Kwan Kew Lai’s manuscript, The Girl Who Taught Herself to Fly, approaches varying themes, including gender, race, determination, and persistence. The author’s journey from her impoverished childhood in Malaya to becoming a doctor in the United States and practicing in countries around the world is both incredibly inspiring and provides lessons related to life. This young girl decided to take control of her destiny and taught herself to “fly.” The author demonstrates young women can overcome any obstacle if they put their minds to it. The book exhibits the discrepancies between men and women, primarily in the workplace and education. The percentage of people living in poverty decreases when women are given the chance to participate in education and decide on their futures. A different concern presented was the racial inequalities in the area. There are areas in the world where racial and social hierarchies favor a specific group over another creating dependency, and resulting in a cycle of poverty and racism.

Dr. Lai demonstrated the experiences of her mother and those in her surroundings as examples of the life she did not want. The author notices a Tamil girl in a nearby Indian village who is adorned in jewels, fabrics, and makeup in preparation for marriage to an older man. The girl is only 13. The young woman becomes pregnant shortly after that. Females in this society have little choice over their fate or how they are treated, as the author can already see. If necessary, Dr. Lai was prepared to run away to avoid this fate.

The Federation of Malaya was instituted on August 31, 1957, when independence was declared from the British government. Malaya’s independence from the British allowed the newly formed leadership to establish their own government and other entities, such as regulating education. The Malayan government made education mandatory for children through standard six, so Dr. Lai convinced her mother to register her for school. It’s intriguing to see how progressive the author is rather than accepting her fate like her female counterparts.

As Dr. Lai progressed and excelled in her formal education, she was eventually able to apply for a transfer to the prestigious St. George’s Girls’ School. Originally, established by Anglican missionaries this institution was to educate girls from well-to-do families. Dr. Lai, along with two other girls from her class, applied for admittance to the illustrious school. When a response to her application is not received, the young girl displays immense fearlessness in confronting the headmistress of St. George’s and the head of the education department when a response to her application is not received. Ultimately all three girls are accepted into the school, perhaps due to her perseverance.

Dr. Lai kept pushing herself to get an education to get out of her poverty-stricken, male-dominated environment and into one where she could grow and thrive. Young Dr. Lai observed how her mom conformed to societal expectations by marrying young and afterward continuing to create children. While her mother, Ah Yee, demonstrated ingenuity in trying to provide for her family during lean times, they were still primarily dependent on her husband. The author’s mother was prohibited from ceasing to have children without her husband’s consent. When Ah Yee has girls, her husband commented he is giving the female children “see png” or “dead rice” because, in his view, the girls will never carry on his name, thus this rice will only benefit their future families.

Dr. Kwan Kew Lai demonstrates how her older sister, when the author is only 5, quits school to take care of younger siblings. This decision will affect the trajectory of her life. The decision to continue to have more children affects not only Ah Yee and her life, but also the lives of her other daughters, who must put their education on hold to help the household.

Dr. Lai also writes about the racial conflicts in Malaya during her upbringing since it gives readers an introduction to the lives of those living in present-day Malaysia. The educational subsidies reserved for the Bumiputra children are an example of these racial divides. To ensure their children get a quality education, the government disproportionally favors the Bumiputra children by giving these children stipends while the other children must pay their way. It could be argued all children have a right to a high-quality education, regardless of their ability to pay or their background.

The primary goal of the book was to educate the reader about Malayan history, society, and gender roles in the male-dominated culture that keeps young girls from getting a formal education. The information presented in these pages indicates women’s lack of education leads to a cycle of family, marriage, childbearing, and poverty. The book’s objective is to show the author’s resilience, which she acquired throughout her formative years, and her resolve to escape the cycle. This tenacity and determination serve as inspiration on how to overcome any challenge. The author had moments of divine assistance but ultimately displayed internal strength that kept her self-motivated when many people were against her or others would have collapsed under the pressures from all sources.

Given her birthplace, Dr. Lai is writing about a region of the world that has been underrepresented, especially among female authors. She continued her schooling and is now a doctor who treats disadvantaged people, so she has experience working with people both as a young girl and as a practitioner. Dr. Lai appears cautiously optimistic about future generations of young ladies, although there is still a long way to go given the persistent racial and gender divisions present in the area and around the world. Even though the book’s events occasionally jump around, the author largely follows a chronological order.

Although the book appeals to a wide audience because of its insight, it is unmistakably written with female demographics and those who may have an impact on them in mind. The manuscript combines elements of heartbreak, inspiration, and enlightenment while being educational. It adds color to the historical context of this time and place by drawing on the author’s own experiences. The inspirational author frequently reinforces her inner strength, serving as a great role model by overcoming challenges. As a young girl determined to “teach herself to fly,” she used that drive to become the person she desired. In turn, this has provided opportunities for her to create a life filled with opportunities to give back to communities allowing others to benefit from her experience.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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