In a profoundly moving memoir, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad reclaims the story of her life. In 2014, Nadia Murad was a young girl living in Northern Iraq when her world was shattered. Islamic State fighters attacked her village, massacring hundreds of people-including her mother and six of her brothers-and forced her, along with thousands of Yazidi women and girls, into the ISIS slave trade. Nadia daringly escaped after enduring the unimaginable, but she couldn''t walk away from those still in captivity. Her fight for their freedom won her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. Her life since then has been split in two: the hero-a survivor and global activist-and the woman learning how to be a friend, a student, a wife, who can finally experience ordinary joy . In I Choose My Beginning Nadia brings these two selves together. Throughout her work with world leaders and her time as a student attending classes on Zoom, from reshaping international law to intimate meals with new friends, building hospitals for displaced families, and marrying the love of her life, Nadia holds with her the memory of her loved ones-those who survived and those who did not-those who reminded her she was always more than a victim. The Last Girl was the memoir of a survivor of unspeakable crimes; I Choose My Beginning tells the story of an young woman, passionately writing her own life.

Autorentext

Nadia Murad is a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate dedicated to ending the use of sexual violence in conflict and supporting communities affected by genocide. Born in Kocho, a small village in northern Iraq, Nadia survived the 2014 Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS. After escaping captivity, she became a leading advocate for justice and recovery, sharing her story to raise global awareness of the impact of sexual violence and displacement.

In 2018, Nadia received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to secure justice for survivors and to promote peace and human rights. She is the founder and president of Nadia's Initiative, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds communities in crisis and advances the rights of women and survivors worldwide.

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FROM THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, AND RECIPIENT OF FRANCE'S LEGION OF HONOUR, NADIA MURAD RECLAIMS THE STORY OF HER LIFE IN THIS PROFOUNDLY MOVING MEMOIR INTRODUCED BY GLORIA STEINEM

'Nadia is a fierce warrior for justice and a beautiful human being I feel privileged to know. She will inspire women for generations' AMAL CLOONEY

In 2014, Nadia Murad was living in northern Iraq when her world was shattered. Fighters from the so-called Islamic State attacked her village, massacring hundreds - including her mother and six of her brothers - and forcing her, along with thousands of Yazidi women and girls, into ISIS's system of sexual slavery. Her life since then has been split in two. In one she is a global symbol of courage - a survivor and activist who has stood before world leaders to demand justice. In the other, she is a woman learning how to be a friend, a student, a wife; a woman rediscovering ordinary joy.

In I Choose My Beginning, Nadia brings these two selves together. With honesty and grace, she transforms the pain of her past into a life defined not by what was done to her, but by strength, perseverance, and the freedom to choose happiness. From reshaping international law to building a life filled with friendship and love, Nadia carries the memory of those she lost and those who survived. Their presence reminds her - and all of us - that she has always been more than a victim.

Powerful and deeply inspiring, I Choose My Beginning is the story of an extraordinary woman reclaiming her humanity - and showing that survival is not the end of the story. It is the beginning.

'An inspiring story of a woman fighting to create a life that's all her own' KIRKUS REVIEWS