Elizabeth Smart and Malala Yousafzai.
On the surface, these two girls could not be more different.
One was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the other in the Swat Valley in Pakistan.
One is blond, the other brunette. One is Mormon, the other Muslim.
What they have in common is that both experienced something horrible and shocking as teen-agers, and they both survived. More importantly, they have each shown an amazing spirit of hope, grace, courage, and unfailing optimism. I admire both of them and I think each of their memoirs are worth reading. Here are a couple of my favorite excerpts from their books:
My Story by Elizabeth Smart:
"When faced with pain and evil, we have to make a choice. We can choose to be taken by the evil. Or we can try to embrace the good. ... Life is a journey for us all. We all face trials. We all have ups and downs. All of us are human. But we are also the masters of our fate. We are the ones who decide how we are going to react to life."
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai:
"I thank Allah for the hardworking doctors, for my recovery and for sending us to this world where we may struggle for our survival. Some people choose good ways and some choose bad ways. One person's bullet hit me. It swelled my brain, stole my hearing and cut the nerve of my left face in the space of a second. And after that one second there were millions of people praying for my life ... I know God stopped me from going to the grave. It feels like this life is a second life. People prayed to God to spare me, and I was spared for a reason--to use my life for helping people."
Happy Reading!
I've heard of both young ladies, but have yet to read either of their books. I think that I definitely should and sounds like you've definitely gotten a lot from them. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to read more non-fiction this year; I have a list of non-fiction books I've been meaning to read for years...I think it's time I actually read them. And these were two really good ones. :)
DeleteYou have to admire people who can not only recover from horrific situations, but actually grow and provide inspiration for others.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me realize my problems are quite small and I need to get over myself and start making a difference in someone else's life.
DeleteI haven't read the Smart book, but I thought the Malala book was great. I listened to the audiobook and it was very powerful to hear Malala herself narrate the forward.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hear that. She's quite an incredible young woman. I look forward to seeing what she does with her life.
DeleteI have the Malala book on my TBR shelf! I need to move it up the list, clearly. I don't usually get audiobooks, but the comment above makes me think I might in this case, if the library has it.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth reading. And it sounds like it's worth listening to as well. :)
DeleteI have wanted to read both books and just haven't gotten around to it. My son read Malala's book in 8th grade. It prompted some great discussions.
ReplyDeleteHer book would; she talks a lot about life in Pakistan which is so different than anything we know here. And waiting a few years to read these books didn't spoil them in the least. Thanks for dropping by! :)
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