Bruce Bouchard gracious prepared this book review for us. I've already bought the book, if for no other reason than to keep the royalties flowing to this young girl whose male relatives are now giving her more respect. But I think it will be a great read. Thanks Bruce.

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced
New York: Three Rivers Press 2010
$12.00 176 pages

Can it be true that a young girl ten years old was not only married, but also divorced? Nujood Ali is ten years old and she is divorced. She lives in the country Yemen at the southern tip of Saudi Arabia. In that culture, girls can be married off when they are just children to men who are twice or even several times their age. The men in the family make the choice for them. The decision can mean that they no longer have the potential to go to school. They soon discover that they are also forced into a long series of pregnancies. Since maternal health care is so poor countries in countries like Yemen and women are so young, child birth can threaten their health if not take their lives.

Nujood had the amazing courage to appear in court one day, demand a divorce, and eventually received one. It is a heroic and heart felt story that tells of her bravery, gives insight the culture of Yemen, third world poverty, and tells why we need to care.

Nujood tells her own story with the help of the French- Iranian writer, Delphine Minoui. The book is an appropriate read for someone Nujood's age or an adult.

Sharing the work in a congregational book group would be a great opportunity for those in the church to have an opportunity to identify better with what poverty means for both women and men in a developing country with a traditional culture like Yemen.