factions within both Sunni and Shia. Could the complicated issues explored all be Malala's work?

However Malala is an erudite speaker and writer. I have no doubt that the views, anecdotes, and probably the structure of the book are hers, and that the passion with which she explains her views is hers alone. It is well balanced, her own experience set within the ongoing political situation. But perhaps there is slightly too much input from history to make the memoir flow easily. Malala is a courageous, intelligent, indefatigable person. I would have loved to say this book merits 5 stars. It very nearly does, and I have a sneaky feeling that if she is ever inspired by events in her life to write a book again, it probably will.

The subtitle of the book is, the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. Malala insists that surviving being shot in the head is not what she wants people to focus on, but the issues of children's rights, women's education and world peace. Surely that is what we should take away from reading this book.

"Our people have become misguided. They think their greatest concern is defending Islam and are being led astray by those like the Taliban who deliberately misinterpret the Quran ... We have so many people in our country who are illiterate. And many women have no education at all. We live in a place where schools are blown up. We have no reliable electricity supply. Not a single day passes without the killing of at least one Pakistani."