Unbowed: My Autobiography [Hardcover]

Wangari Maathai was born in 1940 in rural Kenya and went on to become the first woman from Eastern and Central Africa to gain a PhD in 1971. Over 30 years later, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her "contribution to sustainable development, human rights and peace".

In her own words, Maathai tells the story of her journey from rural Kenya, through the ivory tower and on to the murky waters of Kenyan politics during the oppresive regime of Daniel Arap Moi. There are detailed accounts of how her conservation group (the Green Belt Movement) was born and rose to prominence, and the many times she had to face brutal government repression as she stood up for the environment and human rights. In her life and her musings, the delicate links connecting the environment, poverty and human dignity are shown clearly to the reader. This is also a very human story. Maathai recounts many details of her personal struggles- discrimination at work, the bitterness of a public divorce, losing her job because of power politics, struggling with a bare existence, the fight to give her children a good life, regardless.

All these elements combine to make this book an inspiring story, reminding one of what one is capable of if persistence is added to a sincere commitment to professed values.

When Wangari Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, questions were raised regarding her choice by the Nobel Committee. Why should an environmentalist receive a prize that was identified with peace and human rights, voiced the critics. Reading Maathai's memoir sets the record straight, and justifying her selection for the award. In this fascinating and very personal account, she paints a vivid picture of her life, embedded in the realities of Kenya before and since independence. Her experiences during the Moi regime, in particular, demonstrate the challenges a young educated woman confronted in the face of traditional prejudice as well as political oppression.

Raised in rural Kenya, Wangari Maathai never lost the deep connection with the land and its the natural beauty. Over the years, she noticed the changes and the increasing fragility of the environment. Trees for her became a symbol and a tool for protecting the vulnerable ecosystem and assisting rural population to stem the growing poverty.

Thanks to the intervention of her older brother and the support of her mother, she was able to attend school beyond the primary level, which was all girls at the time could reach for. As luck had it and, being a bright student, her convent school was one of those selected to send graduates to the US under what became known as the Kennedy Airlift: a program to send young Africans to American colleges for further education. These young people were being primed to become future leaders of their societies in the soon to be independent African states. Maathai returned to Kenya with a Master's degree in biology, a subject that for her combined her scientific interests with her deep love for her natural environment. She was encouraged in her research and added a PhD in veterinary medicine to her record. Life should have been easy after that with a good husband, a blossoming academic career and three wonderful kids. But women in Kenya were not supposed to be independent and strong. Her fight for women's equal rights broadened her environmental commitments. Eventually she lost her academic position, her husband divorced her and she ended up as poor as she was a child. Not deterred by the adversities she was facing, she continued fighting on several fronts. She started the Greenbelt Movement to plant trees to reclaim the land as a campaign for and with rural women. Over time it gained such prominence that it was perceived as a threat by the authorities. Public show of opposition, such as the demonstrations to save Uhuru Park in Nairobi from President-friendly developers, increasingly identified Maathai and the Greenbelt Movement as a focus for opposition forces. They fought for human rights and dignity, anti-tribalism and democracy. The details of these struggles, the friendships and solidarity that Maathai experienced, both in Kenya in internationally, supported her morally and probably saved her life more than once.

Maathai's memoir is very personal and written from the heart. We get to know her thinking and feelings as well as a detailed description of the difficult life women and men who opposed the Moi regime faced. Her easy oing and conversational style softens the impact of her description of the arduous and sometimes even brutal experiences that she relays. At the same time, her story is a stirring example of how one person's strength and perseverance can make a difference to a people and the world. The Greenbelt Movement is now a motor for tree planting around Africa and beyond. This is an inspirational book as well as a historical record. Reading it will make you feel enriched. [Friederike Knabe]

This is a wonderful book, telling the life story of a remarkable and courageous lady. Prof Maathai's account is at once wry, compassionate, impassioned and reasonable. Her wisdom gleaned from her experiences growing up in rural Kenya, coupled with her formidable intelligence and academic credentials make her a lady to be reckoned with; her assessment of the plight of her own country is piercing, yet brimming with hope. Her inspirational work with the Green Belt Movement emphasises the enormous potential for good that can be harnessed from communities working together and recognising their dependency on each other and the physical world around them. Her comments on her political struggles and sufferings show her resolve and good grace. An inspirational book - read it!