Princess ~ Jean Sasson
The Princess trilogy is an exposé that revels the cruel lavish and scandalous life of Al Sau’d- the royal family of Saudi Arabia. Princess Sultana, the narrator of the story, is a mischievous royal child that grows up to be a feminist. She tells the story of the women of her family who are constantly beaten, tortured, jailed to death for the smallest misconduct by their fathers, brothers and husbands, while the male members of the royal family get away and are, more or less, free to do whatever they please by engaging themselves in taboo subjects. Because of the unjust double standard in her society, Princess Sultana strives to change the way the women in her country are treated and dares to stand up against her cruel and unloving father and brother.
Princess is one of three books of ‘the Princess trilogy’. It is followed by Daughters of Arabia, which focuses on the lives of Princess Sultana’s daughters, Maha and Amani, and Desert Royal, which continues telling the story of an older Sultana.
Personal opinion: This heart-warming story broke me in a fist of laughter many times, but realizing how cruel our Arab society can get has shattered my heart. It makes you laugh but it also makes you gasp in terror and cry. And cry some more for the girls and young women of our Arabian Gulf. Personally, I believe that any book that moves the reader is a good book.
Rating: 9/10 – it’s full of emotions, engaging and moves at a quick pace.
I’d recommend this book to those of you who are interested in stories that we, as Arabs, can relate to and to those of you who seek a very juicy insider’s look at the lavish and scandalous life of Al Sau’d and Arab families. I do not recommend this book to young readers as it includes some explicit adult material.
I definitely want to read this, it seems so interesting though I'm not such a big fan of nonfiction I think reading about such things is important.
ReplyDeleteI have Mayada by the same author but haven't made time for it yet.
Just wondering if you have read the Princess Trilogy yet or Mayada? They are both nonfiction but they are so fascinating and equally educational.
DeleteButhaina: Which book of the series appealed to you the most?
ReplyDeleteNoor: I have the whole trilogy and I'll be glad to lend you my copies.
Noor: You should def give it a shot! It's worth it :)
ReplyDeleteMaryam: I loved the first book, Princess. It was JUICY, intense and the most scandalous of all. How about you?
So glad to see you ladies reading some of my books! I hope you get to read more -- it's lovely when a book I write creates this kind of chatter! Talk to you later Jean
ReplyDeleteI'm Jean Sasson, guess I made a typo when first signing in (Sason-incorrect!)
ReplyDeleteTalk later, jean www.jeansasson.com
A new "Princess" book is out called; "THE PHONEY PRINCESS" Why not look it up on Amazon.
ReplyDeleteThe Princess Trilogy are truly the best books I have ever read. They really changed my life because they showed me that even people with millions and millions of dollars cannot always find freedom. Since reading the Princess Trilogy I have read all of Jean Sasson's other books, which are all wonderfully written, too.
ReplyDelete