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Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

(The Princess Trilogy #1)

Jean Sasson (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 28,561 ratings · 2,462 reviews

PRINCESS describes the life of Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband and her country.

Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls forced to marry ...more

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Kindle Edition, 304 pages

Published (first published 1992)

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Apr 15, 2011 Jean Sasson rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

I'm the author of this book. It's great to see the ongoing discussions about women in Saudi Arabia. I am delighted to reveal that under the current King Abduallah, that Saudi women are seeing an improvement in life. Although there is a long way to go, there is great hope that change is coming.

Also, I'd like to let readers know that I am currently working with Princess Sultana and one of my publishers on the 4th book on Princess Sultana. It should be published fall 2014. More news to follow!

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Jul 01, 2017 Candace rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-unlimited, non-fiction, listened-to-audio-version

Every once in a while I try to read something that is "deeper" than my usual smutty romance selections. This was one of those books. I listened to the Audible version and I could not pull myself away from the plight of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud and the other women from this story.

Her story offered a poignant look at what life is like for women in Saudi Arabia. Even the wealthiest and most "privileged" women are not spared the cruelty of the misogynistic and oppressive culture. Women are treated Every once in a while I try to read something that is "deeper" than my usual smutty romance selections. This was one of those books. I listened to the Audible version and I could not pull myself away from the plight of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud and the other women from this story.

Her story offered a poignant look at what life is like for women in Saudi Arabia. Even the wealthiest and most "privileged" women are not spared the cruelty of the misogynistic and oppressive culture. Women are treated as property to be "owned" and managed by men. They are traded like cattle and punished for perceived infractions in cruel ways.

From birth, girls are treated as second-class citizens, a disappointment to their family and inferior to all males. This was highlighted by Princess Sultana's accounts of growing up with a spoiled and sadistic younger brother. No matter what he did, she would always be wrong. Time and time again, she was forced to be subservient to him, no matter how egregious his behavior was.

Sexual abuse is also rampant in the world that Princess Sultana described. Young girls are forced to marry much older men, while older wives are forced to take a backseat while their husbands forsake them for their younger brides. Young or old, there is no bright side for the wives.

While the girls "virtue" is fiercely guarded -- their body sacred until such time as their father or other male guardian decides to gift it to another -- the boys and men engage in a variety of depraved sexual acts. One especially disturbing scene tells the story of a trip to Egypt where Sultana's brother and other men commit acts of extreme sexual violence. It was absolutely heartbreaking and terrifying.

More than anything, I couldn't get past the unfairness of the situation. These women had no power or control in their lives. It is so far removed from the life I'm luck enough to lead that it was unfathomable to me.

The indifference and cruelty of the men also took me aback. The often barbaric punishments they doled out seemed to be the norm. The life of the females was valued so little that they could be extinguished with scant more concern than one would have when swatting a fly. It was unimaginable to me.

Not surprisingly, this book was pretty depressing. The life lead by these women was grim, even as they tried to make the most of the little joy they could find in the absence of the men. Much of the content was upsetting and discouraging.

That being said, I still think that this is a book that everyone should read. It will anger and sadden you. However, turning a blind eye to atrocities like the ones that play out on the pages of this book does not make the reality go away. Raising awareness is important in order to facilitate change -- and change is necessary. Yet again, I am reminded of how blessed I am for the life I was born into.

...more

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May 16, 2011 Shyam rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-east

First of all, I do not believe that this work is a genuine autobiography of a Saudi princess. It just doesn't make sense to not reveal the name for 'protecting the identity of the author' after giving such a detailed life story and other intimate details about her family structure and other stuff. It is naive to assume that she would not be caught and put to death. I guess, maybe it could be the story of the maid of the Princess or something. Nevertheless I found it to be a highly compelling ...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Fabian Davy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

As a person who had spent some time in Saudi Arabia as an expatriate, I can say that many elements of this book had indeed lived up to match some of my experiences there. However, it should be noted with caution that this is a tale that spans many years: back from the time when Saudi Arabia is slowly opening itself up to embrace the world and modernization. The country that I came to, live in and left a few years back was a stark contrast to the hear-say and media portrayal of late. In fact, I As a person who had spent some time in Saudi Arabia as an expatriate, I can say that many elements of this book had indeed lived up to match some of my experiences there. However, it should be noted with caution that this is a tale that spans many years: back from the time when Saudi Arabia is slowly opening itself up to embrace the world and modernization. The country that I came to, live in and left a few years back was a stark contrast to the hear-say and media portrayal of late. In fact, I was surprised of how much improved things are in a rather conservative country. Things have changed for sure.

It should be noted that this was a tale being told from the perspective of a Princess, and rewritten by the author. Sasson has been noted as a 'female-rights' author of sorts, evident on her other works that still linger on tale of abuse/manipulation/oppression of women in mostly Middle East countries (Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan...). Thus, it is hard to read this book without sensing a tinge of bias (especially me) knowing her central theme. Or, of how much the story had been rewritten to create a more shocking drama. You be the judge of the story.

Another caution: it is easy to link the injustice, cruelty and oppression depicted in the book, to Muslims and even Islam by first glance. Islam is a religion of the many people around various places in this earth. Saudi Arabia being its birth place - and that's all. Culture varies between one group of people to another, but that does not mean that the religion bear the burden of misinterpretation. As much as one expect this book to linger so much on elements of faith and religion - it actually dwells more on culture and human value. By all means, it is not to say that Sasson invoke the sentiment in this book. She exhibit great respect for the religion and said so many times through the character and by herself.

At 303 pages, the book makes a good read. The stories are short, yet engaging enough to grip you for hours. Shocking, sickening at times and sometimes just plain beautiful. Revelation after revelation, which while seems extraordinarily unbelievable, is also true.

Saudi Arabia is a beautiful country and the people are kind. This book didn't really focus much on that, and misses a lot on the good parts. Plus, this was an old tale from a royal family that may/may not be as relevant today. Much have to be learned of he life of the common people. ...more

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Aug 26, 2013 Raven and Beez rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Read on the blog!!

Okay, I might be way too harsh with this review but that's only because I have never hated a book more than this one right here. So here goes my rant.

This book is said to be about Sultana (Not real name) who is a Saudi Princess and even though she belongs to the royal family she is bound by strict rules that define that women are only used for sexual relief and to bear the children for their husbands. And how they are enslaved by their fathers, husbands and brothers.

First of ...more

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Sep 20, 2009 Dan Schwent rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: homework-from-the-ladies

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 28, 2013 Anastasia Kinderman rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: islamic-studies

Note: Comments by Jean Sasson and Friederike Monika Adsani or their fake accounts will automatically be deleted.

I am an American who has an interest in both Muslims and Arab countries. I got this book for Christmas. It is a very gripping story, a real page-turner. However, while reading through it I couldn't help noticing that the way the book was written just seemed....off. It read like a novel: the way the chapters were structured, the horrifying crimes committed by the males in the story (I'm Note: Comments by Jean Sasson and Friederike Monika Adsani or their fake accounts will automatically be deleted.

I am an American who has an interest in both Muslims and Arab countries. I got this book for Christmas. It is a very gripping story, a real page-turner. However, while reading through it I couldn't help noticing that the way the book was written just seemed....off. It read like a novel: the way the chapters were structured, the horrifying crimes committed by the males in the story (I'm not saying horrible things aren't done, I just find it hard to believe that EVERY male in Saudi Arabia is basically a heartless idiot like they are portrayed in this book), and the protagonist's unavoidably American Feminist view of the things happening in her country.

I did some research and discovered that apparently the author was sued for plagiarism (although, in the interests of being fair, she did win) and this book has been accused of basically being a novel claiming to be the truth. I would have to say I agree with that assessment. It read like a novel. The covers of this book and other books by the same author all have that "fiction sensational novel" type of cover. The titles sound like novel titles. The blurbs written for this and the other books in the trilogy read like blurbs for fictional novels.

If you compare it to other books written on the hardships women in the Arab world have faced you can immediately tell a difference in both the writing (they do not read like entertaining sensational novels, they read like true stories of hardship) and just the covers and blurbs for them (other books don't have "fiction book" covers and the blurbs don't read like the blurbs for novels) I had no knowledge of the controversy surrounding this book before I read it but after I was done I had enough doubts about its authenticity to research its back story. That should tell you something.

It's painfully obvious in reading through this book that it is fiction. If you are curious and wish to read this novel for yourself I recommend just getting it from your library so you in no way financially support someone who advertises fiction under the guise of truth. I have checked out her other books and it seems the author is simply attempting to profit from our curiosity about other cultures and peoples and basically slandering them in her writing. Even worse, she fills our heads with untrue stereotypes that people from these countries have to confront when they are in our country. Inexcusable.

If you truly want to know about the hardships women face in other countries there are plenty of true biographies written by the women who have survived:
In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom (Saudi Arabia)
Dear Zari: The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan (Afghanistan)
The Favored Daughter: One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future (Afghanistan)
The Girl with Three Legs: A Memoir (Somalia)
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced (Yemen)
Inside The Kingdom: My Life In Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia)
I would recommend those over anything written by this author any day. ...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Linda rated it it was ok · review of another edition

After reading this book and comments from other readers, i really feel like i need to say something regarding Islam and Muslims because I am a Muslim.
To all people who read the book, don't be mislead by what you read. That is not the true picture of Islam. What is portrayed in the story is more of culture-based, not religion (Islam particularly). The way the men in the story treated their women is not what is taught in Islam. I know because I am a Muslim, living in a Muslim community. In Islam, ...more

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Oct 18, 2007 Renee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone interested in role of women in Islam

Shelves: islam, bookclub, biography

Princess, by Jean Sasson is the life story of a Saudi princess as told to an American journalist. It details the dysfunction, hypocrisy and imposed inertia of the royal family in general, and depravity of some members in particular. Most of all, it describes the gilded but treacherous cage in which royal women are forced to live, and the vulnerability of all Saudi & foreign worker women in the Kingdom.

On a personal note, if I thought the Saudis were a bunch of troglodyte degenerates ...more

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Sep 02, 2019 Diane in Australia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction-biography

I'm not entirely sure how to review this book. Books that hide the true identity of the person being written about leave themselves open to claims of being a 'fake'. In fact, a plagiarism suit was filed against Jean Sasson, but was subsequently dismissed by the court.

Anyway, if the events in this book are true, the lives of many of the people in the book are horrendous. It makes me sad to think of these atrocities, and all the other atrocities worldwide. It seems humans will never learn to treat ...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Jeanette rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-east, nonfiction, biography-memoir

3.5 stars
I was slightly put off by the way Princess Sultana tried to portray her life as somehow representative of what average Saudi women have to endure. The reality for most women there is so much worse. She does mention some examples of what happened to other women, but her tone is often self-pitying. "I was born free, yet today I am in chains." Give me a break! Her life of leisure was a dream compared to the lives of most Saudi women. Here's what filled her days:

"Since the servants fed the ...more

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Oct 06, 2015 Mansuriah Hassan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is truly a fabulous book about the life and family of Princess Sultana. It has a touch of humour, despite the suffering. Very defiant and is certainly eye opening in a way we could never imagine. This book had the true Arab feel to it. It makes you want to learn more about the Saudi Arabia culture and their royal family.

This is the story of Princess Sultana, a Saudi princess, living a life of extreme wealth and yet experiencing poverty within the realm of freedom and equality. Princess ...more

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Oct 22, 2007 Debarati rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: all

I seriously dont know if the book is fiction or non-fiction. But few months after reading the book I saw an interview of some Arabian princess on a news channel. The incidents she shared sounded so same to the book. It talks about the kind of life women lead in Saudi Arabia. It discloses some shocking facts like a young girl stoned to death and a girl child was married to a man of 50's. The life of a princess in Arab is only about gold and dimonds but when it comes to self respect and love, she ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Bren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, social-issues, educational, cultural, biographical-and-autobiographical, dark-and-heavy, read-and-reviewed, drama-tearjerker, great-for-book-clubs, non-fiction

“I would be the master of my life, no matter what actions I would have to take or pain I would have to endure”
― Jean Sasson, Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Reading Sultana’s story was painful. But it really gave me a window into what women are treated like in some countries.

It is a tough book to read. And it really shows the differences in cultures. One reads this book with growing horror and dread. It is very frightening.

What does come through is Sultana's ...more

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Nov 26, 2015 Wsm rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-around-the-world

Jean Sasson can tell a good story.I kept reading and also read the next two volumes in the series,Daughters of Arabia and Desert Royal. It is a bit debatable if these books (about the lives of a Saudi Arabian princess and her family) are entirely based on facts.
Is Princess Sultana for real,or is she a figment of the author's imagination ? Or is this book,a mixture of fact and fiction ? Whatever the truth,this book shocks,and it entertains.
That said,Saudi women do face plenty of issues and the ...more

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Jul 18, 2008 Cheri added it · review of another edition

As a woman who has traveled to Saudi Arabia and having worn the veil; I have to admit, when I read the stories of these women Jean Sasson writes of, I now feel--looking back on wearing the veil--that I was somehow an imposter (I can't explain it any better than that) when comparing my life with the lives of these women. My wearing the veil was only compulsory when I went outside the confines of the base on which I was stationed; to these women it is a way of life. I couldn't help but feel that ...more

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Apr 19, 2014 Sara M. Abudahab rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: omiljene-knjige

It's SHOCKING and SICKENING in every possible way! I had a few "that-can't-be-true" moments and I really wished that it wasn't a true story, bc knowing that those acts against women are real and are happening now and are not just history is simply heartbreaking.

I really liked this book although I wished for a better happy ending.

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Oct 17, 2010 Lally rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This book was terrible. Terribly written, edited terribly, and I have serious reservations over the authenticity of this book. While I do not question that women are treated very poorly in Saudi Arabia and several other Middle Eastern countries, I have a hard time believing that this 'autobiography by proxy' is true. When I picked up this book, the quick internet research I did brought up the pettiness between Jean Sasson and her would-be plagiarism victim and I find it hard to respect an author ...more

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Jan 10, 2009 Sue rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Remember Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale? This is the real handmaid's tale. First published in 1992, it has been reissued in paperback. While some of the facts cited about women's lives in Saudi Arabia may have changed since then, most of the story is still, unfortunately, true. Not an easy book to read, but one that gives voice to a whole group of women you never hear from.

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Aug 07, 2011 A'ishah rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: at-school

This book is pure fiction. I do not say that just because I am a Muslim from Saudi Arabia. I'm saying it because it is true. There are a number of problems with this book, including factual errors and situations that are unlikely/implausible.

My three main problems are:

1. For starters, how does someone just "traveling" to Saudi Arabia just happen to befriend a princess and extract the many details of her life in this book? She's a princess, not a woman on the street, who would still be much ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Irina Garaeva rated it did not like it · review of another edition

A very questionable book. How can it be true and still be published if Saudi is such a strict and even ferocious country? How can this princess (and the writer) still be alive? There are facts that she mentioned - she can not hide from the Royal family :) And all these awful men actions that are described there: sure, there are a lot of restrictions of women rights in Saudi but living here I can't say that local women feel abused and miserable.Of course it depends on family, but lot of them can ...more

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Aug 08, 2010 Anum rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biographies, 3-stars-not-bad, non-fiction

Hypocrisy rules the land of the religion that strongly condemned the act the act of hypocrisy centuries ago!

The true story of one of the princesses of the royal house of Al Saud in Saudi Arabia is told in a fashion that is both charming and riveting. The veil that guards the women of the Saudi Arabia also hides behind it years of cruelty and injustice.

It was a very strange experience to read this book. It appears highly prophetic to find out that the very people who call themselves the keepers Hypocrisy rules the land of the religion that strongly condemned the act the act of hypocrisy centuries ago!

The true story of one of the princesses of the royal house of Al Saud in Saudi Arabia is told in a fashion that is both charming and riveting. The veil that guards the women of the Saudi Arabia also hides behind it years of cruelty and injustice.

It was a very strange experience to read this book. It appears highly prophetic to find out that the very people who call themselves the keepers of the faith consider themselves above it. They seem to be guarding their own follies from the eyes of world rather than guarding themselves against the temptations and evils that may lead them astray. The many atrocities mentioned as to have been committed in the name of faith and Islam has no basis in it at all. For example, the case of the young girl who was punished by death for fornication right after giving birth was a very high act of injustice. In case a woman’s honour is put to question she has the right to demand four witnesses from her accusers. I am sure as those teenage boys had no access to such witnesses considering the girl was completely innocent, her death was not a punishment but instead would be deemed as murder.

It is sad to see that the name of the religion which holds the honour of a woman more precious is being used to guard the false honour of the hypocritical men of the Saudi society. It seems clear from this story that the true essence of their religion eludes them and they follow it only ritualistically, all ideas of modesty and morality starting and finishing on the ‘purity’ and ‘piety’ of their women, when in such regards of spirituality men and women are declared absolute equals in Islam, sharing the same rewards and punishments in this world and that hereafter.

Islam remains misconstrued and misinterpreted even among the people who speak the language of its holy book. A prime example of this is the treatment of maids as slaves by some of the families. Considering slavery was outlawed by the mutual agreement of all nations the laws concerning the slaves no longer apply. However, even if one was to ponder over the matter, countless accounts throughout the lives of the Prophet and early converts shows that kindness and compassion was preached in their treatment instead of cruelty and violence. Freeing of slaves, whether Muslim or otherwise, was considered a great act of humanity. Moreover, the purchasing of a slave and hiring of maid are two very different things. The maid is an employee, a free woman, upon whom the employer has no personal right.

The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) preached and practiced a kind and compassionate behaviour towards the wife and children, whether male or female. This idea seems to be lost to most of the families depicted. Forgiveness is admired in the religion of Islam yet its followers seem to stubbornly unforgiving it is a shock that they seem to have even a modicum of understanding of their faith, apart from the harsher to harshest punishments that they can execute on those below them in ranks and power. The laws that apply to women also apply to men yet only the women seem to be punished and the men forgotten. A land which is the home of the religion of justice breeds so much injustice, it is unfathomable.

The education of women was encouraged by the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) himself and is only logical even if she is to only fulfil her role as a household-runner and a mother. How will she learn to manage and teach her children without having a firm grounding herself? No one seems to notice this. Even more importantly, however, it seems ignored that one of the greatest Muslim scholars ever to walk the Earth was a woman, Aisha (RA), the Prophet’s wife, was born to the same land, which now seems to accept only the male interpretations of religion and law. If in those historic times a woman was allowed to freely express her thoughts and opinions, under the banner of Islam nevertheless, why can’t she now?

This book raises a number of questions, including its authenticity, I have to admit. I felt that there is enough truth in the words of the author about the conditions of the Saudi women and society that they cannot be ignored. The treatment of women in Saudi Arabia breaches all forms of human rights and cross all borders of humanity! Hypocrisy should not rule any land which runs under the banner of the great religion of Islam and sadly that is all it does!!!
...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Suzannah added it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, non-fiction

Years ago I read Bojidar Marinov's article "Civilisation and Self-Control", which agreed with, and expanded upon, some things I'd already read on Islamic views of sexuality. It's the kind of article that sums up some startling insights in a very concise way, and as a result I never felt I really understood it.

Until I read this book.

Princess, by Jean Sasson, purports to be the memoir of an anonymous woman from the Saudi royal family, passionate about changing the oppressed status of women in her Years ago I read Bojidar Marinov's article "Civilisation and Self-Control", which agreed with, and expanded upon, some things I'd already read on Islamic views of sexuality. It's the kind of article that sums up some startling insights in a very concise way, and as a result I never felt I really understood it.

Until I read this book.

Princess, by Jean Sasson, purports to be the memoir of an anonymous woman from the Saudi royal family, passionate about changing the oppressed status of women in her country. First off, this book is actually terrifying - it nearly gave me nightmares. Once again, while reading the memoir of women in repressive Islamic regimes, I found myself thinking "Who needs dystopian fiction?" It is an absolutely chilling picture of what happens when men are not taught to practice self-control. By the end of the book, Princess Sultana reflects sadly that there is not a single man in her life whom she is able to trust or respect. I'm profoundly grateful that this is not true of me.

Amidst all my sorrow and anger while reading this book, I am more convinced than ever that what the oppressed women of the world truly need is not feminism, but the Gospel. As Sultana reflects after winning a major battle, "I had found that there is little joy derived from forcing a man to do what is right." Feminism is not a conversion; it can control and regulate men, but it cannot change their hearts. It can build schools, but it cannot transform people. It can preach equality, it can try to impose equality, but it can't make a man delight to lay down his life for his wife and daughters. Sultana speaks of the hypocrisy of her country, where young girls can be stoned to death for fornication after having been raped, or where the wealthy enjoy expensive alcohol while upholding a regime that outlaws it. Feminism simply does not have the power to change individuals, much less cultures. The most it can do is replace one kind of hypocrisy with another, and only when it is in a position of cultural power. What's needed is someone with the power to retake the world with a mustard seed, with a pebble, with a grain of yeast. What's needed is someone with the power to kill a man and then make him a whole new creation - and nothing less will do: Sultana is, in a way, right when she says, "this grotesque disease of preeminence lives in the sperm of all men and is passed along, generation to generation." What's needed is someone who will restore justice and bring about peace, in time and in history.

What's needed is Jesus. ...more

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Jun 11, 2008 Marjanne rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is the true story of a Saudi Arabian Princess. I am sure that most people can guess some of the horrors discussed in this book. Unfortunately, this wasn't really anything new to me. I am fairly familiar with Arab culture. I imagine this book would really surprise some.
This story makes me think that perhaps is it Saudi Arabian men who give Muslims a bad name/reputation (at least here in the US). I am not so quick to condemn them all because of the acts of a few. However, it is difficult to ...more

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Dec 03, 2014 Brightness rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir, reviewed, 2015, feminism, 4-stars, non-fiction

I finished this book and set it aside, wanting to immediately write an incensed rage review at a world where inequalities like this still exist and atrocities are still committed against women in the name of religion.

Granted, a lot of what occurs to our Sultana and her relatives and friends can be categorized more as cultural practices instead of religious mandates, but to me countries like Saudi Arabia and others have found a way to fuse those two separate categories into one grossly unfair ...more

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Jun 14, 2007 Yuanita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Untill now, I still have a huge doubt wheter the story is real or just a smart fiction.Sasson claimed her writing to be an original story of a real Arab's Princess who underwent a very tough life in Arabs noble realm.This book tells that becoming a princess of Arabs was not as happy as it might seem.Sasson wrote down every adversity that Princess Sultana (and other Arabs women) had to go through in her stages of life with a full-of-detail way.The story took a setting against a backdrop of Arab ...more

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Nov 26, 2007 Bridget rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This was OK. I can't say I learned too much - life sucks if you are a woman in Saudi Arabia...but I knew that already. Reading this reminds me that I am very, very lucky and happy to be an American. There is no mention of how the American writer befriended this Princess or the circumstances surrounding thier friendship. I think I would have liked that story. The end bugged me because it kind of just stopped, and then there was a note to go read the author's 2 more books if you wanted to know ...more

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Feb 22, 2008 Annette rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: people who can handle reading a realistic portrayal of women in Saudi Arabia

Recommended to Annette by: Kalamazoo book club

Shelves: adult, true-stories

This book really affected me. I read this book about 13 years ago and still have not been able to erase the images from my mind. I found the treatment of women, as portrayed in this book, appalling. I was not prepared for the startling realism portrayed in this book. I gave it a favorable rating because it truly made me grateful that I am an American citizen. I did not give it a 4 or 5 because I found it to be emotionally disturbing. I would not recommend this book to anyone who prefers to read ...more

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Oct 20, 2008 Kerry rated it liked it · review of another edition

This pictures portrays the life of a Saudi Princess. The book captures the reader's attention. The atrocious acts committed against women are difficult to read about at some points. I have to admit that some of the incidents absolutely incensed me, but it does illustrate some of the reasons why those in power have a great deal to lose by allowing progress to take hold.

I was bummed about the abrupt ending, but there are sequels I have heard. So maybe some of the hanging questions are explored in ...more

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Oct 07, 2015 Kamalia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I read this last year without knowing it was actually a biography and freaking love the book. Realising that it was a true story is just heartbreaking. This book really opened my eyes to the struggles of women in Saudi Arabia in the past and really there's just so much to learn. I think everyone just has to read this book some time in their life.

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Around the Year i...: Princess: A True Story of Life Behind The Veil, by Jean Sasson	1	22	Apr 17, 2016 12:02AM
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500 Great Books B...: Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia - Jean P. Sasson	1	21	Jul 15, 2014 04:33PM
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About Jean Sasson

Jean Sasson

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Jean Sasson was born in a small town in Alabama. An avid reader from an early age, she had read all the books in her school library by the time she was 15 years old. She also began her book collection at age 15. When given the chance to travel, Sasson accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She Jean Sasson was born in a small town in Alabama. An avid reader from an early age, she had read all the books in her school library by the time she was 15 years old. She also began her book collection at age 15. When given the chance to travel, Sasson accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She traveled extensively, visiting 66 countries over the course of 30 years.

Jean started her writing career in 1991 when she wrote the book, THE RAPE OF KUWAIT. The book was an instant best-seller, reaching #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. When the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington heard that soldiers sent to free Kuwait did not know why they were there, the Embassy sent 200,000 copies to the region. Later Sasson wrote PRINCESS: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA, which is the story of a princess in the royal house of al-Sa'ud. The book was an international bestseller published in 68 different editions (also staying on the NYTIMES bestseller list for 13 weeks). Later Sasson wrote two sequels (DAUGHTERS AND CIRCLE). Please visit this link to read an interview with the author about her book "Princess": http://reith-jerevinan.blogspot.com/2....

Other groundbreaking books followed: MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ; ESTER'S CHILD; LOVE IN A TORN LAND; GROWING UP BIN LADEN (please visit this page to read an in-depth interview with Jean Sasson about "Growing Up bin Laden" http://www.thedailybeast.com/contribu... and FOR THE LOVE OF A SON.

In March 2012, an e-book short was released: AMERICAN CHICK IN SAUDI ARABIA, which consists of the first three chapters of Sasson's autobiography. On the second day of release, the book reached #1 on Barnes & Noble biography bestseller list. Jean's latest release is YASMEENA'S CHOICE, a heartbreaker of a story about two women (one Kuwaiti and the other Lebanese) kidnapped to be raped & tortured by the Iraqi special forces in occupied Kuwait. (Please visit this link to see an itnerview with Jean Sasson about her newest book "Yasmeena's Choice: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainmen...).

Jean's 12th book, PRINCESS, MORE TEARS to CRY has just been released and is available in the English language in most countries. Foreign editions will be available throughout the next year. Jean Sasson's official website is: www.jeansasson.com.

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