For us girls that doorway was like a magical entrance to our own special world. As we skipped through, we cast off our headscarves like winds puffing away clouds to make way for the sun then ran helter-skelter up the steps.

In the Prologue, Malala describes entering her school in a flashback to the day she was shot. Even before the turmoil caused by the Taliban, she equates school and education with freedom. The building itself represents safety as well. Malala and her classmates see their education as a pathway to a bright future, but in those days of danger and threats, it also became a haven from violence. The description stands out because Malala uses whimsical language to convey the carefree feeling of going to school. While other children might begrudge going to school, Malala and her friends cannot wait to enter their “special world.” Her schooling is a short-term escape from what is going on outside. It will also lead to her ultimate escape from the norms of her strict culture. Malala again equates education with freedom from cultural restrictions when she describes how girls “cast off our headscarves” as they entered the school. This excerpt sets up some of the major themes that Malala addresses in the book, such as the importance of education and nonconformity.