I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui

This has been on my wishlist for a couple of years now, but inexplicably, none of the local libraries bought a copy until recently.  I found it on the New Books shelf at work yesterday and promptly took it home.

Nujood Ali was an ordinary little girl living with her poverty-stricken Yemeni family until she became the victim of a common crime--her father sold her, at age 10, as a bride to an acquaintance in his 30s.  The next several months were a nightmare, but Nujood waited for her chance, gathered up her courage, and went to the city courthouse where she had heard someone could help her.  She told the judge she wanted a divorce, and so set off a media storm that helped other girls come forward to ask for divorces.

Child brides are not at all uncommon in Yemen. The age of consent was 15 until a couple of years ago, and even so, about half of Yemeni brides were underage.  No young girl had ever come forward and asked for a divorce before, and the legal system had pretty much ignored the whole thing. 

This is not an easy story to read, and although it's told by a young girl, it's not a children's book.  Go ahead and read it if at all possible!

Comments

  1. I read this book last year, and it was so heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. I can't imagine going through that type of thing at any age, much less at 9. It amazes me that things like this still happen in our world.

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  2. I read the articles about this at the time. Poor little girl. And at the same time - what a smart, brave little girl! Is there anything that we can do to help them?

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