C.H. Booth Library hosted a virtual author talk program on Wednesday, October 22 for Malala Yousafzai’s new book, Finding My Way, which was released on October 21. Yousafzai is a Pakistani educational activist who survived a Taliban attack and murder attempt in 2012.

Following the attack, Yousafzai received medical treatment in Birmingham, United Kingdom, where she continued her education. After completing high school, Yousafzai went to University of Oxford. There, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. Yousafzai’s second book details her time at Oxford, including stories of finding friends, falling in love, almost failing classes, and her mental health journey.

During Yousafzai’s talk, she answered questions pre-submitted by attendees about her time and her experiences.

Brandon Adler, the host for Library Speakers Consortium, introduced Yousafzai and asked how it felt to finally have the book out and in readers’ hands.

Yousafzai answered, “I had been waiting for this moment for so long. I had been working on this book for a few years now, and I am so happy that I can share my story now.”

Adler described the book as “effortless and funny,” which allowed her to feel close to Yousafzai as she read.

The first question Yousafzai answered was how writing Finding My Way differed from writing her first memoir, I Am Malala. Yousafzai said this memoir is “the most personal reflections I have ever shared.” Yousafzai explained that she has grown so much over these past few years, and she wanted to be open about her experiences.

“This is me reintroducing myself for who I am,” Yousafzai said. Later on in the talk, she explained that she wanted to discover who she truly is, as her story of being the “15-year-old girl attacked by the Taliban” was how people introduced her. She said that “there has been so much more to [her] life” that goes beyond the attack, and this book put it all on display.

Before the attack, Yousafzai wrote an anonymous column for BBC about life under Taliban rule at just 11 years old. Yousafzai described herself as a “mischievous” child, and spent time after the attack wondering if she could get “a bit of that childhood back.” She believed that maybe college would provide her with that opportunity, and in some ways, it did.

Yousafzai shared stories about joining every single club Oxford had to offer, including the rowing team. It was then when her parents discovered she was not wearing the clothes they had packed for her, which was seen as a big “no-no” in Pakistani culture. In Pakistan, especially under Taliban rule, modesty for women is held in very, very high regard.

Someone had taken a photo of Yousafzai during rowing practice while she was wearing skinny jeans, a bomber jacket, and a headscarf. The picture was posted online, not to Yousafzai’s knowledge, and her mother soon called. People criticized Yousafzai for wearing jeans, and #shameonmalala was trending.

“I just could not even process what was happening,” Yousafzai told the audience. “Because at college, I wanted to blend in. I wanted to be like every other student, and I know that students wear jeans and jumpers or sweaters … like nobody’s wearing their traditional, cultural clothes. And the cultural clothes are like beautiful, I love them and I wear them with pride, but I knew if I wear my Pakistani traditional clothes, I would stand out.”

Other criticized Yousafzai for still wearing a headscarf, claiming she was “not empowered enough” to not wear one. Yousafzai said that she think it is “a woman’s choice” to wear what she wants, whether it be traditional clothing or a headscarf.

“I’m not here in college for some pilgrimage … I’m here as a student,” Yousafzai said. Another example of Yousafzai’s rebellion was the infamous bell tower at Oxford. Adler said many, many people wanted to know more about Yousafzai’s trip up to that tower.

Yousafzai said that she “wanted to be a normal student first,” but she also realized there are “cooler students” who have “adventurous experiences.” When Yousafzai heard about students climbing the college rooftops to get to that tower, she wanted in.

Yousafzai informed the audience that it is a “very dangerous journey, by the way,” but continued explaining how she got up there. She was willing to risk her life in this way because she wanted this “experience of disobedience” and wanted to be a “rebellious person.” When she got up into the bell tower, she looked down at the Oxford campus and was feeling the “joy” of being a normal, young college student, away from the Nobel label, the activist label, and away from the attack.

Yousafzai became a sort of “expert” in getting to the bell tower, and brought other students up there with her. She said she would still do it now if given a chance.

Yousafzai answered many other questions about her mother’s role in her life, her struggles with mental health, and what she does to guard her mental health during the short, one-hour long presentation.

C.H. Booth Library has many more author talks scheduled for the coming weeks. For more information or to register, go to chboothlibrary.org.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.