I have to say, I have read very few books set in Pakistan. I wish the writing style in this had been a bit more complex; I also felt that the resolution was a bit rushed. It is an important topic, but I felt the execution could be improved.

Aisha Saeed's middle grade debut, Amal Unbound, is a heartbreaking, poignant reminder not to give up, and the power of education.

Main character Amal, a young Pakistani girl, is the kind of person we should all want to be. Amal Unbound takes on a lot of hard issues. It doesn't shy away from the hard truths and the nuances of reality, despite its intended middle-grade audience.

Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village in Amal Unbound, but she has no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when--as the eldest daughter--she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens--after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.

Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal--especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams. 

I received an eARC of Amal Unbound via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, I couldn't keep myself from reading it for long.

Amal Unbound needs some content warnings for classism, sexism, withholding education, postpartum depression, poverty, crushing debt, indentured servitude, and physical and emotional abuse. It deals with all of these things in a way that will be completely understandable for its young audience.

Amal Unbound doesn't shy away from any of the hardships that are a reality for so many. I believe that this made its happy ending even more powerful. Amal, like so many other people in her situation, got to go home at the end of the story. Her home life is not perfect, but it is hers to choose, and that's what matters.

I loved that Saeed didn't try to humanize Jawad the way she did with Nasreen Baji. Jawad was irredeemable, while Nasreen was merely complicit in her husband and son's evildoing. Amal's care for Nasreen was a nuance that I hadn't expected, given how Nasreen caved to her son's demands and did nothing to stop him from treating her family and the other villagers like animals.

At its heart, Amal Unbound is hope and light wrapped in an important story of the realities of other people's lives. I highly recommend it.

"There are brave girls all over the world. They may feel afraid sometimes, like Amal. But doing the right thing despite the risks it may involve is the bravest thing in the world. It is my hope that this story shines a light on brave girls everywhere."

- Aisha Saeed, Amal Unbound Afterword

You can purchase a copy of Amal Unbound on Amazon, Indiebound or Barnes and Noble!

Title: Amal Unbound
Author: Aisha Saeed
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Length: 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★/Four Stars
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Representation: Pakistani main character and all side characters, poverty, postpartum depression [/su_box]

Great story about a Pakistani girl forced into indentured servitude to pay off her family's debt. For brave girls everywhere!

There is so very much to this book. All of the middle grade books that I read, I read as the third grade teacher that I am. There is so much to learn and grow from this book. There is so much vocabulary for my students and myself to learn. I think that is wonderful; to learn about another culture through a book. I can definitely see this as a read aloud in grade 4 or being read by independently by more sophisticated readers. Wonderful story!

"Amal Unbound" is a must-have for any middle school library collection. Amal is a young girl in Pakistan who dreams of becoming a teacher one day. She loves to learn and read, but also has a strong sense of family duty and is a great asset to her family. When her mother delivers Amal's newest sister prematurely, she suffers from post-natal depression and Amal is called upon to step into the role of her mother, which means leaving school to run the house. Frustrations build as the children wait for their mother to resume her parenting role, so when Amal slips out alone to the market one day, she is short-tempered with a rude man who hits her with his car and wants to take her belongings. However, speaking back to this entitled man, sets into motion life-changing events for Amal and her family.

While Amal is a fictional character, she represents the real-life struggle of many young girls in Pakistan; those who wish for an education, a better life, and equality. Amal represents the many girls imprisoned by indentured servitude. She is a fantastic role model for kindness and bravery.

I appreciate that the message and themes are well-laid out for the middle grade audience, without the inclusion of content that would potentially make this book questionable to share with a young audience. It is well-written and appropriate for our middle grade readers and should be shared with them.

This is a very good book that will provide kids with a window to a world that is probably quite unlike their own. Amal is a young girl growing up in Pakistan. Her story helps readers discover the lives of those who live under feudal-like lords in indentured servitude. Students will have much to discuss and learn and the author's note describing some of the places where this life exists will surprise many. Amal learns about the value or friendship, family, honesty and bravery. This book is one of those that educators will be choosing for the 2018 Global Read Aloud in October, and their students will be enriched as a result of this choice.

Amal is a young Pakistan girl who is curious, loves school and hopes one day to go to college and become a teacher herself. When her mother delivers a baby premature, Amal’s life begins to become unraveled. Being the eldest she is expected by her father to take over the household duties while her mother recovers from the delivery and post-natal depression. Amal also sees first-hand how females are not treated as equals. People in her village make comments on how disappointing it must be to the family to have yet another daughter. Amal begins to question the inequality of not just having to miss school but the opinions of the people in her village and her own family.

Life takes an even more difficult turn when unaccompanied in the village market, Amal stands up to a male stranger who hits her with his car and then tries to take a mango – a special treat she had purchased for herself. Unbeknownst to her this man is Jawad Khan, the corrupt landlord of her village. As a result, Amal must go and live at the Khan estate becoming an indentured servant to pay off her family’s debt and as a punishment by Jawad for embarrassing him.

At the Khan estate, Amal becomes the handmaid of Jawad’s mother. She learns many lessons here, including how Jawad’s mother was from a village nearby to hers. She also experiences the hardships of fitting in with the other servants and of the corruption and mistreatment of the others who work at the estate. Amal must decide if she will be forever a servant in this house or once again stand up to the unfair and corrupt system to pursue her own dreams.

Aisha Saheed has written a powerful story giving readers a window into life as a young Pakistan girl and on indentured servitude. It is important to read the Author’s note to understand and to be aware that although Amal is a strong fictional character and is forced into indentured servitude, her fictional scenario is kinder than those she represents. This is a story where Amal will be on your mind long after you turn the last page and I easily understand why this is one of the Global Read Aloud choices for 2018. This book has been preordered and will be book talked to staff and students in my school.

Amal's life is turned upside down when she offends a regional Pakisani overlord and is forced to leave her home and school to work in his home as a servant -- indefinitely. She finds her inner strength and fights back, freeing herself and the other household slaves. What an inspiring heroine.

http://librarianleaps.blogspot.com/2018/03/amal-unbound.html

This beautiful book is just as lovely as its gorgeous cover. Told in a very clear, straight-forward style, the Pakistani main character is extremely likable and relatable, even though her circumstances will be incredibly unfamiliar for many readers. Rich in culture, thought-provoking, and a wonderful introduction to the topic of girls' access to education around the world, among many other things.

Amal loves to go to school and help out her teacher, unlike her friend Hafsa who gets miffed when class lets out late. Hafsa and Amal plan to leave their small town near Lahore and go to college some day, and Amal wants to be a teacher. However, when her mother has her fifth daughter, she falls into a depression and even with the help of the family housekeeper, Parvin, there is too much work to be down. Amal must stay home from school to do the laundry and cooking. When she is in the market, enjoying the time away from the house, she buys a pomegranate as a treat for herself. On the way home, she is hit by a car, and instead of apologizing, the occupant takes away her pomegranate! Amal grabs the fruit back and leaves after a few terse words, not realizing that she is crossing Jawad Sahib, who loans money to local families and exacts horrible consequences if not repaid quickly. Since her father owes money to Jawad after some bad years with the family farm, Jawad decides to take Amal to his estate to work as a maid in repayment. Her father assures her that this will only be for a month of so, and Amal is fortunate that she is to work for Jawad's mother, Nasreen Baji, who is kinder than many employers would be. Still, she is given trouble by Nabila, who was Nasreen Baji maid but was demoted after making mistakes, and she quickly begins to realize that she will not be going home soon. She tries to make the best of the situation, and with the help of the other servants, borrows books from the house library. Because Jawad's father is running for political office, the family has built a literacy center in Amal's town, and the Ministry of Education has staffed it, but no one will go, not wanting to owe the family anything. Amal is forced to attend but is very happy to be taught about computers by the teacher, Asif. When Jawad's evil doings finally catch up with him, Amal is able to give vital clues to the authorities and break the family's hold over her town.

Strengths: We need more books about how young people in other countries live, and I would hvae adored this as a middle school student. The details of what school and family life are like for Amal are wonderfully depicted, and her close knit, extended family is supportive and caring. Having markets in both the town and in Lahore described is fascinating, and the family wedding and attendant parties adds even more cultural depth. Amal's plight, and her reactions to it, are realistically portrayed, and her impulsive behavior has both good and bad consequences. There are so many wonderful levels of things happening in this book, and there is an overall upbeat feel that will help young readers process the traumatic experiences that Amal has. Notes in an afterword discuss the plight of indentured servants in today's societies.
Weaknesses: It seems a little unrealistic that Amal would be able to bring Jawad to justice, but it does make for a great story!
What I really think: I need books like this set in lots of different countries! Every day life for children 11-14, with details about food, clothing, school, families and so many other things! Reading this type of book, as well as historical fiction, is a great way for young readers to understand that the entire world is not exactly the way their little corner of it is!

Oh what a powerful story about individual strength, and handling one's circumstances. I think this is a needed story just to add a bit more empathy to the world.

Realistic contemporary novel set in a small village in Pakistan, from the point of view of Amal. Amal is an admirable heroine, likable, smart, brave, forgiving and determined.

After speaking back to the son a wealthy family, she is taken into servitude until her Father can repay his debts to the family. Cruel and unfair, especially for strong-willed, knowledge-hungry Amal, who slowly realizes that her freedom and possible future as a teacher has been stolen away from her.

I read this in one sitting, it was gripping and realistic, dark, but not too dark for young readers. More young adult, but suitable for mature middle grade readers.

*I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley*
This is a book that is so prevalent and needed so that students can understand different cultures and lives around the world.
Amal just wants to learn and be a teacher one day, but in a turn of events at the market she is sent to be a servant on the estate of the family who runs the lands. She things she will be able to leave once her father pays off his debts, but she soon learns that might be harder than it seems.
Saeed's descriptions and how she brings to life so fully Amal's life had me staying up late just to know what was going to happen to Amal.
"I removed the metal top and took a sip of the frosty drink- the fizzy bubbles reminded me on my sisters' laughter."
I like that line and how it lets you see how much Amal is missing her family. Amal is a strong character and one among many that students need to read about.

Amal is the eldest daughter of four in a small Pakistani village. Her father is a sugar cane farmer and proud owner of a modest property. Amal loves nothing more than to read and share ideas with her teacher. She too aspires to be a teacher someday. When Amal’s mother gives birth to another daughter, Amal can sense her disappointment. Amal is forced to leave school to help run the household as her mother suffers from debilitating postpartum depression. One day Amal travels to the market to get a break from her daily routine. A minor traffic accident and Amal’s response to it begins a chain of events that change her life forever.

“Amal Unbound” is a swift tale of courage in the face of injustice. From patriarchy to indentured servitude, from social class to political corruption, “Amal Unbound” addresses each with relatable and accessible text. When Amal discovers information that will surely condemn her abusive landlord she decides to divulge it to her teacher. He tells her that she is brave, she dismisses his comment, to which he replies, “You always have a choice. Making choices even when they scare you because it’s the right thing to do--that’s bravery.”

Extension: Amal enjoys the poetry of Iqbal and Rumi. She also read the biography of Benazir Bhutto. Read selections from the poets and research Prime Minister Bhutto’s life to learn more about the region and culture. -- Highly Recommended.

Amal Unbound is one of those books that will stay with you LONG after you read it. It is about rebelling, choosing right even when it isn't the easy decision and seeing that actions have consequences both good and bad.
Aisha Saeed has done an incredible job of telling the story of those not told often enough. The book is realistic fiction for many and one that will touch your heart and empower you. This book is certain to be a stand out in 2018.

Amal Unbound is about a girl named Amal living in a small community in Pakistan.  She is the oldest of five girls.  She realizes her parents desperately wanted her newest sister to be a boy after her mom falls into a postpartum depression, and Amal is left to run the household in her place.  Because her father pulled her out of school to help with the family, Amal is angry.  She gets herself into trouble when she talks back to a landlord, and is taken from her family to pay their debt as an indentured servant in his house.  This makes her even more angry, and frightened she will never have her freedom, her family, or her education, which she so desperately longs for.  Amal must find a way to  continue her education and find the strength within herself to go on.

What I liked about this book was that Amal found a way to stay strong and find a way to go on, despite the most desperate of situations.  When it seemed like she would never have what she desired- an education, her family, and her freedom- she found a way to stay positive and carry on.  Readers will hopefully see that despite the hardships we face, including times where we cannot control what happens to us, we have to hold on to hope, as well as find inner strength to carry on and make the most of a situation.  I also appreciate that Amal's goal in life was to get an education and become a teacher.  Finally, at the end of the book, there is a blurb on Malala, a role model and cheerleader for women everywhere, particularly in countries where educating women is not a priority.

What I didn't like about this book was that it was a frustrating reality.  Although Pakistan is a country that is changing, indentured servitude is something that exists.  We take our freedom and right to education for granted here in America.  I hope this opens the eyes of my students so they realize how lucky they are to have books at their fingertips and the opportunity to learn, despite being female or poor.

This lovely story about Amal tells about a girl in Pakistan struggling to find her place in a changing society. She has a strong voice that sometimes gets her in trouble but she perseveres. Kids are going to love this book and this character.

This is such an important, life changing book for so, so many people. I cannot wait for it to be published so I can talk it up to EVERYONE.