Go Big Read: I Am Malala

On Wednesday after discussion, I drove to the Madison Public Library on Monroe Street and attended the Go Big Read Discussion on the book entitled I am Malala. I was initially pleasantly surprised by free apple cider and carrots. I can not remember the last time I had a vegetable before that. Anyway, I had never been to a book-club styled discussion before, and I learned a lot from my experience.

What I learned about the book: it is a biography that describes the life of a young Pakastani girl named Malala Yousafzai. Like the majority of girls in Pakistan, Malala was oppressed by the Taliban who unofficially controlled the nation through violence. The "Talibs," as the book club members described them, would come down from the mountains to impose public terror. Ending woman's education was atop their priorities and they killed defiant teachers to make a point. Amidst such public mayhem, at just 13 years old, Malala courageously spoke out and gave public speeches advocating women's education. Her father was a school teacher himself and boldly helped her write her speeches. Her bravery ultimately left her in a near death situation. She was shot by a Talib in the face and miraculously survived after being rushed to a British hospital.

Our group was composed of about 15 people; 4 students and approximately10 "regulars." During the discussion, one "regular" gave personal anecdotes about her and her husband's trips to Pakistan, and she confirmed much of the female Pakistani cultural that the book mentioned. I also found it interesting when two members of the discussion disagreed about the underlying cause to the Pakistani tendency to discourage women's education. One gal insisted it was monetarily encouraged (she said some expert said so), while another fellow agreed with Malala and insisted the Taliban was the problem. He was certainly more persuasive.

Overall, the discussion shifted towards a comparison of U.S. and Pakistani cultures and, surprisingly, political controversies. This aspect definitely flustered me. After all, we were gathered to speak about the book, not political opinions. Further, I felt it would be out of line to change the topic of conversation, given I wasn't a regular member. That was the one disappointing aspect of the discussion. Regardless, the book club taught me a lot about the biography, and it also inspired me to add it to my "to read list."