Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Release: May 8th 2018
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Amazon
Amal Unbound Synopsis:
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she’s busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when–as the eldest daughter–she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn’t lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens–after an accidental run-in with the son of her village’s corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family’s servant to pay off her own family’s debt.
Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal–especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal’s growing awareness of the Khans’ nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.
Review:
I just finished reading this gem of a book in one sitting, and am writing this review while the story is still fresh in my mind.
The book takes inspiration from Malala Yousafzai’s life. The story deals with the harsh realities that we still face in countries like India and Pakistan. Being an Indian, I know that there are still many rural areas where these sort of incidents do occur. Families wish to have only boys to avoid spending on dowry, carrying the family name after marriage, etc. Amal is lucky in the story because she is born into a nice family with loving parents. Even when Amal faces her harsh new reality, she still has a decent job working for Nasreen Baji. In reality, children get physically abused and tortured when they fall into the wrong hands. However, since this is a middle grade novel, I liked the fact that it had a bit of a fairy tale like feel towards it and doesn’t get too gruesome.
Reading such stories remind me of how lucky and thankful I am for being fortunate to live a content life. True, it is not perfect in any way, but it could always be worse. There are people who steal children from the streets and sell them for slavery in the Far East. Parents disown their children and send them to orphanages just for being born as girls. People kill people just because of their skin color, race, religion or sexuality. While these things are not going to change overnight, stories like this do bring it one step closer towards raising awareness. It is important for everyone to have an education and become aware to treat others with equality and respect.
Anyway, coming back to the book, Aisha Saeed has done a wonderful job in beautifully portraying a serious issue in a simple yet compelling manner that would attract readers of all ages, not just children. Personally, I was hoping for a little more drama toward the climax where things don’t go according to her plan, just to make the story more interesting. However, I still loved reading this book! On a side note, the cover design is AMAZING as well! It has a wonderful contrast of colors and a beautiful henna of the world in the palm of Amal’s hands. I initially picked out this book without even reading the synopsis, just for the cover. Overall, “Amal Unbound” is a beautiful middle grade novel, and I feel should be a staple book read in schools.
