Over a month ago, I stumbled upon an article online that mentioned a little 10-year-old Yemeni girl named Nujood Ali who–at such an young age–had already lived through an arranged marriage and a divorce. Amazed at the courage and strength of such a young girl and curious to learn more, I scribbled her name onto a post-it and kept it with me.
On this lazy and beautifully sunny weekend, I finally downloaded her book I Am Nujood: Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui and lied down to read. The autobiography was instantly un-put-downable, and I found myself captivated by this incredibly mature girl and her story of bravery. Women and girls like Nujood who constantly kick down “closed doors” inspire and “Wow!” me in ways I can’t explain. Good for you, Nujood! 
Nujood with her lawyer, Shada
To share some of my favorite excerpts from the book, which I hope will move you to read her wonderful story:
“I’m a simple village girl whose family had to move to the capital, and I have always obeyed the orders of my father and brothers. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today I have decided to say no.” – Nujood Ali
“I’m shaking–if they see me, they might arrest me. A little girl running away from home, that just isn’t done. Trembling, I discreetly latch on to the first passing veil, hoping to get the attention of the unkown women it conceals. A tiny voice inside me whispers, Go on, Nujood! It’s true you’re only a girl, but you’re also a woman, and a real one, even though you’re still having trouble accepting that..” – Nujood Ali
“‘I’ll be by the candy vendor,’ she had told me, betraying the sweet tooth of children her age. Almond-shaped eyes, a baby face, an angelic smile. Seemingly a girl like any other, who likes candy, dreams of having a big TV, and plays blindman’s buff with her brothers and sisters. Depp down, however, she is a real little lady, matured by her ordeal, who smiles today to hear the congratulatory cries of ‘Mabrouk!‘ called out to her by the women of Sana’a [Yemen] when they recognize her as she passes by.” – Delphine Minoui
“Perhaps Nujood does not realize this yet, but she has shattered a taboo. The news of her divorce traveled around the world… bringing an end to the silence enshrouding a practice that is unfortuntely all too widespread… If her story touches us so deeply, however, it’s also because it impels us to take a good look at ourselves. In the West, it’s fashionable to instinctively bemoaan the fate of Muslim women, yet conjugal violence and the practice o child marriage are hardly restricted to the Islamic world.” – Delphine Minoui
“Whenever I travel to Sana’a, she asks me to bring her colored pencils. Crouching on the floor of the same modest living room, she always draws the same colourful building with plenty of windows. One day, I asked her if it was a house, a school, or a boarding school. ‘It’s the house of joy,’ she replied with a big smile. ‘The house of happy little girls.’” – Delphine Minoui
