May 8th 2018 | Nancy Paulsen Books
Source: Library
Like her previous book Written in the Stars, Saeed manages to write Amal Unbound with an undercurrent of hope throughout the entire story. In all of the moments where I wanted to save Amal and admonish those who hurt her, Amal never lost her fighting spirit. Even when so much was happening to Amal, she was hopeful for herself. She stood by her convictions and knew what she was capable of. Amal Unbound isn't a sad story of a girl named Amal. Instead, Amal Unbound is the story of a feisty, kind and giving girl who loves education and wants to be a teacher. Amal is a girl who loves her friends and family and the small Pakistani village she calls home.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal’s Pakistani village, but she had 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.I'm not sure how coherent my review for this book will be but I'm going to try my best. Aisha Saeed continues to write stories about strong, vibrant girls in circumstances that aren't often talked about. In Amal Unbound, Saeed tackles the notions of indentured servitude (including child labor) and the patriarchal structures that leave women and children especially vulnerable. Indentures servitude and child labor go hand in hand in many communities around the world and Saeed brings forth the story of a girl who faces this reality. Like Written in the Stars, Saeed manages to tell a story that's hard to handle, but forces the reader to question their privilege and acknowledge it.
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.
Like her previous book Written in the Stars, Saeed manages to write Amal Unbound with an undercurrent of hope throughout the entire story. In all of the moments where I wanted to save Amal and admonish those who hurt her, Amal never lost her fighting spirit. Even when so much was happening to Amal, she was hopeful for herself. She stood by her convictions and knew what she was capable of. Amal Unbound isn't a sad story of a girl named Amal. Instead, Amal Unbound is the story of a feisty, kind and giving girl who loves education and wants to be a teacher. Amal is a girl who loves her friends and family and the small Pakistani village she calls home.
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