Page 32 - Layout 1
P. 32
BOOK REVIEW
‘I am Malala:
The Girl Who Stood Up for
Education and Was Shot
by the Taliban’
Written by
Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Reviewed by
Rajam Ramamurthy, MD
“One year ago I left for school and never returned. I was shot by The part of the story that deals with Malala’s stay in Queen Eliza-
a Taliban bullet and was flown out of Pakistan unconscious. Some beth Hospital in the United Kingdom was very moving. The anxiety
people say I will never return home, but I feel firmly in my heart that felt by the medical staff was palpable. The eyes of the world were on
I will.” These are the heart-wrenching words of Malala Yousafzai, a them. There is a sense of relief when Malala is out of danger of death,
15-year-old who was shot point-blank in the head on Oct. 9, 2012, but my medical mind kept going back to the quality of survival. Had
by the Taliban as she was returning home in her school bus. This was the outcome been different, if this book had not told the story as it
punishment for her taking a stand on education and being vocal. did, would we know less about this very unique human being?
The event was world news when it happened, and no one ex- Malala received the Nobel Peace Prize along with Kailash Satyarthi
pected Malala to live, much less be cognitively intact to tell her in 2014. The two young people were honored for their struggle
story. The writing style, which I assume we should attribute to the against suppression of children’s rights. In the poor countries of the
co-author Christina Lamb, is very plain. This may actually be be- world, 60 percent of the present population is under age 25. Showing
fitting, for a more flowery language may not bring out the sim- great personal courage, Satyarthi, maintaining Gandhi’s tradition,
plicity, innocence and exuberance of a little girl in a small village has headed various forms of protests and demonstrations, all peaceful,
in Swat Valley, Pakistan. focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain.
Malala has fought for several years for the right of girls to be edu-
The narration is in first person by the protagonist, Malala. The cated. It is unimaginable that in the 21st century there still is debate
protagonist takes action, makes judgments and expresses opinions, about educating girls, equal pay for women and the right of a woman
thereby not always allowing the audience to comprehend the other to make medical decisions for herself. We all live in our own glass
characters’ thoughts, feelings, or perceptions as much as the narrator’s houses and can’t throw stones.
own. We become aware of the events and characters of the story
through the narrator’s views and knowledge. Malala addressed the United Nations on July 12, 2013, her 16th
birthday. Her message: education for all children. She is a devout
As I was reading this book, I remembered another book in similar Muslim and prays for peace in every home.
settings titled, “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Morttenson. What drives
a human to cause unimaginable harm to another human? How is Form your own opinion, for feelings are at a boiling point on both
this different from a soldier shooting and killing the enemy — an- sides of the equation. The saga goes on about these irrelevant issues
other human as well? Often the emotional upheavals happen without while thousands of children still remain without access to education.
the individual or group having any knowledge about what they are
protesting about. In Malala’s book reference is made to “Satanic Rajam Ramamurthy, MD, is professor emeritus in
Verses” by Salman Rushdie, a parody of the prophet’s life. It was the UTHSCSA department of pediatrics, division of
widely considered blasphemous and provoked so much protest in neonatology, and a past president of BCMS.
Pakistan that it was not even published.
32 San Antonio Medicine • August 2015
