Nujood Ali is a 10 year old girl living in Yemen, a small country on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Nujood is a typical girl her age... she loves school, likes to color & enjoys spending time with her friends & family.
During her second year of primary school, Nujood's father arranges for Nujood to be married to a man three times her age. Before Nujood could understand what was happening, she was taken out of school and married off to a complete stranger.
Her husband raped & beat her... and Nujood spent much time crying. Finally, her husband agreed to take Nujood home to visit her family. Nujood complains to her family about her marriage, but she soon realizes she wouldn't get an help from home. Nujood finally works up the strength to run away to the court house and request a divorce.
Despite all of the sadness, Nujood's story carries a message of hope for all readers. "Nujood's divorce kicked down a closed door" (p.170). In a conservative country such as Yemen... where it is unheard of to defy your family & customs, Nujood's act of bravery encouraged other young girls to speak out against their husbands.
Throughout the novel, I kept reminding myself how lucky I am to live in a society... where I am free to choose my life path. I can't imagine not having the ability to choose who I marry or decide what my future holds.
I would definitely utilize this memoir in my future classroom... especially if I was teaching global history. This is the perfect introduction to women’s rights in the Middle East. I think it is an excellent idea to expose teenage girls to how their counterparts live in other parts of the world.
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