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A braveheart she is for sure. The story of Malala Yousafzai, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014, is the tale of courage and strength. Her biography, Malala: The girl who stood up for education and changed the world, gives a first-person account of the extraordinary life of an ordinary girl.
Lovingly called Jani by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, the man who dared to talk back to the Taliban, Malala, too, comes across as a courageous child, who doesn’t hesitate to stare death in the face and follows her heart. Malala’s story is quite compelling, particularly when one looks at the age at which she began her campaign for the education of girls. She was barely 11 when she began advocating free speech and human rights in public. By 15 years of age, she started an education foundation to focus on street children and child labourers. At 16, she addressed the United Nations. According to her uncle, "She is pakha jenai" — wise beyond her years. Nothing, not even the Taliban, can stop her from speaking up for the education of girls, even when the whole of Swat region was engulfed under life of fear and threat of militancy. "They can only shoot a body. They cannot shoot my dreams, they cannot kill my beliefs and they cannot stop my campaign to see every girl and every boy in school."
From a little girl giving lecture to empty chairs at the Khushal School, run by her father, to addressing high-ranking officials from all over the world at the United Nations, Malala comes a long way. The book follows a linear path in the growth of character, which is determined by the change of circumstances. In spite of winning prestigious awards like Pakistan’s first National Peace Prize, International Children’s Peace Prize, she remains grounded. "I knew any one of us could have achieved what I had; I was lucky that I had parents who encouraged me despite the fear we all felt." She also realises that special honours like the Malala Day in her name indicate that she has a greater responsibility and bigger role to play. Even after getting accolades world over, she remains a regular girl, who likes to gossip with her friends Moniba and Safina about people and discuss the latest TV shows and fight with her younger brothers Atal and Khushal over petty things. Her story also reveals the worst and the best in people. While at one end of the spectrum are extremists like Fazlullah of the Taliban rule, who can go to any extent to instil fear among the people of Swat in the name of religion, at the other end are philanthropists and kind-hearted people like Dr Fiona and Dr Javid, who are ready to make any kind of sacrifice for the welfare of others. A prologue introduces the readers to the entire story. Thereafter, the book is divided into chapters that explain the events in Malala’s life — Before the Taliban, A Shadow over our Valley, Finding my voice, Targeted, and finally A New Life, Far From Home. The book ends with many acknowledgements to all those people who made a difference in her life. The glossary of words at the end of the book comes as an aid to assist in understanding the usage of certain locally used words. The timeline of events at the end of the book helps to understand the political turmoil in the country and the turn of events. The book concludes with a note on the Malala Fund. In the end, there are discussion notes that help to reflect on Malala’s story. Malala’s story is not just an inspiration for girls but a lesson for everyone to embrace the power within oneself, irrespective of the age or rank. From giving speeches, social media campaigns to humanitarian works, today Malala’s voice can be heard by everyone. Her indomitable spirit reigns.
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The book, which is
written in a simple language, introduces us to the girl-next-door who
nearly got killed after she was shot in the head at point-blank range
by the Taliban militants for opposing their diktat that no girl
should be sent to western schools, which according to them are haram
or prohibited under Islam.