Princess by Jean P Sasson

I picked up this book from Blossom Book House on Church Street in Bangalore during Diwali holidays this year. I visited Blossoms' after a long time. They have shifted their premises to another location on Church Street and there is also another book store close to it, mainly used books store called Book Worm. I did go in but could not find anything interesting.

I started reading this book in high school but could not finish it due to my packed schedule back then and the library due date beyond the renewals. When I found this book at Blossom's, I could not resist.  I actually finished the book, cover-to-cover, in a matter of few hours as it was extremely engaging and unputdownable.

The story describes the sad plight and sufferings of women in Saudi Arabia and is a true account.
The book is a story of one of the royal family members, a princess of the large royal family (about 21000 people), who described her life story to Jean Sasson so that it could be carried to the world. Almost all the names have been changed in the book to conceal the true identity of the different members of the royal family and other characters in the book. The princess who describes the story is named Sultana. She is one of several children of the patriarchal royal family and country. The book focusses mainly on the growing up years of  Sultana which I think is through 70s to 90s.

The book is a heart rending account of the despondent lives of women in Saudi Arabia during the above mentioned time period. It describes the crimes against women and the bias of the society towards a man's word as opposed to a woman's, due to which many women never received the justice they deserved. Any kind of revolt against men or disobedience of their "orders" was met with severe punishment for women. However, Sultana, was one of the rebellious few who dared to oppose some of the unfairness in her own way. She has got her way several times by knowing how to manipulate- situation or family members. I specially like the strong actions she took to save her marriage. Though it might seem like an obvious thing to do for most of us not living such circumstances, I can perfectly understand the kind of courage that is needed to take those steps for someone living in a country where polygamy and strict restrictions on women is common. By taking certain simple actions which many not be a big deal in most of the countries, Sultana almost seems to be a hero, championing the cause of women in the country.

There is a great display of wealth in the book. Of course, they are the royals but several times in the story, especially after the Gulf war, Sultana describes her wealth as unlimited. They fly in and out of different countries just for shopping or other forms of entertainment.

I am writing this review in 2017 and so much has changed in terms of women's rights in that country. Women can now vote, drive and even come to the stadiums to watch matches, though there are some rules around those as well. More than 50% of Saudi women are now enrolled in universities. All these may seem to be a contrast to the life described about 25-30 years back. I am glad that Sultana told her story. The country is said to be on its path to progress in matters of women' rights and some day, one from her future generations will learn of the struggles of the past and have an appreciation for the progressive life that they will possibly lead.

Only after I finished reading the book did I realise that it is a part of a trilogy, this book being the first. I will definitely look up for the others. It is an excellent read, written in simple language and gives very descriptive picture of the lives in Saudi Arabia that I felt I was in that country. I would rate the book 5/5 where 5 is excellent.

P.S: Sorry if this post seems a little incoherent. There was so much to say. I have trimmed down a lot as it seemed excessive. I strongly recommend that the book is read.