It details the oppression he saw women face in Pakistan, his family life both before and after his daughter Malala was shot by the Taliban and his attitudes toward being a brother, a husband, and a father.

After writing an anonymous blog for BBC Urdu and being subject to a New York Times documentary Class Dismissed, Malala began gaining a public profile as an advocate for female education and for speaking about the conditions of life under the growing influence of the Taliban.

[1][2][3][4] She began receiving death threats, as did her father, and on 9 October 2012, a member of the Taliban shot Malala as she was taking a bus from school to her home.

Yousafzai had two particularly formative experiences with women's oppression in his childhood: a cousin of his was shot after leaving an abusive husband; and a girl in his village was murdered in an honour killing for loving a boy her family disapproved of.

[15] In a review jointly published by Cape Times and Pretoria News, a writer lauded that the book has a "monumental" impact and will "inspire, move and enlighten" a "broad readership".

[16][17] The Hindu summarised: "Told through intimate portraits of each of Mr. Ziauddin's closest relationships ... the book looks at what it means to love, to have courage and fight for what is inherently right".