Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Defender of Free Speech

Written by: Gattaldo

 

First line: In a house by the sea, on the island of Malta, lived a little girl names Daphne, together with her mom, dad, and three sisters.

Why you should read this book: A brief biography of writer, civil rights protestor, and free speech advocate Daphne Caruana Galizia, written by an old friend of Galizia’s after her murder in 2017 (Galizia’s murder is not part of the story, but is mentioned in a brief appendix at the end). The book tells of Galizia’s childhood, then transitions to her life as an activist, using the power of the pen to call out problems in her home country of Malta, even as she makes enemies and suffers for her beliefs. This is primarily a story about self-confidence and the power of one individual’s voice to work for positive change in the face of big problems and powerful enemies. 

 

Why you shouldn't read this book: It's intentionally vague about the issues that Galizia wrote and protested about as well as the retaliation she experienced, which perhaps makes it less interesting as a story about the struggle for human rights but more appropriate for first, second, and third graders who are ready for general concepts, but not the specifics details of corruption and intimidation that go hand in hand with the work of a defender of free speech.

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