👶👶👶👶 Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, by Jean Sasson

This book tells of such appalling acts against women, that it is nearly incomprehensible in the naïve eyes of an American woman. It is very well-written, and Jean Sasson lends a strong voice to women who have no voice at all, while strengthening their plight against horrific injustices. I would certainly recommend this book as a window into a world so immeasurably different than ours.

However, being the fastidious reader that I am, I will admit that it was difficult for me to discern fact from fiction in this story. We are told that this is a true story, and that names have been changed to protect the identity of Princess Sultana and her family; however, with so many identifying familial situations, I can only imagine that the Princess would be hard-pressed to keep her identity hidden. I do not doubt the validity of much of what is described here in everyday Saudi Arabian life; but some of her personal events seemed almost improbable. The escape with her children, for example, seemed so unlikely with all the restrictions placed on these women; I got the sense that perhaps it was at least somewhat embellished. There were inconsistencies in her behavior that made me question the validity of what I read, and later led me to read the various articles about the debate over its authenticity.

Despite my hesitation in that respect, I will reiterate that this truly is an important read. The novel made me acutely aware that we, as Westerners, are abundantly blessed with freedoms that many women around the world will never experience. And for that reason, I applaud Ms. Sasson in her attempts to bring light to this wretched oppression.

Read 3/8/15