Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood

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Summary: An interesting and relaxing story.
Review: This book presents the life of a young girl who is brought up in Moslem culture. She constantly searches for the answers to questions about why women in her culture can not do certain things. This book is well written, and should be read if you wish to understand what the Moslem world is like for young women.

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Summary: Easy and Entertaining
Review: This book was great for the expansion of knowledge of the reality of Harem society. The author does a wonderful job of conveying the luke warm life of a Harem girl to western society. It includes many inciteful bits of Morrocan historical facts. All in all it was pleasurable reading experience.

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Summary: Easy to read and Entertaining
Review: This book was very entertaining and informative. The author did a wonderful job of explaining what life is like in a harem for a woman in Morroco. This book, while very entertaining, explained how women in these harems are seen as prisoners. Before reading this book, I had know clue what a Harem even was. Now that I have read this book have a better view on what it might be like to grow up in a Morrocan Harem. The author did a great job of explaining life in a Harem to western society.

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Summary: Very sad
Review: This is a great book that describes a world that is foreign both to nonMuslims and the vast majority of Muslims. The book describes a world where females are shut out from the world, locked in a house, unable to live a normal life. Many of the women are starved for affection as a result of having to share their husband with other women. The story of women deprived of the things that should be normal, everyday life (monogamous marriages, jobs, schooling, shopping, charity work, interacting with men), who retreat to fantasy worlds is truly depressing reading. One reviewer described this as "Islamic culture", which it most definitely is not. The seclusion of women is a preIslamic cultural practice that has no basis is Islamic teachings. Unfortunately Mernissi leaves the impression that this is common behavior in the Muslim world. 99% of Muslim men are monogamous and many Muslim women live lives not much different from those of western women. In the most populous Muslim nations such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, India etc. this kind of lifestyle is nonexistent. Men and women are not separated in daily life and mongamy is the norm. Men who practice polygamy for any other reason other than for the purpose of caring for orphans are violating Islamic principles, not following them. I'm also troubled to see some Muslims condemning this book. Wake up, take your heads out of the sand and realise that there are many Muslims twisting Islamic teachings to oppress women. Does it matter that Islam gave women lots of rights if some Muslim men forbid the exercising of those rights?

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Summary: A great memoir of a fascinating culture
Review: This is a profound and philosophical memoir of a period of time when nationalism, women's issues and changing male-female relationships had a formative impact on this woman's childhood.

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Summary: Tales of a Harem Girl
Review: This is a tale of a young girl born in a haran in Morocco in the 1940's and the struggle she and other Moslem women faced. Fatimi Mernissi was a shy girl born into a world she was sheltered from. She is restricted by the Moslem culture, but uses her imagination to escape beyond the boundaries of the courtyard to see the outside world. She is encouraged by her mother and relatives to fight for women's rights and she tells of the lessons she has learned. I think that this is a great book. Very interesting and easy to read. If you have the time, it could be read at one sitting.

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Summary: Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood
Review: This was a great, easy reading book that many people could really use as a tool for learning about a different culture. In this book, Fatima tells us about her life as a child growing up in a Harem, and the trials and tribulations that go along with that. Throughout the story, one of the major themes that is asked over and over is what is a Harem? Is it a place with four walls like the Harem she lived in? Or is it like her grandmother's Harem which is out in the country with no walls, only open fields. Fatima's mother's role is crutial in this book because her mother is so against everything that has to do with the Harem. She wants her two daughters to grow up and have every opportunity they can in life, unlike the lack of opportinities her mother had. To do this, Fatima's mother dresses the girls in western style dress with frills and lace. Fatima's father does not seem to say much when his wife does this, unless it is a holiday, then the girls are expected to be in traditional attire. The book itself was great and I would highly recomend it! The details Fatima Marnissi uses in describing the women's lives is fantastic, as is her point of view that this is being told by a child. Any age that is studying this area, or time period in history would enjoy this book as did I!

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Summary: Falshoods of American Stereotypes
Review: We all have preconcieved notions of the Middle East and the idea of harems. This book, written by someone who should know, will dissipate any stereotypes the reader may have about harem life. By wrestling with the definition of a harem throughout her childhood and her narrative Mernissi is able to reveal to western readers who are unexperienced and often unknowledgeable about harem life the truths and untruths envolved with being raised in a non-western society. A real eye opening read for anyone seeking knowledge about a society all too foriegn to us.