I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

Although Minoui does not appear as a character within the narrative of the book, she is a crucial figure as the work’s second and adult author, and she composes both the beginning and end of Nujood’s story. While the details as to Minoui’s identity are not revealed, it's inferred that she was put in contact with Nujood after the child's divorce and somehow came to the agreement to pen a book. The purpose of the book seems dual, to tell and disseminate Nujood’s story in order to educate and inspire, and to raise money for Nujood’s impoverished family and education. 

In the Prologue, Minoui reveals that she is familiar with the complex history of Yemen and the contemporary issues that plague the country and affect youth like Nujood. Minoui’s reverence for Nujood is clear in both the Prologue and the Epilogue, in which she speaks of her as both a regular little girl, a mature young lady, and a catalyst for social change. Minoui was present in November of 2008 when Nujood was honored as Glamour’s Woman of the Year, and she continues to visit Nujood and bring her gifts of colored pencils.

Minoui is unequivocal in her belief that traditional, patriarchal Yemeni culture and gender norms have the potential to be incredibly damaging, particularly in the arena of child marriage. She explains this as a deep-rooted Yemeni custom with Islamic roots but warns the reader against thinking that this practice is confined to the Islamic world. She encourages readers to reflect on it in our own societies. 

Shada is the powerhouse lawyer who represents Nujood in court. According to Nujood, Shada hears and is upset about Nujood's story and approaches her in the courtyard of the courthouse. She promises to help Nujood get her divorce and mobilizes immediately, contacting the press and various women’s groups in Yemen and organizing a media campaign. It's inferred that, in some instances, Nujood is uncomfortable with all of the media attention, but there no clear indication that this caused tension between the two.

Nujood is grateful for the concern Shada shows for her and admires her. She notes that she is sweet, beautiful, elegant, comforting, smells of jasmine: “As soon as I saw her, I liked her” (80). Nujood notices immediately that Shada does not wear the niqab and that she wears heels and makeup. She writes that Shada looks like a movie star and “a real city lady” (110).

Nujood admires Shada for her “endless determination” (85) and the fact that she makes her feel safe and at ease. She notes that even though Shada is always beautiful and elegant, over the course of the trial, she looked under-slept and exhausted. Shada also admires Nujood for her bravery and commends her on having the strength and ingenuity to escape. Although Nujood is not acquainted with the details of Shada’s career, she relates that Shada is a woman of power. She is one of the best lawyers in Yemen and is famous for fighting for women’s rights. Nujood notices that her phone is always ringing and that everyone is polite to her.

Shada refers to Nujood as a daughter and promises not to abandon her, and over time, it seems that Nujood begins to trust her. In fact, Nujood notes that it is with Shada that she first feels maternal tenderness and refers to her as “[her] second mother” (110). Indeed, she stays with her until the end of the book, buying her new clothes after her divorce, helping throw her a party and marking it as a birthday, introducing her to journalists, deciding on her education, and accompanying her on her first day of school and to a Glamour magazine event in the United States.

It is inferred from the book and from Minoui’s epilogue that Shada is a controversial figure in Yemen and that her life has been in danger in the past as a champion of women’s rights and a lawyer for women like Nujood. Nujood’s uncles and her husband confront Shada in various instances, but according to her, Shada simply dismisses them. As Minoui explains, Shada has been accused of promoting a negative image of Yemen and is “not beyond the reach of threats and danger” (173).

Throughout the book, Mona emerges as both a tragic and a heroic character. Because Nujood is unaware of the circumstances of her older sister Mona’s situation until well after her divorce, she first refers to her as “Mona the mysterious” (27) and wonders why she is often melancholy and depressed.

Later, Nujood finds out that Mona was sexually assaulted at the age of 13, while they were still living in Khardji. After the assault, Mona was forced to marry her rapist to prevent rumors from spreading. The situation led to a violent dispute in the small village. The family was accused of dishonoring the village, and they were forced to leave at gunpoint. Mona and her immediate family moved in with the larger family in Sana’a. Nujood writes that, as the years went by, she rejoiced in the birth of her two children and her emotional state improved. Her newfound peace was shattered when she discovered that her husband and sister Jamila were having an affair. Mona ensured that they were caught in the act, which resulted in their arrest. Because adultery is punishable by death in Yemen, Jamila and Mona’s husband were both liable to be executed. Her mother-in-law managed to take custody of one of her children, Monira, and this continues to haunt Mona throughout the story.

According to Nujood, Mona went back to being depressed in general but was always sweet, protective, and maternal towards her. She likely wanted Nujood to avoid her tragic past and was most vocal in opposition of Nujood’s marriage. She challenged their father on this point, and Nujood later finds out that she visited her future husband and made him promise not to touch her until puberty. She later decries all men as criminals and warns: “Never listen to them. Never, never” (138). For the duration of Nujood’s story, Jamila and Mona’s husband remain in jail, but she eventually relents and signs a paper that absolves both. According to Nujood, however, the tension between the sisters remains. 

Nujood’s father is portrayed as a sympathetic figure at times and a villain at other times. Nujood notes that, in Khardji, he was a shepherd with a large flock and several beehives. He spent most of his time outside of the house, taking the animals out to graze. Initially, Nujood writes: “I was proud of my Aba” (31). After Mona’s sexual assault, he accused fellow villagers of plotting against him, and when the tribal hearing turned violent, he was forced to flee the village for Sana’a. In the city, Nujood notes that Ali Mohammad became depressed and started to chew the drug khat regularly. He had trouble finding and keeping a job and pressured his children to work and beg on the street. When he was approached by Faez Ali Thamar about a marriage to Nujood, he accepted immediately. It's inferred from this and his later statements that his motivation was partially to protect Nujood from rapists but also to lessen his financial burden and gain money through her bride-price. Despite the fact that Mona attempted to convince him against the marriage, he refused to budge. When Nujood returned home and asked to leave her husband, he told her that it was out of the question and that it impugned his honor. After Nujood presses for a divorce, he is taken to jail and later brought to Nujood’s trial, where he claims that she is older than believed and that her husband had promised not to touch her until puberty. Nujood waivers between feeling sorry for and sympathizing with her father and being angry with him.

Throughout the book, Nujood’s mother Shoya comes across as a tragic and resigned figure. Nujood relates that she married her father when she was 16 “without a word of protest” (23). She accepted his later decision to take another wife. Altogether, she bore 16 children in Khardji without the help of doctors. There are hints throughout the book that Shoya was seriously ill at various points in Nujood’s childhood. After moving to Sana’a, Nujood relates that Shoya’s mental health deteriorated and that she was often depressed and in tears. She made up for her husband’s unemployment by renting her oven on the black market and selling their possessions. Shoya “seemed sad, but resigned” (55)when it came to Nujood’s marriage. Nujood admits to feeling as if she had abandoned her. When she returns to Sana’a to tell her family about her abusive marriage, Nujood writes that her mother tells her: “That’s how life is, Nujood: all women must endure this; we have all gone through the same thing” (95-96). Nevertheless, she cries and tells Nujood she misses her but that cannot do anything for her.

Throughout the book, Nujood refers to her ex-husband in name only a handful of times. Most of the time, she refers to him as “him,” “the repulsive creature I hate more than anything,” and “the monster” (81, 114). Faez approaches Nujood’s father as he is chewing khat with other men in the neighborhood to ask for Nujood’s hand. Nujood relates that he is about 30-years-old, unattractive, works as a deliveryman, and is from Khardji. Despite promising to Nujood’s father and sister that he will not touch her until she reaches puberty, the night that they arrive in Khardji, he violently sexually assaults and ridicules her. Later, he also begins to beat and berate her for constantly complaining and begging to return to Sana’a. He tells Nujood eventually that she has worn him down with her crying and that he will allow her to visit her parents. This is when Nujood makes her escape and seeks legal help. In order to protect her, Faez Ali is placed in jail. At the trial, he first claims that he had not had sexual relations with Nujood nor did he beat her, but he later admits that he had but was “gentle and careful” (116). Ultimately, he acquiesces to the divorce as long as he is able to reclaim the bride-price he paid to Nujood’s father. Nujood sums up their relationship when she writes: “With him, I finally understood the real meaning of cruelty” (94), revealing the severe trauma he had inflicted upon her.

Jamila is Nujood’s other older sister. Nujood describes her as shy, thoughtful, and generous, and she notes that she often brought her sweets. In the book, Jamila’s story is related through Mona’s eyes. After the family moves to Sana’a, Mona and her husband come to live with them. At some point, Jamila and Mona’s husband begin to have an affair. Mona, who begins to suspect this, arranges to have them caught in the act. They are arrested and Jamila is put in jail. Because adultery is a crime in Yemen, she faces the death penalty. She remains in prison throughout most of the book but is released when Mona decides to sign a paper absolving her. Nujood writes that it was a surprise and a joy to see Jamila after her release, and that she returned to live with the family. Although everyone was happy to be reunited, the tension and arguments between Jamila and Mona continued, and Mona continued to be angry and blame her for breaking up her family. 

Haïfa is Nujood’s youngest sister, and after her traumatic marriage and divorce, Nujood begins to worry that Haïfa may be doomed to a similar fate, so she becomes exceedingly protective of her. She promises to keep an eye on her, to protect her, to never let someone come and ask for her hand, and to call the police if they do. Nujood writes: “I will never abandon Haïfa, my protégé” (131). After Nujood is freed from her marriage, she takes Haïfa with her to do things like go to the amusement park and eat pizza. She also takes her to school with her, and both girls rejoice and are “insanely happy”(155) at the prospect of an education.

Fares is one of Nujood’s older brothers and her favorite brother. She refers to him as “Fares the impetuous” (27), giving the reader a glimpse into his playful nature. Nujood refers to Fares fondly throughout the work and admits that his ambition and fearlessness inspired her own rebellion. For this, she feels that she owes him greatly. When he was young, Fares chafed at the family’s poverty in Sana’a and wished for things like better clothes, food, and money. After arguing with his parents over this, Nujood writes that he simply disappeared.

He later tells the family that he was illegally smuggled into Saudi Arabia and worked as a shepherd. He had hoped to make a lot of money and return wealthy but quickly realized that he had landed himself in an exploitative situation. He worked for his landlord for years until he heard of Nujood’s divorce. Because he was illiterate and could not read the papers, he established contact with the family to check up on them. After hearing the details and worrying about upsetting his mother, he spent all of his money on returning to Sana’a. Nujood writes that, upon his return, Fares had matured but had lost his spark, instead seeming defeated and sad: “Where has it gone, the ebullience that suited him so well?” (143). Nujood resolves to repay the debt she owes to him and to make sure that he can “smile again the way he used to” (157).

Dowla is the second wife of Nujood’s father. Nujood refers to her as an aunt and notes that she was married late at the age of 20. She had five children. According to Nujood, she was tall and slender, prettier than Shoya, and had olive skin and long hair. Through Nujood’s story, it is inferred that Dowla and her children also made the move from Khardji to Sana’a. Nujood relates that Dowla had a difficult life because she was neglected by her husband, Nujood’s father, and had to rely on herself to care for one of her disabled children. Dowla has a good relationship with Nujood, and Nujood refers to her as generous and patient. In many ways, Dowla is the unsung hero of the book because she instructs Nujood to seek help at the courthouse after her family refuses to help her. Dowla tells her that this is the only place where she will get a hearing and that the judge is “a godfather to all of us. His job is to help victims” (101). She also helps Nujood by giving her all the money that she had managed to beg for that day. Nujood reveals that Dowla was one of the few family members who had opposed her marriage from the very start, but that no one had listened to her.

Hamed is a reporter for the Yemen Times who meets Nujood through Shada and interviews her. When Nujood tells him her story, she notes that he becomes visibly upset and feels terrible for her. He breaks Nujood’s story and even sneaks into prison to take pictures of Nujood’s father and husband. Nujood notes that his article caused a stir and that she was upset at the time of its release, but that she later realized that she owed him a great deal. She comes to see him as a kind friend and “a real big brother, not like Mohammad” (110). After her divorce, he gifts Nujood with a giant red teddy bear inscribed with the message “I love you” and a cell phone.

Similar to Nujood’s ex-husband, her mother-in-law is never named, likely because she also plays a villainous role in Nujood’s story. Upon meeting Nujood after the wedding, she fails to embrace her or show any affection. Nujood writes how she immediately felt that the mother-in-law did not like her and that she was old and ugly. Her mother-in-law does not come to her aid when she is sexually assaulted on her first night in Khardji. The next day, she congratulates Nujood. Later, she heaps work upon Nujood and encourages her son to beat her as his right. She also disciplines her when her veil slips. When Nujood asks her to play with children her age, she refuses and tells her that the family’s reputation is on the line.

Arwa and Rym are two girls who faced similar ordeals to Nujood’s. Nujood's daring escape and her successful divorce inspire both to seek help and file for divorce. Arwa is forced to marry at the age of 9 to a man 25 years older than her. After hearing about Nujood, she goes to a hospital for help. Rym is 12 when her parents divorce and her father marries her off to her 31-year-old cousin. After several attempts at suicide, she finally goes to the courthouse for help. Later, they meet Nujood and make her realize that she is not an anonymous victim, that there are others who share her trauma and pain, and that she has inspired others to defend themselves. They also make her reflect on marriage as an institution “invented to make girls miserable” (164).

Malak becomes Nujood’s best friend after her family moves to Sana’a. They go to school together and play marbles. Malak tells her about the sea and the real color of the waves because her parents take her to the Red Sea for vacation. She lets Nujood listen to the sea through her big seashell. After Nujood is forced to leave school because of her marriage, Malak tells her that one day they will go to the seaside together. However, Nujood never sees her again.

Nujood meets the judges Abdo, Mohammed al-Ghazi, and Abdel Wahed on the first occasion of her visit to the courthouse to seek a divorce. Judge Abdo is described as having olive skin and distinguished features. He is in disbelief at Nujood’s situation and wants to help provide refuge. He realizes that he cannot house her because his wife and children are away and he is not her close blood relative. Later, he convinces Nujood to help a soldier arrest her father and husband, and he supports Nujood at her trial.

Judge Mohammed al-Ghazi is the chief judge at the courthouse. Upon hearing Nujood’s story, he is embarrassed and ill at ease, and he admits to never having seen a case like this. He assures her that they will find a solution and that she cannot be sent home, but he also warns her that the divorce may take a while and that it may not be possible. He worries that Yemeni law may not allow her to file a complaint against her husband and father. Nevertheless, he has both placed under arrest to protect Nujood, and her grants her divorce. Nujood does note that he later releases her husband and father without a fine or a signed promise of good conduct.

Judge Abdel Wahed takes Nujood in after her trip to the courthouse. She admits that she finds him intimidating and imposing, but she manages to get over her shyness because “he seems like a real papa” (46). He praises Nujood for her bravery and assures her that she will not be sent back to her husband. At his house, she is welcomed by his wife Saba and his daughter Shima. The family cares for and loves Nujood. Later, Abdel reassures Nujood that her post-traumatic stress is normal and that it will take time to forget her pain.

Mohammad is Nujood’s eldest brother. Unlike her love and admiration for Fares, Nujood seems to feel mostly apprehension and contempt for Mohammad. She notes on numerous occasions that he was not a good brother and that he disciplined her. After her divorce, their relationship becomes especially tense because he resents the publicity that her case has brought to the family. Mohammad believes that this is not good for the family’s reputation and often yells at Nujood and Haïfa. Nujood believes that all of this stems from jealousy.

Eman is a fiery women’s rights activist in Yemen who comes to see Nujood with a foreign journalist. Eman promises to take Nujood to an amusement park, and Haïfa and Mona come along. When Nujood’s brother Mohammad grumbles about Nujood bringing shame upon the family, Eman retorts: “She’s the one who ought to be ashamed of you!” (131).

Nadia is the editor-in-chief of the Yemen Times. She welcomes Nujood to their building and gives her a tour. Nujood is amazed that a woman can manage a newspaper and wonders about how her husband accepts this. Nadia laughs at her amazement and hints to Nujood that one can be a working mom by showing her a child’s room for her daughter built into her office.

Shoyi is Nujood’s favorite maternal uncle. He is a retired soldier in the Yemeni army. Nujood notes that he is big, strong, and holds a position of prestige in the family. He has seven children and two wives. Nujood admits that he did not oppose her marriage but that he “represented the forces of order” (84) and seemed discomfited by the situation at large. He shelters Nujood during her trial and does not chastise her in any way.