Finding My Way
The intimate and revelatory new memoir on growing up, first love and mental health from the global icon
Published on 4. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-3996-1936-3 (ISBN)
Description
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
'Part coming-of-age memoir, part reclamation . . . a portrait of a woman who has learned that courage isn't just about defying extremists, but also about allowing yourself to be ordinary' MARIE CLAIRE
'Remarkably intimate and insistently human' NEW YORK TIMES
Thrust onto the public stage at just fifteen years old after the Taliban's brutal attack on her life, Malala quickly became an international icon - but away from the cameras and crowds, she was a young woman struggling to find her place in a world that was telling her the role she had to play. Now, for the very first time, Malala takes readers behind the headlines in her candid and revelatory memoir that buzzes with authenticity, sharp humour and tenderness. From friendship to first love, failed exams to impulsive adventures, Finding My Way reminds us that real role models aren't perfect - they're human. And through moments of astonishing vulnerability, Malala reveals the psychological toll of the Taliban shooting that nearly ended her life - and shares her gratitude for the kindness and empathy that saved her.
This is not the story you think you know. It's the one Malala has been waiting to tell.
'Part coming-of-age memoir, part reclamation . . . a portrait of a woman who has learned that courage isn't just about defying extremists, but also about allowing yourself to be ordinary' MARIE CLAIRE
'Remarkably intimate and insistently human' NEW YORK TIMES
Thrust onto the public stage at just fifteen years old after the Taliban's brutal attack on her life, Malala quickly became an international icon - but away from the cameras and crowds, she was a young woman struggling to find her place in a world that was telling her the role she had to play. Now, for the very first time, Malala takes readers behind the headlines in her candid and revelatory memoir that buzzes with authenticity, sharp humour and tenderness. From friendship to first love, failed exams to impulsive adventures, Finding My Way reminds us that real role models aren't perfect - they're human. And through moments of astonishing vulnerability, Malala reveals the psychological toll of the Taliban shooting that nearly ended her life - and shares her gratitude for the kindness and empathy that saved her.
This is not the story you think you know. It's the one Malala has been waiting to tell.
Reviews / Votes
A remarkably intimate and insistently human chronicle of a moral authority's coming of age * NEW YORK TIMES * Finding My Way picks up the story of [Malala's] life as she navigates young adulthood . . . [it sees her] wresting back the story of her own life - rejecting the constrictions and contradictions of a sheltered childhood and sudden fame * GUARDIAN * Think you know Malala? Think again. With razor-sharp wit and startling vulnerability, she recounts her fumbling adolescent friendships, her rowdy college days (yes, really!), and her early attempts at flirting - with a security detail in tow . . . [A] messy, endearingly awkward and disarmingly relatable coming-of-age . . . This is Malala unfiltered, and she makes courage feel like something we can all reach for * OPRAH DAILY * Honest, personal and so moving * SUN * Whether you're curious to know more about Malala's life or just adore a coming-of-age narrative, you should add Finding My Way to your autumn reading list * PRESS ASSOCIATION * Like countless teenage girls before her, Yousafzai arrived at Oxford University eager to taste the heady freedoms of higher education: making out with boys, dancing all night, wearing skinny jeans. Unlike most of them, she had a Nobel Prize, ongoing death threats and a whole world watching . . . In dismantling a sainted image no actual human could live up to, the Pakistan-born laureate finds a dynamic and surprising new voice * NEW YORK TIMES * Reveals the person beyond the symbol * NPR * Part coming-of-age memoir, part reclamation, [Finding My Way is] a portrait of a woman who has learned that courage isn't just about defying extremists, but also about allowing yourself to be ordinary * MARIE CLAIRE * A coming-of-age tale as relatable as it is extraordinary * W MAGAZINE * Vulnerable, funny, and deeply touching * BOOKMARKED BY REESE'S BOOK CLUB * Her honesty reveals a side rarely seen, that even those who inspire millions still wrestle with doubt and self-acceptance. Malala reminds us that strength and softness can coexist, that healing is never linear and that every person has the power to turn pain into purpose * ON PURPOSE WITH JAY SHETTY *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 26 mm
Weight
284 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3996-1936-3 (9781399619363)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Malala Yousafzai
Finding My Way
The intimate and revelatory new memoir on growing up, first love and mental health from the global icon
E-Book
10/2025
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
€6.49
Available for download
Person
Malala Yousafzai is an education activist, the youngest-ever Nobel laureate, a bestselling author and an investor in women's sports. She was born in Mingora, Pakistan and graduated from Oxford University in 2020.