~ r e v i e w ~
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"In Khardji, the village where I was born, women are not taught how to make choices." - Nujood Ali.
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Nujood was just ten when she was granted a divorce, making her the youngest divorcée in the world. Her childhood was stolen at a ripe age, leaving her with no choice but to grow up overnight. Despite all the hardships she had to go through, Nujood refused to be defined by her divorce. Her courage to ask for a divorce in a country where women have no say, set an important event in motion. It was noticed that many young girls stepped up to be freed from the clutches of their cruel husbands. At ten, she changed not only her life but also of other girls who were trapped in violent households.
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Nujood refers to Khardji as an insignificant village, a village so small that one can't even find it on a map. Growing up with her many siblings, she was content with her life even though they didn't have much to go by. Girls in her village were often raped and were then forced to marry the perpetrators with no choice. With one of her sister's marriage ending up in the same manner, Nujood's father picks up a fight with the villagers and is shunned from his village. The family packed up their lives and moved to the capital (Sana'a) where they had to beg for a living. With her father roaming around listlessly and no money to fill their stomachs, Nujood is sold to a man in his thirties for $750 after seeking out a promise of not touching her until she attains puberty. But on the very night of their wedding, Nujood is brutally raped by her husband.
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Days go by but the violence towards Nujood increases steadily, with her husband hitting her every day. Her parents turned a blind eye towards her abuse, refusing her to come back to them even after repeated pleas. It is then that she decides to take the matter in her own hands, trudging towards the court and speaking to a judge. The lawyers were not only appalled by her story but were also deeply sympathetic. Her courage to seek divorce caused a stir internationally, making journalists from various countries coming down to meet her.
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With her father and husband behind the bars and an extraordinary support from people all over the world, Nujood felt like a part of her had been finally restored. She was appreciated and applauded by many leaders and went on to feature in many magazines. Nujood's story is not just hers but is also of thousands of young girls who are used as a pawn to make their family's lives better. They were often given away in marriages to settle tribal disputes, or to gain money or simply for the fact that it is okay for a girl as young as ten to get married because Prophet Muhammad himself married a nine year old girl. I Am Nujood is undoubtedly an inspiring book but what put me off was the language/narration. Considering that this book was written by a journalist, I expected a stronger narrative but was disappointed to see nothing out of the ordinary. This memoir is fast-paced and can be finished in a single sitting. I do recommend it, to know about Nujood and the plight of many young girls who are still chained to loveless and abusive marriages. Nujood is now called Nojoom which means 'stars' in Arabic and there couldn't have been a better name to define a girl who reached for the sky.
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Rating : 4/5.