Author: Jean P. Sasson (1992)
Publisher: Bantam Books 1993
Edition: Paperback
Category: True story/Biography
ISBN: 0-553-40570-5
Sultana Al’Saud is one of the many Saudi princesses. Her grandfather is King Saud, whose father was the Great King Abdul Aziz. Being the granddaughter of the King doesn’t necessarily mean she has a close relationship with the King, apart from bloodline. Sultana is just one of the many grandchildren the King has from many children, from many wives. Don’t expect that her life would be similar with princesses from other kingdoms that we usually see on the celebrity gossip magazines.
Women position is lower than men in Saudi Arabia which applies Islam full laws. Saudi women are valueless in their society. While being caged in luxurious mansions and covered in expensive veils and robes, their life and destiny are controlled by their fathers, their husbands even their sons. Readers of the book must be open-minded when reading the book, because there are plenty of human rights issues that may cause controversies, while the story itself was based on real characters of a real culture.
It was quite hard even for me to not being judgmental, but I am sure the motive for Sultana to share her stories with Sasson is to let the world know about the inner-side of her country, her kingdom, and perhaps she was seeking for help. It is very much understandable if we end up with some sort of ‘opinions’ about the culture, the people, after reading the book. Sultana didn’t do this for money, she is a Saudi princess. People should read the book to understand how much money involved in one Saudi family, especially in a prince family like Sultana’s father. Bountiful.
Sultana used to feel jealous with her father treatment towards Ali, her brother. Ali was treated like a small king in the house, thus his personality had grown to be ill-mannered and extremely selfish. He has no feeling when hurting his own sisters, and his friends even more evil than him. Once, Sultana got the chance to revenge her ill-charactered brother by crushing his new-given Rolex from their father and placing his pornography magazines at the mosque; the kind of move that is quite aggressive and impossible to think of for other Saudi girls. Ali got his punishments from their father plus the mosque elders for the shameful magazines, but he also got a new Rolex to replace the broken one.
Even though Sultana also experienced her father discrimination, Sultana may be luckier than any other Saudi women. Because of her strong personality, will and intelligence (that also gave her troubles sometimes), Sultana and her friends had the chance to do many things that other Saudi girls wouldn’t even dare to think about. I guess all that was forced by her hopelessness for an alteration on her culture, which she realised was impossible. Turning pages of the book, I was sometimes afraid that Sultana will got caught by the authorities because of her extreme behaviours and activities. Whatever she did in her teenager’s time did contribute to her happiness and sorrows on her later periods.
Sultana married a cousin who possessed a modern education and way-of-thinking, through an arranged marriage. The pair spent loads of loving years and times, before finally her husband asked her permission to marry another woman (as provoked by her mother-in-law) and her feeling and trust for him changed dramatically. I can understand her grief of being betrayed. All along she thought she has won at least one battle to initiate a role-model for Saudi marriages: to have a husband who only has one wife (the very same wish of any other normal woman). Sultana took her kids with private plane around the world and involved schemes to show her disagreement and to punish her husband.
As a woman myself, it is saddening to learn that Saudi women are being treated as such without able to “say no”; being sold to men through arranged weddings even though the bridegrooms may be far older and already have several wives; how female maids are raped and Saudi women must be circumcised so that they will never enjoy sexual interaction while, at the same time, Saudi men go to Bangkok brothels and spend their abundant money for enjoyments.
Two of Sultana’s friends were sent to death by their fathers because they unveiled themselves to foreign men. One of them was drowned in the family’s private pool and the other one was sent to a dark room as punishment. She died of the isolation. All these are part of Saudi women lives (and destiny, if I may add) and no one could change it because it is in their bloodlines, in their culture, society and it is in their laws. None of us could change it and we don’t have the right to do that. I honestly feel the desperation of Sultana for even a smallest change they could get.
This book is part of a Trilogy but I haven’t got the chance to buy and read the other two. The other two books are: Princess Sultana’s Daughter (1994) and Princess Sultana’s Circle (2000). While writing this review I do not hold the actual book, only relying on my memory. I read the book back in October 2004 and have left it in Jakarta (thanks to Smitha for the recommendation). Cover image and the above information were taken from a similar book available on one bookstore downtown.
Good book…apalagi true story…, memang kehidupan wanita saudi itu kagak banyak pilihan….dan kejadian2 yg menimpa wanita saudi sudah banyak diberitakan di majalah/suratkabar maupun televisi. Bahkan ada juga tuh penyiar wanita Saudi…yg dipukul dan dianiaya suaminya , gara2 dia telp pada rekan cowok padahal telp masalah kerjaan…sampai2 masalah ini raja saudi katanya turun tangan. Salah satu teman saya bahkan anggota IC (saat ini sedang off), banyak bercerita ttg kebobrokan pria saudi dan pelecehan terhadap kaum wanitanya. Kapan yah di jaman modern begini….sistim yg masih primitif begini lenyap dari muka bumi. Ini bukan karena menyangkut hari Kartini saja…Hari Kartini bisa berlaku tiap hari bagi kamu wanita…pelecehan, merendahkan martabat wanita dll..seharusnya sudah dihapuskan jauh hari. Wanita adalah mahkluk ciptaan Tuhan yang sama kedudukannya dengan kaum pria di muka bumi ini, yang punya hati , perasaan, pikiran dan nurani.
Rgds,
Gisela, France
Interesting book…coba deh nanti saya liat2 di amazon :) btw..thanks ya udah mampir ke diary saya…dan emang bener di indonesia masih banyak anak baik kok :) termasuk kamu dan saya hehehe
Mampir2 lagi yak ;)
Interesting book
I LOVE this book! I advice for anyone that wants to read this book make sure you have an open mind because you will get mad at all the sexism that happends in this book.
HELLO,I REQUEST ALL TO READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT DISCLOSES THE SECRET INFORMATION OF SOUDI ARABIAS WOMEN DOWNLOOK LAWS .BY READING THIS BOOK YOU COULD KNOW MANY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.I THANK THE AUTHOUR OF THIS BOOK.
I read Sultanas circle and it was very interesting. It’s sad that this is still happening in many countries besides Suadi Arabia. I grew up around catholic and muslim arabic families and even in america the women were still viewed as such. property of the males and they had to be submissive. I grew up around this so I do understand a little about the culture, but the book goes into detail of what it is really like out of america.
omg…this book was so damn intresting…i just cant believe how are ppl living there???…..i was scared to flip to the next page…itz quite a daring job to tell smbody about your life….and sultana did it….i really am looking for the other two books…^0^
no está mal,pero a mi me deprimio un poco de ver como tratan a las mujeres
Its a superb book….!..
I felt like reading it again, and again and again..!.
Being a female I really feel so guilty being away from such a place and only trying to understand such treatment towards women and not even knowing whether I can help them.
At the end of the book I cried bitter tears of guilt..
This book is very interesting and heart touching about saudi women in their own land…i request everyone has to read this book…i found tears in my eyes while reading this book.. hats off to princess sultana for her boldness.
Many thanks to Jean P. Sasson..
its a book to move you to tears very good one would like to read about the other ones daughters of arabia
Aku udah baca buku pertamanya, dan sekarang sedang membaca buku yang kedue, sedangkan buku ketiga bakal nyusul dibaca nih.
Jadi cewek arab khususnya Saudi, memang ada enak dan tidaknya. Yang gak enaknya : ya.. gak posisi dibawah cowok gitu, enaknya mereka harusnya bersyukur dekat dengan Baitullah alias bisa naik haji dan klo sholat majidil haram atau nabawi, kan pahalanya berlipat-lipat dibandingkan muslimah dari luar, itulah seharusnya mereka lebih bersyukur juga, gak perlu kerja alias tinggal ongkang2 kaki, shoping dan ke salon, tinggal patuh sama suami apa susanya sih… klo aku aja dinikahin sama pangeran Saudi.. wah senang sekaleee… hehehehe…
Perempuan Saudi juga harus nya melihat kenapa para lelaki mereka cenderung keras dan kasar dengan mereka, lo.. soale peremepuan Saudi itu kan kasar juga orangnya. Liat aja tuh berita para TKW Indonesia dan dari negara lain disiksa dan dihina. Bagaimana kita bisa simpatik dengan mereka? bagaimana mereka berharap suami meeka lembut kepada mereka jika mereka sendiri tidak menghormati dan tidak lembut terhadap orang upahannya sendiri.
Aku pengen deh klo bisa bicara dengan perempuan sana… pengennya..
I have 3 books of the title mentioned above and i am still reading the 2nd book now.
I will not so emphatic with what happen to them there, cause I heard many of the maids have been beaten and insulted orally by them (wealthy women or from royal family). They think they can buy the whole world too. They dont respect other women who work with them so why they ask their husband to respect them while they cannot respect other women who work with them?
They should be happy no need to work hard like some of other women in other world. They just need to serve their husband, their children, go for shopping or beauty salon any time they want, what else? They must be THANKS TO ALLAH for their easy life, while they get easy life, so what is a big deal just to obey their husband who has work hard for them and give them materials? Why they ask too much?
I would like to give suggestion for Saudi women especially the princess in royal family. ” If you want to change your husbands, change yourself first?”.
Regards and shokran geddan
Rieka
In Saudi Arabia women are like queens. Thier husband serve them and give them what they want.I am Saudi and I discuss with my wife even tiny matters.When she says no , I agree with her most of the time. We are adviced by profit Mohammad peace be upon him to take care about girls. He said that even in the days of his death. We obey him and we love our sisters,mother,wives and all women. I think the writer of these books should live in Saudi Arabia for some time to see and judge. Thanks
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(19/12) hi jacob, the writer of this book used to live as a princess in saudi arabia. the book is (said) written based on her experience.
this book was sooooo good! it almost seemed to good to have been a real story. as i was reading this, i coulnt help but feel bad for these women, suffering in a world ruled by men. i strongly recomend it to any one considering reading it.
This book is very interesting book. while reading this book i feel hate towards the saudi men & i,m proud about sulthana. and also feel sad about the asian women who served to middle east countries. think future world will better to all saudi women including dougters of sulthana.
Esta trilogia de la Sultana & Otros sobre su vida, como una historia de la vida real, me han dejado super fascinada. A la autora Jean Sasson, la felicito, me encantaria ver una foto de la peincesa Sultana, Me ha fascinado esta historia de la vida real y la familia inmediata de Sultana, como su marido Kareem, Abdulla, Amani y Maha. & otros como su hna Sara. Leer esta historia sacada de la vida real no ha hecho sino que me interese mas por este pais un tanto alejado de nosotros que vivimos en Norteamerica. Leer sus costumbre y/o religion es sumaente interesante. Excelente libro
Mil felicidades, Jean Sasson
Un cordial Saludo. desde San de Puerto Rico-Estados Unidos de Norte America
Mery A.
Really socking after red this book.
Mengungkap sisi lain dari negara yg menjadi tujuan religi sangat mencengangkan dan sangat tidak menghargai wanita.
Sulthana caracter was very brave from such country that not respect women’s rights.. and make me realize that we should be thank you to God for not live in such country.