Princess: A True Story of Life behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson
Be afraid, be very afraid – that’s all I could feel when I read “Princess.” Life for women in Saudi Arabia, even the rich women is unfathomable. The author, Jean Sasson, lived in Saudi Arabia for 10 years and saw first hand the atrocities against women. Sasson took a job as an administer coordinator in 1978 at King Faisal Hospital & Research Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She befriended numerous Saudi Arabian women through her employment and social contacts. Sasson was a confidant to “Sultana,” an Arabian princess whose identity is secret. Sultana requested Sasson to write about her life, so the world could see what women in Saudi Arabia really go through.
Saudi Arabia men are almost barbaric to the women. Women have no voice, no choice and no legal recourse. This book is a must for book club. Sultana lives a life of immense wealth and luxury, provided she abides by the laws of her father and then her husband. She wears the most beautiful designer clothing money can buy, only to be covered by an Abayah (long black garment) and a Hijab (head scarf). Sultana has no control at all over her own life or the lives of her children. Saudi Arabians are ruled by strict Hanbali law and women are tormented, raped and murdered at the whim of their husbands, fathers or princes.
We read “Princess” five years ago, and it still lingers in my mind. This is a work of non-fiction and lacks the beautiful prose of a fiction novel, but it certainly conveys the hardship and anguish of the Saudi Arabian women. There are so many atrocities committed and the sheer lack of any freedom that the women appear as designed-dressed slaves. It is so hard to understand with all the money the oil producing countries have, and the education that affords, that the women have never left the harem.
It’s not just husbands abusing their wives, but also fathers with their daughters. One horrid scene that never leaves me involved a father and his beloved daughter, and a swimming pool. Trust me you will never forget this.
The story breeds anger against this barbaric male-dominated society. Book club has so much to talk about with this book. It has the culture differences, the tragedies, the family structure, and the political agenda of both the US and Saudi Arabia. After all, Saudi Arabia is an ally to the US, and if it treats its women so poorly how can they be trusted as an ally. The book has also been criticized for its over-the-top exposé of the women’s problems in the Arab world. It may be heightened in a dramatic fashion, but maybe that’s the only way for us to stop and take notice.
Excellent book club selection.
Rating: 8.5