Summary of I Am Malala Book by Malala Yousafzai & Christina Lamb

In the western world, the birth of any child is celebrated equally; a child is seen as a blessing, whether a boy or a girl. However, in the land situated between Afghanistan and Pakistan, a tribe called The Pashtun does not see the birth of a child in the same way; a baby girl is seen as nothing but a bad omen.

When Malala was born, the villagers only congratulated her mother but not her father. The tribe believes that daughters should be hidden away and only have two roles in life — cooking meals and giving birth to children. From a young age, Malala was destined for more, and it was clear that a life chained to the kitchen sink was not her calling.

Malala’s father recognized the strength in his daughter instantly. He decided to name her after Afghanistan’s greatest heroine — Malalai of Maiwand, a fierce maiden who was the daughter of a shepherd in Maiwand. She died on the battlefield while tending to wounded Afghan soldiers during their battle with the British.

Malala and her family lived in Mingora, the only city in Swat valley. Despite the beautiful surroundings and her loving family, life in the valley was not so rosy when Malala was born. Her family was so poor that they lived in a shack opposite the school, founded by her father and his friend. Two years later, Malala’s brother, Khushal, was born and quickly became their mother’s favorite child. Five years later, another boy was born, Atal. Money was tight with one child, but now with three to look after, things were even more challenging. All of that was about to get much worse as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan.

In the following sections of this summary, you will learn about the life of Malala, the brave young girl who risked her life to take a stand against the oppressive rule of the Taliban and defied their ban on the education of girls.