We Are Displaced
ISBN 9781474610063 | |
We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World is a 2019 book by Malala Yousafzai. The book was published by Little, Brown and Company in the US and Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the UK. The book follows Yousafzai's own experience being displaced in Pakistan and later forced to move to England, and tells stories from nine other displaced people around the world.[1] The book received positive critical reception and reached the top 10 in The New York Times' bestseller list under the "Young Adult Hardcover" section.
Background
Yousafzai had two previously published works: I Am Malala, a 2013 memoir co-written with Christina Lamb, for which a youth edition was published in 2014; and Malala's Magic Pencil, a 2017 children's picture book.[11][12] In March 2018, it was announced that Yousafzai's next book We Are Displaced: True Stories of Refugee Lives[13] would be published on 4 September 2018.[1] The book was later delayed, and released on 8 January 2019 by Little, Brown and Company's Young Readers division in the U.S. and Weidenfeld & Nicolson in the U.K.[14][15] The book was also published in Australia and New Zealand. Profits from the book will go to Yousafzai's charity Malala Fund.[16]
Figures from the
Synopsis
The book's first part, "I Am Displaced", details Yousafzai's experience being displaced. She details the rise of the Taliban in Mingora, Pakistan which led to forced displacement, with her family moving between relatives in the Shangla District and Peshawar. Three months later, they returned to Mingora to find the city wrecked. Yousafzai continued local activism which culminated in her being shot in the head by a Taliban member. She was taken to Birmingham, England, for treatment and forced to remain there and start a new life.
The second part of the book, "We Are Displaced", describes the experiences of nine displaced people. Each story is given a short introduction by Yousafzai and then narrated by the subject. Siblings Zaynab and Sabreen were born in
Marie Claire's family fled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zambia and applied for refugee status. Aged 12, Marie Claire's mother died in front of her as her parents were brutally attacked. Years later, their refugee status was approved and they were sent to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in the U.S. Though she struggled with the education systems in Zambia and the U.S., Marie Claire graduated high school at 19. Jennifer, working with the Church World Service, helped the family adjust to America, and acted as Marie Claire's "American mum". Ajida fled with her husband and children from the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar to Bangladesh, where they are forced to remain in camps. Ajida makes stoves from clay in the camp. Farah was born in Uganda. She grew up in Canada after Idi Amin revoked Asian Ugandans' citizenship. Farah became CEO of Malala Fund.
An epilogue discusses Yousafzai's 2018 visit to Pakistan, while the "About the Contributors" chapter describes each person's current status.
Reception
In The Irish News, Luke Rix-Standing gave the book a rating of nine out of ten, praising its "searingly honest vulnerability". Rix-Standing particularly praised Malala's story and her writing style, commenting that her "simple, emotive language" and "short, sharp sentences" let the narrative "speak for itself".[23] Fernanda Santos of The New York Times gave the book a positive review, calling it "stirring and timely". Santos praised its "deeply personal stories" and approved that Yousafzai's introduction to each refugee's story give the reader "easy-to-digest lessons in world affairs".[24]
Nayare Ali of the Deccan Chronicle lauded the book as "an eye-opener to the refugee crisis in the post modern world". Ali stated that it contains "several sad, heart wrenching tales that make you deeply gratified for every blessing in life".[25] In a positive review in The Week, Mandira Nayar opined that "this is a story we need to hear. Again. And again." Nayar praised the book's "powerful picture of exile and hope".[26] A Publishers Weekly review commended the writers' "strength, resilience, and hope in the face of trauma" and praised the "profoundly moving" message of the book.[27]
In the "Young Adult Hardcover" section of The New York Times' bestseller list, We Are Displaced reached position #5 on 27 January 2019 and remained on the list in position #7 the following week.[28][29] On Twitter, business magnate Bill Gates wrote of the book: "I can't think of a better person to bring these stories to light. Congratulations, Malala."[30][31] Bollywood actor Katrina Kaif praised the book's stories as "moving and inspiring in equal measure".[32]
References
- ^ a b Canfield, David (12 March 2018). "Malala Yousafzai is writing about refugees for her next book". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-61783-897-2. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ Adam B. Ellick (2009). Class Dismissed. The New York Times (documentary). Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ a b "Pakistani Heroine: How Malala Yousafzai Emerged from Anonymity". Time World. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
- ^ "Young Pakistani Journalist Inspires Fellow Students". Institute of War & Peace Reporting. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ^ Peer, Basharat (10 October 2012). "The Girl Who Wanted To Go To School". The New Yorker. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "'Radio Mullah' sent hit squad after Malala Yousafzai". The Express Tribune. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ Mushtaq Yusufza (9 October 2012). "Pakistani teen blogger shot by Taliban 'critical' after surgery". NBC News. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ "Malala Yousafzai: Pakistani girl shot by Taliban to be treated in Birmingham hospital that treats wounded soldiers". The Telegraph. London. 15 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
- ^ "Malala Yousafzai becomes youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner". The Express Tribune. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-316-32793-0.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (19 April 2017). "Malala Yousafzai pens first picture book". The Bookseller. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
- ^ a b Wilson, Kristian (12 March 2018). "Malala Yousafzai's New Book 'We Are Displaced' Will Tell The True Stories Of Refugees She's Met". Bustle. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai". Little, Brown and Company. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "We Are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai". Orion Publishing Group. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Out now: Malala's new book, "We Are Displaced"". Malala Fund. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ISBN 9781474610063.
- ^ a b Allardice, Lisa (19 January 2019). "Malala Yousafzai on student life, facing critics – and her political ambitions". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ a b Fuentes, Tamara (10 January 2019). "10 Interesting Facts About Malala Yousafzai from Her New Book "We Are Displaced"". Seventeen. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "What is Malala Yousafzai up to now?". The Week UK. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ Cowdrey, Katherine (13 March 2018). "Malala leads Hachette showcase 2018". The Bookseller. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Malala Yousafzai amplifies voices of refugee girls in new book, "We Are Displaced"". CBS News. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Rix-Standing, Luke (24 January 2019). "Book reviews: Malala Yousafzai's We Are Displaced records true tales of girls' traumas". The Irish Times. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Santos, Fernanda (11 January 2019). "Reframing Refugee Children's Stories". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Ali, Nayare (16 January 2019). "Living under the shadow of death". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Nayar, Mandira (18 January 2019). "In her new book, Malala champions the refugee cause". The Week. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Young Adult Hardcover". The New York Times. 27 January 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Young Adult Hardcover". The New York Times. 3 February 2019. Archived from the original on 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ Rehman, Dawood (10 January 2019). "'We Are Displaced': Malala's new book hits the stands". Daily Pakistan. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
- ^ "Bill Gates congratulates Malala on launch of her new book". The Nation. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Katrina Kaif praises Malala Yousafzai for her book 'We Are Displaced'". The Express Tribune. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.