“I did my book to help other people. People are

always struggling and they need help and

something to give them courage, so that's why I

did it.”- Farah Ahmedi, author of…

The Other Side of the

Sky

Good Morning America ContestHow the Book Came to Be

In 2005, Good Morning America sponsored a writing contest entitled “The Story of My Life”. At the time, Farah was 17 years old, had only been in the U.S. for three years, had escaped the turmoil of Afghanistan, had lost many family members to war, and had survived the loss of a leg due to a landmine.

After the encouragement of a close friend, she decided to submit her story to the GMA Contest. After 18,000 online votes, she won and was partnered with Tamin Ansary to create a full-length book. While working on the memoir, Farah was still adjusting to t American high school and was enrolled in ESL classes to master English. Since the publication, she has started college in Chicago and gained her American citizenship.

Picture taken by World Relief

Reading Focus:Daily Life in Afghanistan

Impact of Landmines

Overcoming Obstacles

Struggles of an Amputee

Adjusting to American Schools

Respect for Other Cultures

Becoming an American Citizen

Is Farah heroic?

‘“As a child, I lived a fairly happy life…We heard

occasional explosions, but those rockets never landed near our house. We heard

distant gunfire, but we grew up with that sound,’ remembers

Farah, who lived in Kabul, Afghanistan.”’

A Young Heroine…Farah Ahmedi!

Picture taken by Life Magazine when Farah met Former First Lady, Laura Bush at the White House.

So…What’s a Memoir?

• Memoirs are somewhat synonymous with autobiographies.

• The major difference between the two is that an autobiography usually deals with everything from birth until the writing of the work, where as a memoir usually focuses on the career, struggles and challenges, or the most important aspect of the writer’s life.

• Memoirs can also focus on one period or one experience of the writer’s life.

• Politicians and military leaders are known to write their memoirs.