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Amal Unbound
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Aisha Saeed's middle-grade debut tells the compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she has 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.
What the critics say
“A Pakistani girl’s dreams of an education dissolve when she is forced into indentured servitude.... Amal narrates, her passion for learning, love for her family, and despair at her circumstance evoked with sympathy and clarity, as is the setting. Inspired by Malala Yousafzai and countless unknown girls like her, Saeed’s timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
“Readers will find that a little perseverance and a heart filled with hope can eventually surmount a harsh reality. Saeed fills her prose with lush descriptions of Pakistani life, while still managing to connect with readers whose surroundings and experiences will be starkly different. Hand to any reader who struggles with definitive gender roles, norms, and expectations held in place by societal structures.” (Booklist)
“This simple yet lyrical novel paints an evocative picture of life in a small village in modern-day Pakistan, especially the limits placed on girls and women.... It may serve as a read-alike or a gateway to stories such as Yousafzai’s autobiography, I Am Malala; The Lines We Cross by Randa Abdel-Fattah; and Saeed’s debut novel, Written in the Stars.” (The Voice of Youth Advocates)
What listeners say about Amal Unbound
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Lori I.
- 2018-09-20
Great Historical Fiction
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The reader sound like a girl the age of the main character and it lends an authenticity to the book. Planning to use this with my grade 6 class for the Global Read Aloud, and it ensures that I get the pronunciations of cultural names and words right. Very glad I bought this title! #audible1
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- Gail Elizabeth
- 2018-08-29
incredible story...
Strong characterization and an important story should bring awareness to the plight of children forced into slavery for unfair reasons. the plot keeps your interest right to the very end.
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