Description
Book Synopsis''I began to grow up the day my mother warned me to stop laughing''
''Stories like this inspire me. Seeing the way people like Sola Mahfouz think about the world reinforces my optimism about the future.'' BILL GATES
At age eleven, Sola Mahfouz was told she could no longer attend school. The Taliban threatened that any girl who dared to continue their education would have acid thrown in their face, be kidnapped, or worse. Confined to the walls of her home, Sola watched as the few freedoms of childhood were stripped away. She was forbidden to play, to sing, even to laugh. Her early teenage years were consumed by restrictions.
Realising that she would have to either succumb to this life or find a way out, she decided on the latter. At age sixteen, without even a basic ability to add or subtract, she began secretly learning maths and English. By reading dictionaries and taking free online courses, she taught herself theoretical physics and p
Trade Review
Stories like this inspire me. Seeing the way people like Sola Mahfouz think about the world reinforces my optimism about the future. -- Bill Gates
A compelling, fascinating book. * Daily Mail *
Sola reminds us that the greatest untapped resource around the globe isn't gold or oil, but the female half of the population. Virginia Woolf wrote that if Shakespeare had had an equally talented sister, she never would have been able to flower-and Sola is Shakespeare's sister. -- Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
Sola embodies the power of individual determination and serves as an inspiration to us all?she is nothing short of incredible. Her story speaks to the limitless potential of millions who have been held back by circumstances beyond their control. Defiant Dreams is a beautifully written reminder of the transformative power of education. -- Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy
Captivating in its intimate details of life behind the burqa, this brave girl's determination to educate herself despite restrictive Afghan tradition, Talib gunfire, and American rockets is pure inspiration. Defiant indeed?I could not put this beautifully written book down. -- Helen Zia, author of Last Boat Out of Shanghai and former executive editor of Ms. magazine
