Librarians Choice: Bring Back our Girls
Author: Joe Parkinson and Drew Hinshaw
This is an astoundingly powerful account of the dramatic rescue of the group of Nigerian school girls who were kidnapped by the fundamentalist Boko Haram Islamic group in 2014. Written by two top investigative, Pulitzer Prize nominee, journalists this amazing, intimate and rivetingly true tale pieces the complex jigsaw of the girls’ capture, forced exile in Sambisa Forest and the dedicated team of men and women who galvanised international support from around the globe to rescue them with. Included are extracts of a dairy kept in secret by one of the girls, including testimonies from others who were hidden with her and follows their harrowing flight and fight for freedom over years in the bush until they and others were finally found.
Style
Readers will enjoy the readable and engaging style the book has been written in, as well as the comprehensive look at the forces driving continued social disruption in Nigeria and the true reasons why the kidnap happened and then the extraordinarily long time taken to rescue them took place. Readers most interested in supporting women's rights and keeping the plight of vulnerable women and girls in danger across the world firmly in the public consciousness, will rally to this book and find strength in the simple courage shown by the girls in the face of terrifying and complex terrorist ideals. Future readers will warm to the beauty and simplicity of self determination exhibited by the victims and gladly join them in their cry for justice.