Press Release: I Am Nujood, Age Ten and Divorced by Nujood Ali
The Riveting True Story of the Child Bride from Yemen Whose Historic Divorce made Global Headlines
“The unimaginably awful story is told in the voice of the girl, simply and clearly…
This memoir will move readers.”—Kirkus Reviews
“One of the greatest women I have every seen…She set an example with her courage.” —Hillary Clinton
“Simple and straightforward in its telling, this is an informative and thoroughly engaging narrative. —Publishers Weekly
“This book took my breath away…What Nujood did to save her life was a miracle; that she did it as a 10 year old child is, quite simply, astounding.” —Carolyn Jessop, author of Escape and Triumph
I AM NUJOOD,
AGE 10 AND DIVORCED
by Nujood Ali
with Delphine Minoui
Many words can describe Nujood Ali’s memoir—shocking, hopeful, poignant—but none can fully convey the horror of her experience as a child bride at the age of ten, or the overwhelming message of strength she inspires. I AM NUJOOD, AGE 10 AND DIVORCED (A Three Rivers Press Original; March 2, 2010) captures Nujood’s hard-fought and historic journey and reveals how her life and family have changed since she made global headlines in 2008. Offering a rare glimpse of life behind the veil for many young girls around the world, this absorbing read is ideal for Women’s History Month.
Nujood’s childhood came to an abrupt end in February 2008, when her father took her from the Yemeni capital to his home village for a wedding—her wedding. It was then that she learned that he had arranged for her to be married to a man three times her age. With harrowing directness, Nujood tells of abuse at her husband’s hands, beginning the very first night of her married life.
Two months after her wedding, wearing her headscarf and robe—the costume of married women—Nujood took a taxi to the court building and demanded to speak to a judge. With the help of a lawyer, Shada Nasser, NGOs, and the local press, Nujood finally obtained her freedom—an extraordinary achievement in Yemen, where there is a conspiracy of near total silence about the fact that almost half of all girls are married under the legal age.
Nujood’s story made world news and her fight has given other young girls the courage to stand up to their society’s customs. Yemeni lawmakers have also been pressured to raise the minimum age of marriage. As a Glamour magazine 2008 Woman of the Year, Nujood has received plaudits from Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice. Today, Nujood is back in school and hopes to become a lawyer one day, fighting for justice for girls in the Middle East.
Nujood Ali was the first child bride in Yemen to win a divorce and has been profiled in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and TIME magazine. She lives in Yemen.
Delphine Minoui, a recipient of the Albert Londres Prize, has been covering Iran and the Middle East since 1997. She lives in Beirut.
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
By Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui
A Three Rivers Press Original | On Sale: March 2, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-307-58967-5 | $12.00 | 192 pages