Author: Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui
Publication Date: March 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0307589675
In this true story told by the main character, we learn about Nujood a ten-year-old Yemeni girl who is married off as a child only to suffer rape and abuse at the hands of her husband who is in his 30s. In a culture where women are subservient to the point of invisibility, Nujood shows the greatest courage by escaping her deplorable situation and running to the nearest court of law. There she tells her story, determined to seek the asylum of divorce, and is assisted by many powerful Yemeni and international human rights advocates. She bucks patriarchal dominance and is granted freedom from an abusive marriage. More than that, she becomes the voice of Yemeni girls, many of whom must suffer the same wrongdoing.
The contents of this book are serious. It reveals a true picture of an impoverished Yemeni family. While the principle tenets of Yemeni culture are portrayed as matters of fact, so is the abuse that becomes inherent to it when poverty levels become so extreme. This book could prompt important classroom discussion for teachers of 7th or 8th grade. Because of the stories of rape and abuse, it might not be appropriate to younger tweens. Still, this book is powerful and is told using language that tweens could relate to.
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