Nadia Murad

Jenna Krajeski

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 'Those who thought that by their cruelty they could silence her were wrong. Nadia Murad's spirit is not broken and her voice will not be muted' Amal Clooney 'Offers powerful insight into the barbarity the Yazidi suffered alongside glimpses into their mystical culture . . . this is an important book by a brave woman, fresh testament to humankind's potential for chilling and inexplicable evil' Ian Birrell, The Times 'Courageous . . . Anyone who wants to understand the so called Islamic State should read' The Economist 'The pope also recommended reading Iraqi Yazidi Nobel Prize winner Nadia Murad's book, The Last Girl, which he said he had read, commenting that "everything that the world thinks about women is concentrated there . . . However, the world cannot function without women," he insisted' La Croix International With a foreword by Amal Clooney A Nobel Peace Prize nominee and the first Goodwill Ambassador the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking of the United Nations and winner of the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize, Nadia Murad is a courageous young woman who has endured unimaginable tragedy (losing eighteen members of her family) and degradation through sexual enslavement to ISIS. But she has fought back. This inspiring memoir takes us from her peaceful childhood in a remote village in Iraq through loss and brutality to safety in Germany. Courage and testimony can change the world: this is one of those books.

My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State

The Last Girl

This was fast paced, difficult to put down, and incredibly horrific. It's so frustrating that women and girls are always the ones to suffer in the pointless wars created by power hungry, greedy, egotistical, morally depraved men. Mass executions, rape, forced displacement, religious intolerance. It's difficult reading about this while there are multiple genocides taking place currently. I'm devastated at what Nadia experienced. My mind can't process the evils. She possesses such strength and bravery to be able to tell her story.

The people who helped Nadia escape and those who formed part of the smuggling network to free the girls, really are the unsung heroes in this story. To risk your life, as well as the lives of your family, for someone you don't know, is no small accomplishment. Courage of this caliber is rare. People like this balance out the evil in this world and I just don't think they received enough acknowledgment in this book. I hope Nasser and his family are safe wherever they are. 

Saffia

This was fast paced, difficult to put down, and incredibly horrific. It's so frustrating that women and girls are always the ones to suffer in the pointless wars created by power hungry, greedy, egotistical, morally depraved men. Mass executions, rape, forced displacement, religious intolerance. It's difficult reading about this while there are multiple genocides taking place currently. I'm devastated at what Nadia experienced. My mind can't process the evils. She possesses such strength and bravery to be able to tell her story.

The people who helped Nadia escape and those who formed part of the smuggling network to free the girls, really are the unsung heroes in this story. To risk your life, as well as the lives of your family, for someone you don't know, is no small accomplishment. Courage of this caliber is rare. People like this balance out the evil in this world and I just don't think they received enough acknowledgment in this book. I hope Nasser and his family are safe wherever they are. 

"A memoir of Nadia Murad's time as a captive of the Islamic State, her escape, and her human rights activism"--

My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State

Cath

I'm still a little shaken. That was such a powerful read. So intimate and raw and real. I could feel the terror and sadness endured by the victim, feeling both scared and heartbroken for what has happened to Nadia and her family. I have learned so much from her story and I admire her for projecting a voice that aims to educate and help people.

This is actually my very first autobiography/memoir and it feels like I was reading a fiction novel. I couldn't fathom a young girl going through something so horrifying and inhumane. Each page was just as terrifying as the next, and I wanted to stop reading but at the same time I couldn't. I was hooked. I was frustrated and scared. By the end of the book, I had to collect myself, go through the events that occurred in the novel and process them again slowly. 

Again, I still couldn't wrap my head around Nadia's story. I felt so shallow and ignorant after reading it. Her unfiltered story made me weep for the victims of ISIS, and ultimately the country torn apart by war and genocide.

This book is not for the lighthearted, but I do encourage everyone to read it, especially to people like me who are only aware of the surface issues but not anything beyond that. 'The Last Girl' may only explore one side of the story behind the terrors of ISIS, but it is worth the time taken to empathise with those who fell victim (directly or indirectly) to the genocide. I am still in awe with the way the author's past shape the person she is today. Nadia and her story will continue to educate readers and inspire people to help those in need. There is still a lot that i am unaware of with regards to this ongoing issue, but reading Nadia's story really opened my eyes to what is really happening in the real world. 

I highly, highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you so much to Crown Publishing for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review! <3

The Last Girl My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State

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