A review by jess_mango
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

4.0

"Amal Underground" is a middle grade novel that tells the story of Amal, a pre-teen girl living in a small village in Pakistan. She lives with her parents and younger sisters and spends her days at school with her friend and plans to go to college to become a teacher herself. Her whole world is turned upside-down after an encounter with the area landlord, Jawad Sahib, at the local market.

This book helps explain what life is like for some girls living in rural areas in modern day Pakistan. How, though times are changing, many still face additional challenges simply because they are girls. It also explores how the feudal system is still in place in some areas of Pakistan.

I read this with my 8 year old son (who is half Pakistani) and he liked it and had a lot of questions and it really got him thinking about several topics.