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The Last Girl
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State | Nadia Murad
38 posts | 44 read | 86 to read
In this intimate memoir of survival, a former captive of the Islamic State tells her harrowing and ultimately inspiring story. Nadia Murad was born and raised in Kocho, a small village of farmers and shepherds in northern Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her brothers and sisters lived a quiet life. Nadia had dreams of becoming a history teacher or opening her own beauty salon. On August 15th, 2014, when Nadia was just twenty-one years old, this life ended. Islamic State militants massacred the people of her village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves. Six of Nadias brothers were killed, and her mother soon after, their bodies swept into mass graves. Nadia was taken to Mosul and forced, along with thousands of other Yazidi girls, into the ISIS slave trade. Nadia would be held captive by several militants and repeatedly raped and beaten. Finally, she managed a narrow escape through the streets of Mosul, finding shelter in the home of a Sunni Muslim family whose eldest son risked his life to smuggle her to safety. Today, Nadia's storyas a witness to the Islamic State's brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, a Yazidihas forced the world to pay attention to the ongoing genocide in Iraq. It is a call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country, a fragile community, and a family torn apart by war.
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Naj
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I've had this for years and finally got around to reading it. Maybe I shouldn't have. It's the most depressing thing I've ever read. At times it felt unreal that someone could survive such inhumanity. Sometimes it felt like it was from a long gone era; surely this did not happen less than a decade ago. This is a story that needs to be read by everyone.

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RowReads1
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TBR. Someday I‘ll actually read it. 😨

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MelKelsey
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Book 77
I listened to this memoir (not read by the author) about genocide and human trafficking inflicted by ISIS. It is the most depressing memoir I've read. The author does an amazing job calling out not only the perpetrators but also all those that stand by and let this happen. It's a call to action and accountability.

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Nitpickyabouttrains
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The nonfiction story of a girl taken captive. Her religion persecuted and her people taken away. Dark and full of horrors. But real.

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kindergartenkat
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My first book for #nonfiction2020 ! A hard story to read because what she went through was horrific, but Nadia Murad is an inspiration. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#somethingaboutacurrentwartornarea

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Caroline2
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Nadia was living in a remote village in Iraq when ISIS invaded. Her story of survival and witnessing genocide is heartbreaking. I learnt so much from this book about the different religions & ethnicities that make up Iraq and it‘s recent history. A thought proving read that has really affected me. #nfnov

Clwojick 6pt 4y
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Insightsintobooks
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Cinfhen Thanks for sharing. Looks interesting 5y
Insightsintobooks @Cinfhen you're welcome! 5y
Cinfhen And I bought it!!! Thanks 5y
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Jeg
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Finished early morning in Bergen. A very powerful important book. I had heard of the Yazidis but now I understand.
The terrible abuse by ISIS of women and children , along with all the violence , I hope does not go unpunished. The world needs to hear these stories, take notice and act! A very courageous young woman.
Read this book and share. @MrsMalaprop

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Jeg
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The Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo today. Saw an exhibition about sexual violence in war. Made me feel sad and angry. This young woman is very brave . I‘m sure it will be an amazing read. @MrsMalaprop

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ephemeralwaltz
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An incredible memoir from which I learned so much. Nadia tells her story, the story of the genocide of the Yazidi population in Iraq by ISIS and the enslavement of so many girls like herself, who lost their friends, their homes, and their families-everything- so that we can all make sure she is the last girl this ever had to happen too. Knowledge is power ✊
Intimate, informative, and fierce.

Nute Excellent review! I can‘t find the words right now, but you are absolutely correct truth and knowledge are imperative. 5y
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ephemeralwaltz
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Weester
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🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

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Readaholics
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Wow! What a story! Nadia is part of a religious group persecuted by the Islamic right when they took over parts of Iraq. She was sold into sexual slavery and most of her family killed. But her spirit and resilience really shows through her ordeal and her story helps put a human face on the hypocrisy and terror ISIS generates in Middle East communities. Power + terror is a powerful mix to subjugate communities.

djh On hold at library.🤔 5y
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suvata
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Anyone who wants to understand more about the Islamic State should read this book. The l way people can treat each other is absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking. I learned so much about the different “sects” in the Middle East and much about the complicated political/religious separations. The book left me with mixed emotions. On one hand I was so happy that Nadia was able to escape, but any kind of solution to this chaos may impossible.

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suvata
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My pick for January 2019.

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Zbayardo
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This was an extremely difficult read but an important one we should all read. Crimes and atrocities against women happen every day in many countries and the crimes and unspeakable acts forced upon the Yazidi women and girls are unimaginable and not widely known. Until now. Until Nadia Murad persevered and managed to survive her horror. She is an amazing woman and I am in awe of her strength.

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JenReadsAlot
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This was a very difficult book to read, and a very important one as well. Heartbreaking to think about what torture women in other countries have to endure.

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Abailliekaras
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Highly recommended. Nadia Murad tells of Iraq as a Yazidi girl with her loving family. In 2014 ISIS killed her brothers, took her & she was held in captivity as a sex slave. Upsetting but told in clear, unsentimental prose, it‘s compelling & readable. Nadia is a remarkable woman; her bravery in telling her story inspires (apart from her shame & trauma, her religion forbids sex before marriage) & her activism is making a difference. Feels urgent.

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Trollkonstnaren
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I think I try this next. Perhaps I do not read it at once.

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Abailliekaras
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Bedtime reading. 😴

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Awk_Word_Smith
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A very important book for everyone to read. I‘m in.

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bitterbear
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This is an important book. #readthis #recommended #nonfiction #memoir

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EmmaMae
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Nadia tells a heart breaking, powerful story of her experience as a Yazidi captured and escaped from Daesh (ISIS). She is unwavering in her call to justice through actions against oppressors and alongside those experiencing injustice. #bookclubreads

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Martta
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It's been few days since I finished this book but I just couldn't find the right words to describe it. This is a book that makes you think of humanity, strength, world politics and difficulty of human life in a totally new way. It is impossible to put down! After this book all you can think about is that how it is possible that one person can be so strong! I stronly recommend this book but it is not for the delicate minded!

emilyhaldi I've been seeing a lot of great reviews about this one recently 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 6y
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Martta
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Started this yesterday and now I just can't stop reading it. This story is truly heart stopping!

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Martta
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Found this. Looks like a really interesting but rough read. I have conflicting feelings about books like this. In one way I really want to read these sort of books but on the other hand I'm not certain if I really want to know the details. I'm not sure if I'm up to it. But often I find after I have read something like this that I'm glad I read it to understand humans and the world problems better. Have to see how it is in this case...

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KindaKath
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Heartbreaking first person account. I found her account of life in Iraq during Saddam as ruler and up to the rise of ISIS to be quite terrifying. Religion is the root of so much evil, and it certainly is in this account.

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TheNextBook
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I spent the first hour of today‘s #24in48 finishing this absolutely disturbing account of Nadia Murad who survived the genocide of Yazidi people at the hands of the Islamic State. This was an incredibly detailed and descriptive account of her life before, during, and after her kidnapping and abuse. I cannot imagine the bravery it took to escape or to share this story but I defintely recommend reading it. These stories need to be told.

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TheNextBook

#24in48 I‘ve finished the first lart of this book and... I am at a loss for words. Living in the U.S. I don‘t think I can fully comprehend what‘s going on in Iraq and Iran. Nadia‘s first hand account of what happened in her village is terrifying and so heartbreaking!

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TheNextBook
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#24in48 One of the arcs I‘m trying to get two before the end of this month. Lets see if I can knock it out today!

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MorbidAi
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Giving a non-fiction heart breaker a go.

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ephemeralwaltz
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#TBRTemptation post! I've been adding so many books to my TBR these past few weeks.

"Nadia's story--as a witness to the Islamic State's brutality, a survivor of rape, a refugee, a Yazidi--has forced the world to pay attention to the ongoing genocide in Iraq. It is a call to action, a testament to the human will to survive, and a love letter to a lost country, a fragile community, and a family torn apart by war."

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Libby1
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Has anyone read this one yet?

@Librarylady , @Lacythebookworm - you both posted about it. What did you think?

Cinfhen Hmm, I'm curious too?!? 6y
Lacythebookworm I haven‘t read it yet! Looks like I need to ASAP. 6y
Libby1 @Cinfhen , @Lacythebookworm - it looks like an important read 6y
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Librarylady
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This is my next book. People magazine selected it as their Pick of the Week. I love memoirs so I'm feeling like this is going to be a winner.

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Lacythebookworm
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#bookmail I haven‘t heard much about this one, but it sounds fascinating.

Cortg Let us know how it is! Looks interesting. 6y
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