Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Rating:
Summary: good but....
Review: I am a Muslim woman, and I think that this book was very moving. But, it also clashes culture and religion together. Islam does not say that women are to be treated like this. It gives a false perception to people who don't know that much about the religion. I think that it should be known that women in Islam ARE NOT supposed to be treated this way.

Rating:
Summary: compelling and intriguing
Review: Princess is a powerful book providing an eye-opening insight into the lives of Saudi Arabian women.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: This is an extraordinary book. How sad to know from the time you were a child that you were not wanted or loved as much just because you were a girl. It is not hard to believe this story because lately, more and more stories have been in the news about the plight of the Saudi women. This book made me feel sad and angry that women are still being treated like possessions rather than like humans. I think it is great that Sultana had the courage to tell this story.

Rating:
Summary: Revealing, Honest, and Heartbreaking
Review: I bought this book while I was waiting at London's Heathrow airport. I had a four hour wait until my connecting flight, and I finished the book before my next flight took off. This book is hard to put down once you start to read. While reading, you start to feel how Sultana feels, you start to wish you could go to Saudi Arabia and correct the injustices that are served to women. You begin to realize that you live in a great country!! I recently bought the second book-Sultana's Daughters-can't wait to read it!

Rating:
Summary: Scary, yet frighteningly true
Review: This book has truely touched me and I can't understand how some people can't believe that this could possibly happen. This surprising look at Saudi life, I think, is not what the men controlling Saudi Arabia want you to know. Although I don't understand why these women endure the domination of men, I can see the reason that they stay bound in the chains of their society's version of Islam.

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Summary: Saudis are Arabs, but Arabs are not necessarily Saudis.
Review: I have read the arguments concerning the book, and I think it's time to clarify some things. I lived in Saudi Arabia for fifteen years, and I believe every bit of Sultana's story. If you know someone Arab, they could be from Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Iran, Kuwait,etc,etc. Arabs come from all of these nations, not just Saudi Arabia. Culture in Saudi Arabia is extremely different from that of the neighboring countries. Women have very few rights, and laws that do give women rights are not always enforced. I am not saying that Saudis are bad people; I have made many Saudi friends in fifteen years. Stereotyping is not what I want to do. But the general outlook on life, and women, in particular, is very different than those of other Islamic nations. Saudi men generally treat women with a lot less respect than is deserved; some treat us with no respect at all. I have seen or heard of many of the things Sultana experienced. People do need to know what does go on in isolated countries like Saudi Arabia, and this book is a window to the living Hell some women suffer. Please take Sasson's book seriously, but do not assume every Arab, or every Saudi, is going to treat you like the men Sultana encountered.

Rating:
Summary: Look above
Review: The whole book is so untrue...but it still well writen..

Rating:
Summary: A frustrating story that gives u hope and strength
Review: A book written from a Saudiprincess' memoars from the 50's until the 90's. About a life in a golden cage where only the men have power to either make the womens life like heaven or a living hell. This story describes the royal life in a society caught between its traditions, fundamentalism and western influence. A society not knowing where it's heading and because of that being potected by the religous men. Who voluntares to keep everything in order, with often wrong methods, and instead becomes the enemies. About a life with doubble morals, where money rules. Where the overclass MEN live their lifes as they wish, with no laws or limits of luxury and plessures. And keeping the women in the possition where they have no power of anything. While the country is developing and heading into the 21th century. We still find these bisarr telling about things that men have done to their own families because of the sovereignty they feel over their women. This book tells about problems of girls with uneducated perents. And propably similar problems could be found in societies with similar problems as uneducation or machonism. This book really gave me hope and strength to always fight against the unfair, but ofcourse I was frustrated, after so deeply taking part of these, horrible tellings. But somehow I think that the reader of this book should have some kind of information about SaudiArabia, to not get the wrong pictures about the country. Because we should remember one thing, this book tells about a bad childhoods and lifes, it's describing a problematic life of a princess. And not giving streight facts about a country. That makes the picture of SaudiArabia seem rather extreem without any information.

Rating:
Summary: Courage and Freedom - Women of the Middle East
Review: This is a story that talks about the lives and status of women of the Middle East. Treatment of women has always been an issue around the world. However, it is sad to say that things have not gotten any better for our sisters in the Mid East.

If you think that these women have chose to seclude themselves and lead a life that is dictated by their men, then it's time to read the book!

Rating:
Summary: This was one of the best books I have ever read
Review: This book was so good I could not put it down. It is very sad story and hard to handle the truth of how the women were treated. but I was glad that someone was able to express there feelings about this culture. it was an excellent book and I recomend reading it