Malala notes that her mother began and finished school at the age of six. At first Tor Pekai was proud of being the only girl in her school, but ultimately, she couldn’t force herself to continue—she saw her female friends playing every day, and couldn’t convince herself that there was any point to learning. After Tor Pekai married Ziauddin, however, she began to regret her decision.
Malala spent much of her time praying to be taller, as she often felt less authoritative as a short girl when trying to speak in front of people. One girl in her class left school because she was married off as soon as she hit puberty at age thirteen. Malala's father received death threats for speaking out, but did not stop.