Reviews

Listened to this audiobook over the course of a very long walk. The stories told were very powerful and heart wrenching. My only complaint is that I wish it was longer. A good third or more was Malala's story which though fascinating, I felt like I'd read and heard in multiple formats and so was more intrigued to hear the stories of these refugee girls and women that she met with her non-profit. It's funny because she even comments on the fact that she doesn't need to recount her shooting story again and instead will focus on the stories of other refugees. Each story was a small vignette but honestly, could have each filled their own book. I'm glad that Malala is giving a platform for these stories to be told but I wish they each went a little more in depth. It is so interesting to hear so many different accounts of refugees, each coming from different countries and with distinctive journeys. The term refugee is specific and yet broad because it covers so many people who's histories are so disparate yet have the same themes throughout.

The narration was great, Malala also narrates her own memoir so book so I was very familiar with her voice. However, I wish they had a different narrator for each of the women. While Neela Vaswani does a great job of changing their voice just enough to distinguish between the women, it is hard to disguise the fact that is is all of the same narrator. I'm sure lots of options were discussed but I wish we heard their stories told in their own voices.

mrspenningalovesbooks's review

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5.0

Oh, this book. It changed me to the core of my being, and I will never be the same. R E A D it! It is an amazing anthology of brave female voices sharing their heart-breaking but courageous stories of being displaced from their countries and being forced to flee their homes.

“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark. You only run for the border when you see the whole city running as well.” — Warsan Shire

“But if I lost my hope one day, what would I do? Where should I get my power again?”

“They took my mother, but not her love. I still have that, and it keeps me strong.”

“...the paradox of being grateful for a new life that is based on the painful loss of an old one.”

“While I often feel as if my country gave up on me, I have never given up on it.”

bibliophiliac's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring

4.0

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