Malala Yousafzai Opens Up About Her Turbulent Life in New Memoir

OXFORD, England — Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel laureate and global icon for girls’ education, is ready to share the intimate details of her life in her new memoir, Finding My Way. The book will reveal her journey, which includes disagreements with her parents and feeling abandoned by political allies who once sought her company.

During a summer afternoon, the 26-year-old Yousafzai took a stroll through a hidden garden at Lady Margaret Hall, reminiscing about her past as she approached an old shed where she once smoked cannabis. “My life has changed forever,” she said somberly, reflecting on the events that altered her life trajectory.

This memoir serves as a sequel to her bestselling 2013 book, I Am Malala. It explores her life after overcoming the traumatic experience of being shot by the Taliban at the age of 15 for advocating girls’ education. Yousafzai was airlifted to the UK for treatment and eventually resettled with her family in Birmingham.

After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in politics, philosophy, and economics, she signed a deal with Apple TV+ to produce her own content. While her past interviews have stirred controversy—like her 2021 British Vogue cover story that led to backlash in Pakistan—Yousafzai has navigated these challenges with resilience.

In the book, Yousafzai recounts how her marriage to Pakistani cricket manager Asser Malik surprised many, including her own parents, who were initially unaware of their relationship. Aside from personal anecdotes, she also candidly addresses her struggles with mental health, particularly the anxiety stemming from her traumatic past.

“I survived an attack,” she writes, “and nothing happened to me, and I laughed it off.” The memories of that fateful day, the bullets and bloodshed, still haunt her. She experienced anxiety that resurfaced after a seemingly innocuous night out with friends, prompting distressing flashbacks of the shooting.

Yousafzai, who remains actively involved in advocating for girls’ education globally through her Malala Fund, has also turned her attention to pressing human rights issues in places like Afghanistan and Gaza. She revealed that many world leaders ignored her pleas for help, demonstrating a stark contrast in the willingness to support Afghan women.

“To the men who ran the world, I was just a photo op,” she expressed, echoing her frustration with how her activism has been perceived by those in power.

As Yousafzai prepares to launch her memoir, she acknowledges the backlash she may face but stands firm in her commitment to honesty and transparency. “I am very prepared for that,” she stated confidently. “If anybody has any confusion, they can read my book and decide for themselves.”