The twenty-fifth book that I’ve finished reading this year is Malala Yousafzai’s “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban”. A Pashtun girl from the Pakistani valley of Swat, Malala is proud of her beautiful hometown. However, as the Taliban gains power in her region and the disorganised government continues to disappoint with empty promises, she feels the need to stand up for the education rights of girls who’ve been denied schooling.?

Malala’s words are poetic; her vivid descriptions of her Pashtun culture, her beloved valley and her tenacious family are captivating, full of mesmerising imagery. However, as the content started to pile heavy on the deeds of the Taliban and the government, the language seemed to also dwindle into bland reports of the events, perhaps to emphasise the grave mood surrounding the atrocities. Surprising, Malala did not describe in detail the content of her speeches or her deeds; instead, she wrote heavily about the plight of the Pakistani people, who are constantly enveloped in fear of suicide bombs or drones and have been deprived of many rights and necessities. Perhaps she wanted to draw the readers’ attentions to the severity of the situation, though I feel that it might be more transparent if she elucidated what she did for them in more detail so that readers are clearer about how to follow her footsteps.

Nevertheless, seeing a young person?with such accomplishments does make me reflect about my impact on my surroundings. Education is an important right, but looking back at my own experiences, I’ve only seen far too many who do not appreciate this right. I guess it is as the old saying goes: you only start to appreciate when you’ve lost. Hopefully more students will read this book and realise the privileges they’re enjoying then learn to appreciate their access to education.