I Choose My Beginning: A Story of Courage and Activism

"Nadia is a fierce warrior for justice and a beautiful human being I feel privileged to know. She will inspire women for generations." --Amal Clooney

In a lyrical and profoundly moving memoir, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Girl and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nadia Murad reclaims her extraordinary journey from ISIS captivity to becoming a global human rights activist, from the embers of devastation to a fight for freedom--and for what comes next when a young girl's flame cannot be extinguished.

In 2014, Nadia Murad was living in northern Iraq when her world was shattered. Fighters from the so-called Islamic State attacked her village, massacring hundreds--including her mother and six of her brothers--and forcing her, along with thousands of Yazidi women and girls, into ISIS's system of sexual slavery. Her life since then has been split in two. In one she is a global symbol of courage --a survivor and activist who has stood before world leaders to demand justice. In the other, she is a woman learning how to be a friend, a student, a wife; a woman rediscovering ordinary joy.

In I Choose My Beginning, Nadia brings these two selves together. With honesty and grace, she transforms the pain of her past into a life defined not by what was done to her, but by strength, perseverance, and the freedom to choose happiness. From reshaping international law to building a life filled with friendship and love, Nadia carries the memory of those she lost and those who survived. Their presence reminds her--and all of us--that she has always been more than a victim.

Powerful and deeply inspiring, I Choose My Beginning is the story of an extraordinary woman reclaiming her humanity--and showing that survival is not the end of the story. It is the beginning.

Author: Nadia Murad
Publisher: S&s/Summit Books
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.30w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781668097052


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026

About the Author
Nadia Murad is a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate dedicated to ending the use of sexual violence in conflict and supporting communities affected by genocide. Born in Kocho, a small village in northern Iraq, Nadia survived the 2014 Yazidi genocide committed by ISIS. After escaping captivity, she became a leading advocate for justice and recovery, sharing her story to raise global awareness of the impact of sexual violence and displacement. In 2018, Nadia received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to secure justice for survivors and to promote peace and human rights. She is the founder and president of Nadia's Initiative, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds communities in crisis and advances the rights of women and survivors worldwide.

Gloria Marie Steinem is a feminist journalist and social political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader and a spokeswoman for the American feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Steinem was a columnist for New York magazine, and a cofounder of Ms. magazine.