Jean P. Sasson

The story is crisp and clear as Princess Sultana tells us of her life, experiences, and the double standard that exists between men and women. It's sad that in today's world, some countries still have such an archaic view of women. one would think that as a daughter of a nobleman (and granddaughter of the first King of Saudi Arabia) she would have a better life than common women. Sure, she has luxury, but as we can see here, money does NOT buy happiness.

Reading about the terrible double show more standards is crushing. Hearing about her brother Ali torturing cats and dogs and getting away with it is just heartbreaking, as well as Sultana's bids for her father's attention and approval. Some (including the negative reviewers for this book) might not believe that this kind of thing happens - but it does. Injustice exists even in the 21st century. The Sultana's account of the breakdown with her husband was heartbreaking and further illustrates the double standard. Allah forbid that a Saudi woman lose her virginity to someone not her husband (or have sex with anyone beside her husband, period), but it's awwwwwwwwwright for a Saudi man to travel abroad and play with foreign whores as much as he likes, or imported foreign maids and servants. The Princess also outlines the fact that this kind of lifestyle (not just the sexual aspect) is not healthy for men, either, and that old traditions are very stifling to a young Arabic man today.

She also does a great job touching on Saudi Arabia itself and its history as well as traditions and laws, to give us a better understanding of the world she lives in.

The extra sections at the back are also very helpful. You have a brief history of the history of Saudi Arabia, several passages from the Koran that are negative towards women, a glossary, and information on the population and other data of various countries in the Middle East. Overall a enthralling - and very educational - read.

Note - I am not a Saudi or Muslim woman, nor have I ever been to the Middle East. I have read the detractor's reviews for the book. What I understand is that some of the events were altered. It says so right in the book. As for FGM... I do know that's more of a practice of African than Saudi Muslims, so I am not sure what FGM was doing in this book. But like the book says, some events were altered. So nobody should be too surprised at this and blast this book as "unrealistic" when it came with its own disclaimer. show less

I've never liked a nonfiction book as much as I liked this one. I wish that this book was fiction because reading about the horrific things Princess Sultana, the storyteller, endured as a woman in Saudi Arabia was devastating. Princess Sultana was a princess who grew up in Saudi Arabia, but she did not live a life that many people would consider a royal life. She suffered through the horrible treatment of women in Saudi Arabia and tells her story in this book, where we learn about her show more experiences including being forced to marry young, being beaten, and watching her friends get killed or raped. Before reading this book I did not know how poorly women were/are treated in Saudi Arabia and how little rights they had, and it was extremely eye-opening to read this book. The storytelling is amazing because it is very straightforward and doesn't try to affect the reader through its writing, yet anyone who reads this book will be left heartbroken due to the content of the stories. I think that this is an important read and I wish this book was more popular because it was both educational and emotional. show less

Having read the previous 2 books, I enjoyed this one no less. The second book was pretty good, but this one was great because of Sultana's maturity and the ending of this book.

Now, I am well-aware of the plagiarism suit - and have read the article on it - and the detractors and their complaints, but these books already came with the disclaimer that some events had been altered, not just the names. Still, whether this Princess Sultana IS a real person is in the air and hotly debated, so I show more won't touch on that.

Some people say this book is bad because it offers a horrible view on Arab men. Now, think. In Saudi Arabia, where the line between men and women is clearly drawn, women and men cannot interact in a normal way like Americans, Europeans, and other countries are fortunate enough to have and enjoy. But not all men are bad - Sultana's husband despite his flaws is a decent guy, and so is her son. Still, even the nice guys have a hard time dealing with Sharia law, as they themselves are also punished and restricted by it (but of course, to a far lesser extent than women!)

Some people don't like it because of the horrible things - but newsflash! - these things DO happen, and not just in Saudi Arabia. Slavery, whether manual or sexual, still exist, and nobody should be surprised. Slavery even exists here in America with citizens importing illegal aliens with either threats or deception to keep them in their houses to clean, cook, and what not, even sex. And if that is happening here, in AMERICA - the land of the free, where our founding fathers declared we had the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness - why should anyone be surprised it happens in other countries, especially one with such strict - and backward - laws as the Middle East?

Another complaint from detractors is the description of some things, like the weddings. Now, remember, the al-Sauds are one of the wealthiest families in the world. I found Sultana's description of things like her jewelry, home, gardens and what not - to be fascinating even if I did feel a bit envious (hard not to) but rich Americans put on ostentatious displays of wealth as well, so again, it's not surprising.

Now as to Ms. Sasson's claim to have met and knowing this Princess... well, I don't find it as far-fetched as the detractors. The place where she worked, the King Faisal Hospital, is the largest in the Middle East and hires plenty of foreigners as staff, and is the place where many royals - including other princesses - go to (and die, sometimes), so it's not hard to imagine that they met when Sultana was there for herself, her kids, or just visiting one of her relatives.

I am no expert of the Middle East or Islam nor do I claim to be, but I have done some studying and reading of the al-Saud clan and other things touched on in this book to give me a better understanding of its content. In short, I really enjoyed this book and the trilogy itself as well, as well as what I learned in my additional reading/research. The short appendix and information on Saudi Arabia in the back of this book makes for great trivia.

I hope there will be a fourth book, as the ending of this third book offers great promise for another exciting installment to this tale. With Sultana's maturity and the revelations she has by the end of this book, as well as the actions she takes and will take, I would love to see another story as Sultana develops her Circle further. show less

After reading the first book in this trilogy, naturally I had to continue on, so I bought books 2 and 3. While not quite as good as the first one, I enjoyed this book a lot. I understand that some of the negative reviewers don't like this book because they complain that some of the stuff can't be true, like having a lesbian lover or illegal firearms or such.

Just because something sounds crazy doesn't mean it can't happen. And keep in mind that this book also includes the disclaimer that some show more events have been altered. So there should be no surprise. Bad things happen to women, even in this 21st century of ours. Women have always been abused through the ages, and even in today's 'enlightened' age some parts of this world are still achingly backwards in many aspects, not just the Middle East.

It's interesting to read a memoir from a very rich person. Typically the biographies I read are of people with more modest means, and it's quite the experience to read about Sultana describing her activities or items - her daughters have millions of dollars with of expensive jewelry, they have fancy and fine palaces and armies of servants and so many different luxuries. Maha and Amani are lucky enough to have a father who treated them better than Sultana's own father did, but as this book really shows, money doesn't buy happiness. At least not for the women - it's shocking what some of these Saudi princes can get away with with enough money. It's an eye-opening book and a decent read in the Sultana trilogy. show less