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Reviews of Princess Sultana's Circle |
| People "Absolutely riveting and profoundly sad..." USA Today Publisher's Weekly |
| Kirkus
Reviews "A fascinating look at the lifestyles of the rich and Saudi." Oxford Review Today |
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From Booklist Magazine Sasson and Saudi Princess Sultana follow their earlier accounts of social oppression of women in Arabia with one that focuses on the Saudi royal family and how, despite its wealth and relative freedom from social conventions, its men continue to oppress women. Specific instances include the forced marriage of a young niece to a brutal older man and a cousin's harem of sex slaves. The royal women react with varying degrees of acceptance; an occasional, minor rebellion; and alcohol and drug abuse. Although Sultana's husband is a more enlightened man, she reveals that even she has a drinking problem, brought on by the stress of helplessly witnessing inequities. Sasson and Sultana also detail Islamic culture and teachings and the contradictions between what the Koran teaches regarding women and the cultural interpretations made by men in Saudi society. Sultana has two daughters. One, like her, resists the male-dominated culture, but the other is so traditional that it frightens Sultana. Gossipy but insightful. Vanessa Bush Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved |
Borders Books - Customer Review Chicago, IL, USA 23 May 2000, A Must Read for Women and Men. I found this third book in the Princess Trilogy to be even more riveting than the first two. Again, Jean Sasson is able to tell not only the true story of an incredibly wealthy yet enslaved royal princess, but to weave into her factual, historical account the atrocities committed against other women throughout Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Princess Sultana's Circle also nicely wraps up the three stages of life of this bold and courageous princess. We've already been introduced to her youth and young adulthood. This time we get a much more reflective look at her life as a mature adult and how she continues to cope with a lesser degree of conferred human dignity, but the resolve to fight on. |
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Barnes and Noble - Customer Reviews A reviewer, May 23, 2000, A Must Read for Women and Men. I found this third book in the Princess Trilogy to be even more riveting than the first two. Again, Jean Sasson is able to tell not only the true story of an incredibly wealthy yet enslaved royal princess, but to weave into her factual account the atrocities committed against other women throughout Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Princess Sultana's Circle also nicely wraps up the three stages of life of this bold and courageous princess. We've already been introduced to her youth and yound adulthood. This time we get a much more reflective look at her life as a mature adult and how she continues to cope with a lesser degree of conferred human dignity, but the resolve to fight on. |
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Ann W., the youngest of 4 daughters., May 15, 2000, Informative and Gut-Wrenching This is the 3rd book in the trilogy and I can't wait to read the next one. In telling the stories of day to day life in a man-dominated society, where the men pick and choose at their interpretation of the religion in order to keep control, Sultana opens eyes in the western world to the horrors of being female in her world. Women are abused verbally, mentally, emotionally, physically and sexually, and all of this is condoned. Even the 'progressive' men do not lift a finger for a 'mere female'. At the end of the 3rd book, Sultana and her sisters are able to save one women from such cruelty and I hope there are more such stories to come. Sultana's courage at just telling the stories is to be comended. I can't imagine what it's like to live in a repressed society like that, and the fact that she has retained her sense of self-esteem and self-worth is a miracle. I would love to meet her someday. |
