I Am Change

by Suzy Zail

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.

Buy on Amazon Buy on Waterstones

*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Pub Date 2 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 27 Aug 2020

Teens & YA

Talking about this book? Use #IAmChange #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!

Description

They told her that her body belonged to men and her mind didn’t matter. They were wrong.
“What if I don’t want to marry?” Lillian held her breath. She had never said the words out loud.
“Not want to marry?” Her aunt frowned. “What else would you do?”

Set in a Ugandan village, Lilian has learned to shrink herself to fit other people’s ideas of what a girl is. In her village a girl is not meant to be smarter than her brother. A girl is not meant to go to school or enjoy her body or decide who to marry. Especially if she is poor.

Inspired by and written in consultation with young Ugandan women, and addressing the difficult subject of FGM, I Am Change is the tragic but empowering story of how a young girl finds her voice and the strength to fight for change.

Advance Praise

“I Am Change makes for a hauntingly beautiful reading experience, and Lilian’s voice demands to be heard. Her story is more than just brave and confronting—it needs to be told.” - Books and Publishing

“Zail has caught the despair of those without a voice…I Am Change is not a book for the faint-hearted but it is a book that needs to be read, mulled over, and discussed” - Magpies

“If you do one thing today, make it buying this book and then devouring it whole.” - Reading Sumpton

“I Am Change is a story of hope and fighting back...the challenges [Lillian] faces to realise [her] ambition are almost unfathomable for a privileged reader growing up in Australia to imagine. And it is for this reason that I Am Change is essential reading” - Readings

“This is a story that matters...I Am Change is a must read” - Dark Matter Zine

“I Am Change is inspiring...This is an important story and I implore you to read it” - Blue Fairy Tales