Justice, Spirituality & Education Journal

Volume 2015 Article 9

2015

Book Review: I am Malala: The Girl who Stood Up for Education

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Recommended Citation
Henry, Kay (2015) "Book Review: I am Malala: The Girl who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the
Taliban (Yousafzai & Lam)," Justice, Spirituality & Education Journal: Vol. 2015 , Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.biola.edu/jsej/vol2015/iss2015/9

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BOOK REVIEW:
I AM MALALA: THE GIRL WHO STOOD UP FOR EDUCATION AND
WAS SHOT BY THE TALIBAN (YOUSAFZAI & LAMB)
BY KAY HENRY AND JUNE HETZEL

We honor Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan whose courageous will to live and speak up for girls’ rights to
education not only built the foundation of her personal story, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for
Education and was Shot by the Taliban, but also earned her many international awards for her dedicated
bravery, including becoming the joint recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize (shared with Kailash
Satyarthi, an Indian who campaigns for the rights of children).
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban is a “must-read” for
those interested in promoting the educational rights of women globally. Raised by a father and mother
who understood the importance of women’s education, Malala experienced a flourishing educational
environment. Their fierce love for their daughter reigned in a society that favors sons and strengthened
Malala to graciously and painstakingly demonstrate the will to live, even when, as a 15-year-old, she was
shot by the Taliban at point blank range for speaking up regarding women’s rights to an education.
Although unknown outside Pakistan before being shot as she travelled home from her father’s school
in the back of a converted truck, Malala was already a well-established public figure inside her own
country. She did radio interviews as a 13-year-old, speaking out for girls’ education. Her courage in
championing girls’ rights to education and freedom from fundamentalist restrictions in the face of
threats is unquestionable. Malala is a bright, articulate heroine whose story continues to inspire
millions, as did her speech at the United Nations once she had recovered from her injuries. She is an
example of the power of one person’s voice to inspire change in the world.
Malala experienced a miraculous recovery from the cowardly attack, but was forever changed. Her
tragedy led her from a remote valley in Pakistan to the podium of the United Nations, where on July 12,
2013, at the first ever Youth Takeover of the UN, Malala said, “we realize the importance of light when
we see darkness. We realize the importance of our voice when we are silenced. In the same way, when
we were in Swat, the north of Pakistan, we realized the importance of pens and books when we saw the
guns.” Malala has become a global spokesperson for women’s rights and the youngest to have ever
received a Nobel Peace Prize, encouraging all women to empower themselves with the weapon of
knowledge, shielding themselves with unity and togetherness.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban is inspirational, rich,
and complex. Pakistani culture and history, which is woven throughout the book, allow the reader to
feel an infinity towards the beauty of the countryside, the courage of its people, and the complex
cultural clashes among the Pakistani people . . . from those who support education for all to those who
would shoot a young girl riding a bus home from school. This book provides insight into what many
intelligent, principled Muslim families in Pakistan want for their children and for their future – equality
of opportunity and freedom from the crippling burdens of both poverty and religious and political
oppression. The reader leaves the book with a deeper understanding of what life might have been like
during an invasion of the Taliban into an otherwise peaceful, rural Pakistani valley setting.

BOOK REVIEW
I AM MALALA: THE GIRL WHO STOOD UP FOR EDUCATION AND WAS SHOT BY THE TALIBAN
Justice, Spirituality, & Education Journal; Spring 2015, Vol. 3, No. 1; ISSN 2379-3538
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We salute Malala Yousafzai and her parents and family who have bravely stood by her. Indeed, this is
a young woman who has exemplified what it means to transform a tragedy into triumph and to bring
honor to the value and human dignity of each person made in the image of God, including women
worldwide who desire an education. In Malala’s many public appearances since the book’s publication,
Malala reminds us that her story is also the story of the 16 million children across the world that still
await access to an education. Watch for the new version of this book for young readers entitled I Am
Malala, Young Readers Edition: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World that
recounts Malala’s tale of being shot at by Taliban, her life in Swat Valley under Taliban rule, and her new
life in Britain, where she now lives and studies, written in a way that young readers will enjoy.

I AM MALALA: THE GIRL WHO STOOD UP FOR EDUCATION AND

MALALA YOUSAFZAI
Malala Yousafzai was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education,
which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was
traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. She was
nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. In 2014, she was nominated again and won, becoming the youngest person to
receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

CHRISTINA LAMB
Christina Lamb, OBE, is a British journalist who is currently Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times. She was educated
at University College, Oxford (BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. She
is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. She has won Foreign Correspondent of the Year four times.

KAY HENRY
Kay Henry (BA, Doane College; MA Biola University) enjoys research on the topics of challenges of some first generation
college students that may prevent their continuing matriculation, how the church can use African theology to address the
issue of violence against women, and a Native American perspective on Western Christianity that included an ethnographic
study of individuals from a variety of American Indian nations. She is passionate about celebrating diversity and new
beginnings since her walk with Jesus began at age 38. Kay’s undergraduate coursework focused on the critical impact of
effective workplace communication and how hiring a diverse population could benefit a company’s future growth. Kay
enjoys learning about the theology of Ubuntu as it relates to the importance of community. She served as a panel member at
an Associated Students CSA-sponsored chapel, “Impact of Gender,” April 2010, as a women’s advocate, is a member of the
speakers’ bureau for Friendship Home, a safe place for abused women, and is a Certified Toastmaster.

JUNE HETZEL
June Hetzel, Ph.D., earned her Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate School. She currently serves as the Dean of Education at
Biola University in La Mirada, California. Dr. Hetzel has served in public, private, homeschooling, and international
educational settings. She is passionate about the role of the Christian educator to live a Spirit-led life in right relationship
with God and others, and the centrality of the gospel message as the central hope of all educational endeavors.

BOOK REVIEW
I AM MALALA: THE GIRL WHO STOOD UP FOR EDUCATION AND WAS SHOT BY THE TALIBAN
Justice, Spirituality, & Education Journal; Spring 2015, Vol. 3, No. 1; ISSN 2379-3538