This was a fascinating narrative of Geraldine Brooks' time working as a reporter in the middle east. Her treatment of Islam seems fairly balanced, she is careful to point out the differences between culture and religion, but does not underestimate the power of the fundamentalist factions. I totally agree with her assessment of Saudi Arabia - that it is more dangerous than some of the other Middle Eastern governments we tend to be suspicious of. Although this book was written 15 years ago, there are many insights that are applicable now. Worth a read. ( )

This was an intriguing look into the lives of Islamic women. The treatment of women was appalling and although I was aware of most of these practices, it was quite shocking to hear firsthand accounts of honor killings, genital mutilations and being totally controlled by men in every possible way. The copyright on this book is 1995 and it makes me curious if any of these outdated and abusive practices have been changed 14 years later. I'm thinking that's probably a big no. This book was so fascinating, it has now launched me into reading more books on the topic. Knowledge is power and as Michael Corleone would have said, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." I'm going to try to educate myself with further reading.

Quick read; I would recommend it to anyone as an appetizer into this culture. It will challenge you. ( )

An interesting and readable account of one woman’s time as a foreign correspondent in the Middle East. Brooks was based in this part of the world for a number of years from 1987, and this book was published in 1995.

The subject matter (‘the hidden world of Islamic women’) is perhaps bound to create controversy, and reviewers appear to differ in their opinions of the objectivity and accuracy of the book’s content.

On the plus side, I felt that it opened my eyes further to the variety and diversity of experiences of Muslim women. I'm glad I read the book, and I acknowledge that it would be difficult if not impossible to cover this material in an entirely impartial and objective fashion.

My preference would have been for more about the experiences, opinions and world views of the women Brooks was interviewing, and less of her own opinions, judgements and occasional editorialising about what she saw and experienced - although this is a personal preference and not necessarily a criticism of the book.

On the negative side, I found the tone a little harsh (bordering on snarky at times: “I couldn’t check myself into a Saudi hotel room in the 1990s because thirteen hundred years earlier a Meccan named Muhammad had trouble with his wives”, p. 3), and felt there were some biases in terms of the content.

Overall, I'm glad I read this, but I would want to temper some of its conclusions with further reading/ research. ( )

Eye-opening. ( )

Good subject, writing and organization.