PRINCESS

--JEAN.P.SASSON

“IT IS DIFFICULT TO APPRECIATE THE PRIVILEGES THAT WE HAVE UNTIL WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CRUELTY AROUND THE WORLD....”

PRINCESS: A true story of life behind the veil in Saudi Arabia, describes the life of 'Sultana', a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. The biography leads us from Sultana's childhood to adulthood, and with that we witness the horrific sense of male dominance in the Middle East. This book unfolds how Arabian men defy the Islamic decree (which allows polygamy, subjected to various terms and conditions. Eg. providing equal facilities to all the 4 Begums (wives) and manipulate the verses for their sexual gratification. The book is a chilling portrait of rank misogamy and hypocrisy. It reveals how young girls at a tender age of 13 or 14 years are compelled to many men 5 times their age. And then how their Shauhars (husbands) rape them under the legalized canopy of Nikaah (marriage). Sara (one of Sultana's Islamic sisters) was one such victim. With every passing chapter one will learn how women are killed by drowning, stoning or by isolating them in the room. The book is also very informative as it makes us aware of many Islamic words, various maps and laws of Saudi Arabia and most importantly, chronology.

--Maithili Massey

READER'S SPEAK:

• The story is an incredible insight of a women's struggle. I think this is a fantastic and heart warming book. It was so captivating a story that, while reading, it seemed to me as if i was out there watching it happen. The culture shock is disturbing. The whole thing made me shudder. I HIGHLY recommend it all to all the girls and to the boys as well. READ IT!! if you like to appreciate how lucky and free some of us women are! And also how helpless one can feel just reading about it. It is really eye opening and a reminder to the world that “EVERYTHING THAT GLITTER'S IS NOT GOLD....”.

This book certainly changed my views on the world and on my own life [as well].

--Maithili Massey

• The book opened in front of me, unimagined appalling life conditions of the women of the Gulf. It speaks volumes of the soul of a women named sultana who has been born and brought up in Arab royal family and has rebellious demeanor. The princess herself unveils the torturous life, which women in her country are subjected to. Education is a distant dream or not even a dream....... the polygamy imposed onto the poor little girl's and just entering their puberty and treated merely as heir producing machine's, is absolutely distasteful. The remarkable work puts a reality check and compels one to put off one's rose tinted glasses and see in the harsh real sunlight, how blessed one is to be born in a country like India, where women are put on a pedestal.

A recommended read for women of all ages.

--Swati Sati

IT-Final Year

• Princess turned out to be one of the most enthralling book's I have ever read. The courage, endurance and the indomitable spirit portrayed by the protagonist seemed quite incredible but coming from a native women it became believable. It is an absolutely unforgettable book which would touch any body's heart.
  
  I was very startled to read about the outrageous acts inflicted upon the women of Saudi Arabia.

--Monika Pandey

Civil-First Year

other books[sequels] by the author: Daughter's of Arabia (2^nd), Desert Royal (3^rd), Mayada