read – I am Malala

Have you ever heard the saying, “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?” I hate to make such a derogatory comparison to such an important read, but if I had to sum up my thoughts on the book I am Malala written by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb, I would use two words. Missed opportunity. Just because this book dominates headlines everywhere and receives prominent bookstore placement does not mean it is a worthy book club choice. Not a cliff worth jumping from.

(This post may contain affiliate links; as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See disclosure here.)

Before you get too excited, let me explain. This is a literary critic, not a moral one. The author herself is a beautiful and courageous young girl who has a very important story to tell. She is changing the world. Truly. For that reason, I’m glad I read her book. I think you should, too. And lots of other Americans sequestered away in their comfortable suburban bubbles with no true realization that we indeed live in the greatest country in the world. Let me also say that, having heard Malala speak on national television, I find her amazingly articulate and moving. However, I keep wondering why the lucky correspondent who was given the chance to co-author Malala’s book didn’t take it further than she did. The unfolding political events and the impact they had on the people of Pakistan in recent history is horrendous. I believe Christina Lamb focused more on reaching the public’s intellect rather than its heart. The telling of such a dramatic tale could have been written much more poignantly, and thus could be even more effective at raising Americans’ awareness of the plight of the Middle East. Instead, the book read more like an eighth grade history book than a true life memoir of an amazing little girl. Geography and timelines are important, but the shocking way in which some fellow human beings experience this modern world is not a political narrative. It is a truth. An atrocity. An eye-opener. If written more in the style of Angela’s Ashes, its impact would have been so much more intense. Thus, a missed opportunity.