Princess : A Shocking, True Story of Life Behind the Veil - Hardcover

Jean P. Sasson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385403453 ISBN 13: 9780385403450

Publisher: Doubleday, London, 1992

Synopsis

This is the true story of what life is like for a Saudi Arabian Princess. Told to the author by a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family who wishes to remain anonymous, it describes a life of oppression and human rights violations.

About this title

Review

"Unforgettable in content, fascinating in detail - a book to move you to tears" (Fay Weldon, Mail on Sunday (Pick of the Year))

"Anyone with the slightest interest in human rights will find this book heart-wrenching... It had to come from a native woman to be believable" (Betty Mahmoody, bestselling author of Not Without My Daughter)

"Startling, frank and vivid" (Sunday Express)

"Gripping... fast-paced, enthralling" (Publishers Weekly)

"Princess is a mind-boggling look at the everyday life of a contemporary woman in the 21,000-member-strong royal family... absolutely riveting" (People magazine)

From the Author

Response to my readers
After growing up in a tiny Southern town, I feel like the luckiest person alive to have traveled the world, and met lovely people from so many countries. The Middle East & Asia have been my main areas of travel, and like the rest of this good earth, including my own USA, I found negatives and positives in every culture. But, I also made the happy discovery that most people are genuinely kind hearted and most of us want the same out of life: comfort of life and respectful treatment from fellow human beings. (Speaking of lovely folks: To those that might be interested, I traveled to Iraq last summer, and spent two weeks in that country. Believe it or not, never have I met any nicer peole than the ordinary Iraqi. I was forced to rethink my former conclusions! What an adventure I had--particularly after writing "The Rape of Kuwait!" But, that's another book and I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry!)

Certainly, during my twelve years of living and working in Saudi Arabia, I was fortunate to meet many lovely Saudi citizens, and yes, many kind men who treated their own women with respect. However, despite this, none of those privileged women could drive an automobile, work in the company of men, attend the same schools as men, or travel outside their home without the veil over their face. Such is not a life anyone would purposely seek, no matter what anyone might claim.

As a western woman, I was treated very differently than native women. I can only recall one or two unpleasant episodes during that time, and believe me, only two bad incidents in twelve years is nothing to complain about! So, please remember, the books about "Sultana" are not my own personal story, and I could not infringe on the truths of a native woman with my own positive experiences. (I am in the process of writing about my experiences in the Middle East, and it will surprise many people.)

And to those who find it so difficult to believe that women are still horribly mistreated in many parts of the world, don't take my word for it! Why don't you read other findings in newspapers, magazines, and join the human rights groups, Amnesty International and Equality Now? Their findings are much in the same vein as the stories you will read about in my books, and surely no one can claim these orgainziations are biased! (And, there are other well-written books about women which share many common findings with my own work, and I highly recommend that readers buy and read those books: Price of Honor and Nine Parts of Desire, come to mind.) And, what is happening with the Taliban and their women, even as I am writing this sentence, shows us that life can be much worse for many of the world's women than any of us could ever imagine in our worse nightmare!

I just returned from a book tour in England and at one of my book signings, I was happy to see four or five Saudi female faces in the audience. While speaking, I inquired if they were Saudi, and everyone one of them said, "no." However, when my talk finished, and readers filed by to get signed books, three of the women whispered to me that they were indeed Saudi, and although they could never come out publicly, they were so pleased that the world was taking note of their situation. Two of the women passed me their phone numbers and I was sad to hear from the two women that the public situation for women in Saudi Arabia had become much more severe, with the government growing more fearful of Saudi radical religious groups, and unwilling to hold these fierce men in line, although the individual lives lived in private have become more relaxed since many educated Saudi men have become more enlightened about women's issues.

And, thanks to you all for caring. (At least to those who care! And, if you don't care, maybe you should care!) There have been a few voiced complaints about the way I told Sultana's story--in a quick, enjoyable read--but who of you wants to read a dry account of anyone's life? And, if you happen to notice, a lot of facts are hidden in the fun... Anyway, the story of women fighting for personal freedoms is what is important. Certainly, when I first wrote "Princess," Sultana nor I could have ever dreamed that her story would travel around the world, and find so many interested readers.

And, yes to the question I am asked most frequently: I have been harassed, lied about, and attacked in various ways for daring to write Sultana's story. But, I don't have a single regret.

So now, I'm off to begin another project. Until then, happiness to you all. Jean Sasson

Edition details

• Publisher: Doubleday, London
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385403453
• ISBN 13: 9780385403450
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 233