This review originally appeared on the book review blog: justonemorepaige.wordpress.com.

Having studied public health (specifically, maternal and child health) and focused, within that, on health education, along with having a personal passion for reading and school, this book has been on my to read list since it was published. And I am so grateful that I was finally able to read it. Or, more appropriately, listen to the audiobook. Although this is the first book that I have listened to that has not been read by the author, it is still a nonfiction piece (my "usual" for audiobooks), and Malala herself did read the introduction, starting things off by recounting what she remembers from the day she was shot in her own voice.

"Education is neither Eastern nor Western, it is human."

I do not know what I expected, but this book was a little bit of everything. A beautiful and moving mix of history lesson, autobiography, picturesque descriptions of Malala's home and Pakistan in general, feminism and the promotion of girls rights (in general and, of course, particularly regarding education), family stories, and honest exposition of life under one of the [contemporary] world's most hated regimes.

Malala tells us all about her life growing up in the Swat Valley, with details about Pakistam's history, the traditions and beliefs of the Pashtun people, her family history, her parents' lives, how she got her name and what it means, her friends, her brothers, and so much more. The beauty is in the little details about daily life that seem so mundane when you are living them but are what allow someone else to get a real feel for how a person has lived, and humanizes one's life for all those who could so easily just call it "foreign," dismiss it, or fear it. Those are also the parts - the travel to other parts of the Valley to visit family, the daily fights with siblings or friendly rivalries with classmates - that one usually misses the most when they are gone. And you can tell from Malala's wistful writing and the words in her epilogue, that that is most definitely the case.

I learned quite a bit reading this book. Of course, primarily about Malala herself. I had no idea how outspoken she and her father had been, in favor of education for girls, prior to the shooting that made her name a household one. (And I readily admit that that is part of the problem - they had been working towards their goals for years, getting ever more and more international attention, and then risking their lives under Taliban rule to support girls and broadcast the situation to a wider audience - and it took a terrible crisis situation, a near death experience, for the world, for us, to really listen.) She and her father made many speeches, went on many talk shows, wrote many articles, both nationally and internationally, and garnered a name for themselves in the fight for girls education. Many people knew them and knew what they stood for. And they had many supporters within, and without, their country. And even as things got riskier, they still stood up for what they believed in, knowing what the consequences could be. Even as girls schools closed around the country, as threats from the Taliban and their followers came in, they stood stalwart. And their family and friends cautioned them, but never stopped supporting them.

And not just that, but her point of view and experience living in the Swat Valley for years witnessing the rise of the Taliban, living under their rule, being forced out of their homes when the army finally came to drive the Taliban out, and the never-ending cycle of lies and misinformation form their own government (and ours, here in America) that had everyone constantly unsure of who was actually in charge and if the government/army was really even trying to root out the Taliban at all. To see one's homeland go from a vibrant tourist destination, a place full of life and joy, to a place that inspires fear and is essentially off limits to almost everyone, must be heartbreaking in an unimaginable way. Watching the slow slide to where things are now, the perfect storm of events and situations that allowed the foothold of the Taliban to, daily, become ever stronger in their Valley and country, and the daily frustration and fear through Malala's eyes was heartbreaking, but eye-opening in a way that should be widely shared. Malala, her family, her friends - they are the real victims of the Taliban, of the extremism, and of the morphing of their sacred beliefs into something they're not. And she, they all, deserve our attention, our understanding, and wherever possible, our assistance. They have already lived through so much terror and desperation and we should strive to ease that, not add to it.

This is a beautiful and inspiring story. And it's not just because we see a young girl and her father fighting for what they believe in, in the face of so much stacked against them. It's beautiful because we get to see the life of a normal young girl too. We get to see her take field trips with her classmates, study to beat her friends in end of year exams, and argue with her little brother. And then we get to see this normal girl grow up, learn what matters to her, decide what is important enough to question and sacrifice for. This is the story of an absolutely remarkable girl, with an open-minded and understanding family with her, who believes in the good of her country, her people, her religion, even when the good parts are being overshadowed by the bad. Her continued hope for the future is what sets her apart. In her epilogue, Malala talks about how she doesn't necessarily understand how she got to be so famous, for all she did was stand up for what should be a human right, the right to education for everyone - and she will continue to do so. It is her mission. And she will not stop working for it. Well, I believe in you Malala. I stand awed by your courage and spirit and I believe in your dreams.