1. "Princess" by Jean P Sasson - Startling
Revelations From Behind the Veil
By Ruchi Chandra
Unbelievable yet so believable, painful yet unfortunately so true! Story as
narrated by a Saudi Princess which is revealing, scandalous and gruesome
at moments, yet so true. It is hard to imagine the plight of these women
who are being ill-treated and abused by the men in their life.
Story is narrated by a Princess of Al Saud clan and to ensure safety of her
family and children she has assumed her name to be "Sultana". She is
born in the royal family and is the youngest of eleven children of whom
ten are daughters and one son. As is the custom in Saudi Arabia, women
are considered a doom and men are the ones who rule upon them.
Sultana is the youngest of all siblings and has a rebellion streak in her.
She envies all the love and affection showered on her brother while she is waiting to get even a
glance from her own father, let alone a loving word or a pat on the back.
She is really lucky as she gets an opportunity to study and learn about the world, she is very
young when she witnesses the first shocks of her life, her elder sister, Sara, who is sixteen years
old and most beautiful among all the sisters gets married to a sixty-two year old businessman.
The husband ill-treats Sara so much that in her desperation to get rid of her troubles, she
attempts suicide but is saved. That's when Sultana's mother for the first time in her life puts
down her feet stating that Sara should get a divorce and she manages to get that.
Sultana's life is changed very soon as a proposal for her on marriage comes in and she is a lucky
girl for her husband is only twenty-eight years old, of modern thinking and she is going to be his
first wife. She falls madly in love with her husband Kareem and they both make a beautiful
world full of happiness and love for themselves. Sultana is blessed with a son and two
daughters.
The narration is very simplistic and beautiful. As you read the story, you can visualize the details
and the grandeur these royal people live their life in. But at the same time you dread as every
new incident is narrated about how cruel can men get; how trust, faith and bonds are broken
every other day. It is a male dominated society but to an extent that females are sometimes not
even considered human is so painful to visualize.
All an all a very well written book for the sheer, matter of fact manner, simplistic view and for
bringing out the character of Sultana so well that after you finish the book you are left with a
feeling that you can surely recognize her in a mob if you happen to see her.
