Monday, September 6, 2010

Book Review: PRINCESS by Jean Sasson

I got curious when I saw an office colleague having this book. I borrowed it from her when she told me that it was ‘awesome’. It took me less than two days to complete the book as it flowed pretty fast.

The book follows the real life story of Princess Sultana Al Sa’ud of Saudi Arabia – the name changed for maintaining the lady and her family’s privacy. Jean Sasson has narrated the story in first person in the voice of the Princess herself.

Princess Sultana talks about her life from childhood, beginning at the age of four. She speaks about the way the women of Saudi Arabia, including those in the royal households, are dominated over completely by the men. Even her father’s driver Omar appears to have had more authority in their home than her mother or Sultana and her sisters.

Sultana’s brother Ali is given so much importance that the young girl believed that he was God. It is after her mother sets her right does Sultana understand that Ali was treated the way he was because he is the SON of the house and for no other reason.

The book is all about Sultana’s frustration and rebellion to gain her father’s affection and respect in the beginning. Later on, it turns to hatred for her brother. She quotes many instances where women are treated so terribly. We living in the metropolis of Mumbai would find them all so strange and non-relatable.

Young women of barely fourteen and fifteen years being stoned to death, drowned in the house swimming pool with weights tied to them or enclosed in a dark airless room with a hole for a toilet and kept there to die way before their time are just a few of the incidents that happened at the end of the twentieth century in this land ruled by the Koran. There are also many instances where girls between the ages of 15 and 17 were married as third or fourth wives to men over fifty years of age. Being raped on their wedding nights was pretty common with the womenfolk in Saudi Arabia.

Princess Sultana is convinced that the religious men (but of course) or mutawas ruled the land and had more power than the King himself.

The horrifying details of the women’s plights and Sultana’s rebellion about the situation make for an emotional read. It’s heartrending to imagine the situation that had prevailed – and probably does till date – till the end of the last century.

Of course, living in India and hearing about twenty-first century child marriages way up in North India; grooms being kidnapped in Bihar and forced to get married to the daughter of the house and murdering couples who are in love and insist on getting married; kind of makes the situation in Saudi Arabia quite believable.

It is so pathetic that only human beings have the capacity to hurt other humans in the name of religion. I cannot believe that any God or his son would have foreseen this situation when they put the Koran or the Bible together – to be misinterpreted or twisted to their own ends.

The book is about Sultana as a kid under her father’s thumb, then later being harassed by her brother. She gets married to Kareem. She believes she has found the ideal man whom she could respect and love. It remains true up until the point when Sultana is diagnosed with breast cancer. While her life is not in danger, the doctor warns them against having more kids. They already have a son and two daughters at this point.

Sultana had always believed that she would be Kareem’s only wife and is quite proud of the fact. She also respects and loves him for the same reason. Her heart breaks when Kareem talks to her of his intention of taking another wife as having many children is very important to the men-folk in Saudi Arabia.

Sultana runs away from home along with her three children till Kareem agrees not to marry again. She does return to him but her spirit is completely broken as she understands that women will always remain subordinate in their society.

This moving tale gives one an inside perception into the minds of the Muslim society in Saudi Arabia and also probably in the rest of the world.

I have always believed that the Indian society in their treatment of women has changed a lot after the advent of the Moghuls – women were treated with way more respect in yonder days. And this book convinces me that I perceive right.

28 comments:

  1. I loved the book! It just made me feel so lucky :)

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  2. This Princess Sultana does not exist. The PRINCESS-books are a big hoax.

    Google: 'THE PRINCESS SULTANA HOAX'
    and find out some truth about American hoax-author Jean Sasson and what is behind the books that carry her name.

    Friederike Monika Addsani

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    Replies
    1. Friederike Monika Addsani, Oh my goodness, I just read in your book where you say the British author Deborah Moggach STOLE your work and used it to write all her bestselling books! This is horrible. Can you tell readers about that? I, for one, would love to know the passages she stole from you. This is outrageous!

      Can't you sue Deborah Moggach in England for stealing your work? I would think that you would get lots of money from her because she is a wildly successful author

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    2. I've been on a few sites looking at reviews for princess, and everywhere I go, you're there claiming it's a hoax. It's not and before you start sputtering abuses like the other sites, I am not " one of plagiarist-hoax author sociopath Jean Sassons individual employees who's job it is to scan the net for negative reviews posted under her fake-hoax books and to insult the writers of those negative reviews." You're the fraud

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  3. made to curious to try reading the book if it isnt too heavy!

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  4. Monika, Monika, Monika, the judge threw your case out of court and fined you for filing such a FALLACIOUS and FRIVOLOUS law suit. Why don't you go and learn to read and write instead of attacking Jean and other published authors. Go and do something worthwhile with your life and stop being such a stalker.

    Jag

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  5. Jag, you are correct about Monika. She obviously has very serious problems. Perhaps she has multiple personalities...all evil. She goes by several different names: Freiderick Monika Adsani, Freiderick Monika Addsani [2 d's], Monika al-Amahani, and Anushka. Maybe they are competing each other, or maybe they are a conspiratorial group..I think it clear it is the same person. She seems to have difficulty with spelling and no matter what "handle" she is using she makes the same gross spelling errors.

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  6. Jean Sasson has a couple of P.R. companies working for her. Such companies are usually hired by publishers and authors to write positive reviews to up their sinking book rates and sales. Then they rubbish negative reviews and comments written by readers. As you can see above they write under the 'Anonymous' name or simply make up names like: JAG, PATRIOT, MEDIC 9/11, and so on.
    Here is a sample of such a firm :
    GOOGLE: NATHAN BARKER of REPUTATION 24/7
    their offers start at £ 5000.
    The publishing industrie has become one dark and murky dangerous institution infested by money-sharks. They are only after one thing that counts: $£$£$£$£$£ BIG BUCKS, MONEY MONEY MONEY......

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    Replies
    1. The only PR Jean Sasson has is the TRUTH.

      You have been telling these foolish lies for years and years and no one believes you.

      Anyone reading this, please be advised the that Jean Sasson has set up a page on her Web site which includes all of the court documents that totally indicate her:
      http://www.jeansasson.com/lawsuit/.

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    2. You know, Monica, I read your book THE PHONEY PRINCESS and I agree with you, that the judge who handled your case was jealous of you. When you say that when you felt she started disliking you, you probably hit the nail on the head when you say “Was my wardrobe too flashy, and did jealously play a part?” I’ll bet it did. You were young and blonde and good looking and wearing flashy clothes! That judge (from the photos I have seen) is very staid and has short brown hair and looks very serious. I bet you are right. She was jealous of you! Pure and simple. It was jealousy that probably caused her to rule against your case.

      Delete
    3. P.S.
      I just wanted to also say that I like your little song: “Cinderella in Arabia, Cinderella in Arabia, Cinderella in Arabia, so good they stole you thrice!”

      Yes, as you say in your books, THREE big name authors stole your unpublished life story and ALL of them wrote bestsellers from it. There really should be something you could do about it! I thought that Sylvia Kennedy and Deborah Moggach took the cake – Sylvia was WORKING for you and then stole it. That is the worse of a bad lot!

      Delete
  7. -it maybe true or falacy,
    it still depends on the readers.
    for princesss sultana of saudi arabia,,the author said that sultana is not the real name of the princess

    ReplyDelete
  8. -it maybe true or falacy,
    it still depends on the readers.
    for princesss sultana of saudi arabia,,the author said that sultana is not the real name of the princess

    ReplyDelete
  9. i've read the novel as what our world lit. teacher had assigned to us.she had lend us the novel.
    after redaing the novel, i'm wondering if it's really true or one of the fiction novel i've read.
    in my own judgement, the novel can be very scandalous in the part of the saudi arabian men,but if we really understand the novel, we could see how a saudi princess exposed the stories behind their veil, and how filipino workers are being maltreated.
    it is exposing the truth.
    and if it is really the real truth,we must do something about it.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Hanna, there is a new book on Amazon.com called THE PHONEY PRINCESS It is proof that the book " PRINCESS" by Jean Sasson is a hoax.

      Delete
    2. does it really matter if the book is true or false? i'm sure parts of it is true and others maybe exaggerated to create more of an interesting book, but it is still an amazing book and sure if your opinion is that its a hoax, your welcome to have it but try not to ruin it for other readers that got in golfed in the novel

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    3. Squirt, It makes a huge difference. There are wars being fought in that part of the world in the name of human rights. If these accounts are not true, if these accounts have not happened, then why are Americans over there on the basis of human rights? After reading any material, minds are affected, and after reading these accusations "the people" of the west are more likely in support of our wonderful humanitarian government over there stirring things up and killing lots of innocent people. Books are soft weapons. Ask yourself....is your fantasy of getting engulfed in a fairy tale worth the price?

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  10. Hi... This is Jean Sasson and I'm happy to see the review of Princess Sultana's story. She is an amazing woman and has changed many lives. I've very proud to know her and to be the author she wanted to tell about her life. There are so many courageous women out there who have faced terrible situations, yet overcame them. I'm sorry to see that your site is being polluted by a woman who is stalks me and the princess as well as the other subjects I write about. Nothing she says is true, and although I try to set the record straight, I really do not worry about it because there is something clearly wrong with her and I guess I should feel sorry for her. What a terrible way to live -- filled with hate and on a crusade to harm so many other people, people who do not deserve it. ANYHOW, I'm writing my 11th book so I can't dwell on anything negative. I work every day from early morning until late evening and try my best to get 5 pages that I know others will want to read. Check out my website if you have time and check on the other women I have written about. www.jeansasson.com Thanks! Jean

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  11. Wow, Monika, are you really still hoounding Ms Sasson? Give it up! Everywhere I turn on the net when reading about the Princess books, you are wasting your time spewing your lies and venom.
    You lost.
    Your book is terrible and no one in their right mind would even dream of stealing it from you.
    Now go do something productive with your time.

    I love all of Jean Sasson's books, I have learnt a lot from them.

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  12. its true i'va learnt many from this book, well done sasson

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  13. it is a beautiful book. it's also very informative.
    a book that can move one to tears..

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  14. The claim that this is a true story just cannot be true. If anything (and I know very well what i am talking about), women from the Saudi royal family are the least repressed women in Saudi...

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous you are correct. "Princess" is a hoax. THE PHONEY PRINCESS book is now on Amazon, it tells how this Princess -hoax book came to be.
      Spread the news, Shukran.

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    2. Your book was pulled off Amazon is it not sold on any site because of it's outrageous lies.

      Again, if anyone wants the facts, please visit: http://www.jeansasson.com/lawsuit/

      Delete
    3. To Monika, why have you also accused other authors of sealing your work?

      You accused Deborah Moggach and a writer named Sylvia.

      Why does this keep happening with you?

      What happened?

      Why didn't you go to England to pursue the allegations against Ms. Moggach? What happened in that case?

      Delete
  15. Go to Saudi Arabia. What is written in the books will be found to be true. Simple as that. This type of society exists today.

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  16. Google: THE PRINCESS SULTANA HOAX where you can download "THE PHONEY PRINCESS" book free of charge.
    This book is the first honest Jean Sasson expose. It tells and explains in no uncertain terms how fraudulent hoax-author Jean Sasson came to write her fake PRINCESS TRILOGY.

    ReplyDelete