Thurles Teenage book club recently read and reviewed The true story ‘I am Malala’.  We had a fascinating discussion about this book as the issues in it were far removed from everyday life for the members.  They learned about the Taliban, attitudes towards females in Pakistan, gender policies, how Malala became a child activist at a very young age, coping with a move from her beloved country to Birmingham.  They highly recommend this book to adults or teenagers alike.  Malala paints a wonderful picture of life in Pakistan, before and after the Taliban, the food, the customs, the culture etc.  In fact the shooting is not mentioned until near the end of the book.  Its a raw and honest account of Malala’s life and the lives of her family in Pakistan.  Her descriptions of The Swat region are incredibly evocative. This book gave the book club food for thought and a better appreciation of the lives they have.  Everybody should read it!