The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State Hardcover – November 7, 2017

Islam, while not stupendously tolerant, has allowed the existence of many ancient religions, including many varieties of Christianity, long exterminated elsewhere. Who could have imagined that real Zorastrian congregations still exist? Recent religious, ethnic and political fanaticisms, many generated [if abhorred] by America, Israel and their violences, are now strangling many of these to death. Nadia Murad belongs [or belonged--whether this people has in its recognizable forms been eradicated is a matter of definition] to one such group, the Yazidi people, a huge proportion of whom were enslaved, murdered, torn from their families and communities, and gang raped by ISIS, an organization even more depraved, if possible, than its reputation would suggest. The Yazidi have, or had, problems familiar to all of us. An insular society, its doctrines were defined by a tiny coterie of man, and mostly unknown or misunderstood by the majority who were nonetheless required to believe and obey them without question. Yazidi beliefs and practices are as absurd and constraining as those of all the rest of us, and as strictly and rigidly enforced. "Marrying out" elicited a death sentence, which often set off a spiral of retaliatory violence between the Yasidis and the neighboring community into which any apostate had hoped to marry. They do not accept converts. The men treat women with the same indfference and oppression as patriarchal societies [all or almost all societies] do. Their elders have obstructed education of girls, realizing that any knowledge will undermine their submissiveness and docility. Community identity was consolidated by repeated narratives of past massacres, frequent but never genocidal Insularity provided the warm sense of belonging that often comforts members of such communities--everyone was within walking distance of scores of friends and relatives. But there were drawbacks. The author's captors and rapists taunted her with the idea that because she had converted to Islam [under threat of death] and was no longer a virgin [having been gang raped by innumerable men] she would not be welcomed back into the Yazidi community, a threat she took so seriously that she kept her forced conversion and numerous rapes secret after she escaped. In what she regards as magnificent generosity, the Elders did accept victims such as her back into the fold, probably because so many Yazidis had been murdered, or "converted", displaced, or gang raped, that without them they would have no followers.ISIS destroyed a considerable portion of the Yazidi community.Nadia Murad laments that the internet, cable tv, modern consumer culture, and vast emigration have probably irrevocably destroyed most vestiges of traditional Yazidi beliefs and practices. Before all this, the author herself ran a small hair salon out of her family home.

The most courageous and terrifying book I’ve ever read.I played a small role in coordinating for humanitarian relief airdrops to Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar while stationed in Kuwait in August 2014. It felt truly important at the time. Now it seems so small, futile, and insignificant.

I have always been fascinated by real stories from real people--their culture, values, environment, the things, events and people that shaped them and added to their life's purpose or passion. This true story does not disappoint! In fact, I had a hard time putting it down once I started. In terms of the writing and all else that goes into writing a book, this one is of excellent quality. The grammar and punctuation, sentence structure, editing etc., are impeccable. The author provides a map so the reader can identify key places in the story. There are photos of various family members and adequate explanations for words that the average person, unfamiliar with the various ethnicities, politics, culture and religions of Iraq would not be familiar with. Nadia does an excellent job bringing her country to life for the reader and allowing us a glimpse of what life was like before ISIS took over her beloved village and changed the lives of so many. As we look back at even our own country's history, I'm sure there are tragedies that caused alarm, suffering and great loss. Tragedies such as: JFK's assassination, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Holocaust, 9/11/2001,Columbine and other school shootings, the Challenger explosion, Patty Hearst kidnapping, the Las Vegas shooting, Hurricane Katrina, etc. So much devastation and yet so many of us banded together, shared our stories, offered our thoughts, prayers and support. We felt compelled to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem. We faced the ugliness head on. And then time flew by and our memories faded some. Do we ever wonder at what cost? Who will the bad guys target next? Will it be more strangers, an acquaintance or friend? Will it be one of us and our families. What and who will be left? There may always be another terrorist or evil-doer in this world. Are we prepared to look at the ugly truths so we aren't caught unaware and forced to lose the very things and people who define us? One can only hope. Nadia and her courageous story brings us a step or two closer to looking at real world problems such as genocide, terrorism and much more. She reminds us to be aware, to help others and to take a strong stand against injustice!

truth

Hi! Nadia, you are so brave. It would be wonderful if you made your story into a movie. Your message to the world is that we need to teach boys/men that it is NOT ok to rape another person, be it a female or a male. You are so very brave and thank you for writing truthfully about what happened to you.We had just read the book, "The Volunteer. One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz" by Jack Fairweather. We could only read 5-6 pages of that book a day because it was so horrible. Then we read your book, again just 5-6 pages at a time. It hurt our hearts to hear about what happened to you. We also are aware of what happened in Rwanda.What can we do to help genocide from happening again? Prehaps someone in your movie can tell us how we educate future generations that this hurts all of humanity, it is not ok, and the world will not stand by and let it happen to another nation. What a challenge but we are ready for change.Thank you again for your courage.

This is not a book it is a record of man's inhumanity to women ,it is about men lust for power sex and violence . Men perpetrating act of violence under the guise of religion. Its wrong it's awful and this brave women story should be read loudly to every young man who thinks joining some army is heroic ! It is nothing to do with anything that anyone considers right or decent , it's base brutality giving inadequate men the freedom to act their brutal sexual desires . I hope Nadia finds peace her survival and strength is humbling

Enjoyed is probably not the right word here as this book is disturbing and horrifying and it has, and still is, actually happening. Gripping is probably the best word I can find, and educational, because although I am, like most people, aware that ISIS are evil, fanatical and totally deluded I just didn’t know the half of it! Thank you Nadia for speaking out against this barbaric regime ... I am so sad with what you have had to endure but I can definitely see that the world needs telling and I would implore as many people as possible to read this extremely well written narrative.

This was a difficult read on so many levels. I think the underlying message is clear: sexual violence and genocide perpetrated in times of war, when victims are at their most vulnerable shows humanity's most despicable side. When a group of people decide they can do whatever they want with a community (in this case the Yazidi in Northern Iraq) because their religion gives them 'carte blanche', it can make you lose hope. However, Murad courageously decided to fight back, make her community and the atrocities perpetrated against them heard and made her win the Nobel Peace Price last year. However, I don't think the book really does them full justice as it lacks more factual background. I do walk away having learned that Iraq is a very fractious and complicated country and that women are subjugated in most of these communities and that many thousands of Yazidi women and children are still kept captive now but I would have liked to read a more structured account of the events (which the ghost writer could have provided maybe).I applaud Murad's courage to come forward of course and she's clearly come a long way from Kocho to stand up for victims of violence like herself.

Another powerful memoir, another incredible woman, another indomitable spirit.The questions remain the same. How are humans capable to so much good and so much evil together? How is it okay to kill in the name of faith, when all faith teach us tolerance and humanity?These are ordinary girls, with simple dreams. They didn’t desire greatness, it has been thrust upon them. I am sure her Nobel Prize wouldn’t mean much to her if she could have her mother back or erase the memory of mass murder of her brothers. The prizes acknowledge their effort, but it would be wonderful if a world order was possible where these efforts were not needed.

I am deeply moved by this book. All Muslims around the world should read this book. Isis is adhering to the Qur'an. Just started to read the Qur'an and all these horrible things that Isis is doing in in the book. If you read the hadif you would also see that they doing everything that their prophet Mohammad did as well. How can you follow a religion that encourage hate and crimes against unbelievers. People need to stop playing ignorant and read their book. Open your eyes people before the same thing happens in Iraq, happen in your country. Islam is going to every country to spread their hate. Wake up.