I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

Why is the issue of honor so central to men in Yemen, particularly men in rural Yemeni society? How is the issue of honor connected to women? How does it affect women?

How does poverty affect the lives of Yemeni youth? How does it affect the lives of Nujood and her family specifically?

A strong rural versus urban divide emerges in this work, particularly in the juxtaposition of the city of Sana’a and the village of Khardji. What do these two locations symbolize, and how do their meanings change over the course of the book?

Why is khat so pervasive among Yemeni society despite the fact that it damages personal health and the environment of the country? In what ways is khat representative of Yemeni politics at large?

In what ways does education symbolize hope to the youth of Yemen? In what ways does it symbolize hope for Nujood specifically?

Sexual assault features prominently in this book. How is the subject of sexual assault approached by the different male and female characters in the book, and how do they grapple with this subject?

Throughout the book, Nujood encounters many different veils. What do the different veiling styles symbolize to Nujood, and what style does she come to prefer towards the end of the work? Why?

The subject of oppressive patriarchy comes to be associated with rural and tribal Yemeni customs. In what ways is patriarchy a rural trend, and in what ways can it also be seen as a feature of urbanity in this work?