One of the best books I have read, an essay on it even helped me get into college. Some may dispute the veracity of the story, as with all anonymous memoirs, but I seem to believe this one. At any rate, the text is vivid and very descriptive. I came across this book in the mid-90s, before all things Arab became so important to the U.S., so it was nice to be able to approach the text without much bias. I found it very moving, and as a champion for women's rights around the world, very disturbing as well.

I will be starting a bookring with this book, and the two follow-up books. The way it will work is that I will send out the first book to the first participant. Upon finishing, they will PM the second recipient and send the book on, and I will send the second book out to the first person. If you do not like the book, and don't want to recieve the second and third, you can opt-out, just let me know!

From the publisher:

Sultana is a Saudi Arabian princess, a woman born to fabulous, uncountable wealth. She has four mansions on three continents, her own private jet, glittering jewels, designer dresses galore. But in reality she lives in a gilded cage. She has no freedom, no vote, no control over her own life, no value but as a bearer of sons. Hidden behind her black floor-length veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, her sons, and her country. Sultana is a member of the Saudi royal family, closely related to the king. For the sake of her daughters, she has decided to take the risk of speaking out about the life of women in her country, regardless of their rank. She must hide her identity for fear that the religious leaders in her country would call for her death to punish her honesty. Only a woman in her position could possibly hope to escape from being revealed and punished, despite her cloak of anonymity. She tells of her own life, from her turbulent childhood to her arranged marriage- a happy one until her husband decided to displace her by taking a second wife- and of the lives of her sisters, her friends, and her servants. Although they share affection, confidences and an easy camaraderie within the confines of the women's quarters, they also share a history of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "woman's room," a padded, windowless cell where women are confined with neither light nor conversation until death claims them. Servants are forced into sexual servitude and severely beaten if they attempt escape. By speaking out, Sultana risks bringing the wrath of the Saudi establishment upon her head and the heads of her children. In the barren, hopeless wasteland that is the life of Saudi women today, free speech is punishable by death.

From the back:

Because she is a woman, shse is considered worthless--a slave to the whims of her male masters. She has watched sisters, cousins and friends sold into marriage as young girls to men five times their age, and brutally murdered for the slightest transgression, in accordance with cruel and ancient religious law. Now. .. Jean P. Sasson offers a shocking glimpse into a world of opulent splendor and horrific oppression--and presents the real-life story of a courageous modern Saudi princess. .. who has risked her very life so that the truth may finally be told.

Here are the links to the next two books.

Princess Sultana's Daughters

Princess Sultana's Circle

So far the participants in the rings are as follows:

Book 1:

Rrrcaron, NH
sgscarcliff, CA
lyssrose, TX
MyPileOfBooks, MO
tnelson99, MO
Brendalc57, CA
MazieNH, NH
bookgal23, NJ
Carlynlee, AUS
BOKWORMY, PORTUGAL
deepdowne, SAUDIA ARABIA
mrsordonez, MO

Received the book today. I will start it soon!
Ruth

I'm going to move this book along because I just haven't been able to get to it. I'm hoping mrsordonez will put my name on the bottom of the list, so that I may get to it at a later date. It looks really interesting! Sending it on to sgscarcliff tomorrow. Hope you all enjoy, and sorry I held it so long. I had every intention of reading it, but other things took priority. I'm hoping things at work will calm down by the end of August!
Ruth

Picked up at the mail box place today. I will post again when done and sending on to the next person

I finished a couple of days ago and am waiting for the mailing address to mail it on.

I enjoyed the book. I liked the insight to a different world. I did find Sultana's stand aganst her husband taking a second wife as unrealistic.

I look forward to the future books

Just received in the mail - looks really interesting! Will read and then forward on to the next person. :)

Wow...just...wow. This book was incredible. Very moving, and I feel that the author did a magnificent job of conveying how it's not the religion that is the problem, but rather, how it is interpretated.

I am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the two follow-ups!

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed off to MyPileOfBooks this morning - hope you enjoy! :)

Just received in the mail! Can't wait to read!

I just couldn't get into this book....probably just the time in my life...I've got lots going on and just couldn't find the time to really sit down and read this. passing on to next person.

Released on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 at about 12:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Bookring Release in Bookring Release, Missouri USA.

RELEASE NOTES:

sending to next person in line!

I received this a day ago and am going to start it this weekend.

Excellent and interesting book! Cant wait to start the second and third ones to learn more about the life of the princess! It was hard to get into for the first 75 pages or so, but after that I was engrossed! I am pm'ing the next in line for the book and will get it out this week to them. THANKS!

Thanks tnelson for sending the book so quickly. I will start it today as I have a nice long weekend without my teenager around...so lots of nice quiet reading time and it is raining out, so perfect setting.

I will post my thoughts as soon as I am done and send out to next person in line for it. Now to read...

A fabulous book. Very honest about the life of a princess in Saudi Arabia and the horrific treatment of females in the Arab/Muslin world. It moves one to want to go overthere and help the women gain some rights. I really enjoyed this book.

I was the last person on this bookring. It will go back to mrsordonez who started the bookring.

After holding unto it for mrsordones until this bookring was revived, it is on it's way back to MazieNH who will be reading it next. Enjoy it Mazie and please be sure and journal it's arrival and once your thoughts once you are done with the book.

The book has arrived safe and sound in NH!

I'm sorry, I thought I had let Brendalc57 know that another copy of this book had been RABCK'd to me a little while back, just before the bookring began. Since I have read it already, I will PM bookgal23 for her address right away, and send this on its way.

Happy reading - I enjoyed the story!

Arrived today in the mail. This is next on my TBR list. Thanks for sharing it and I'll get it out to the next person as soon as I finish reading it.

I just finished reading this last night and I must say that it was an intense, educational read. Very well-written, too. It kept me captivated. However, I feel I need to read something light-hearted after such a serious read. I do look forward to eventually reading the next two "Princess" stories.

I have Carlynlee's address and will be sending the book to her within the next few days.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to Carlynlee, all the way in Australia!

Book arrived this morning, thank you bookgal23. Thank you also for including a lovely postcard of NY in the package. It has pride of place on my pin-up board at work!

Wow what an amazing book - I was riveted from start to finish. I did, however, find some of the cruel details difficult to read, and hard to fathom at times. I'm looking forward to reading books 2 and 3.

Wow what an amazing book - I was riveted from start to finish. I did, however, find some of the cruel details difficult to read, and hard to fathom at times. I'm looking forward to books 2 and 3.

Just received in the post from carlynlee, thanks.

Thanks mrsordonez for sharing!

A found it a great book, thought Sultana is a very strong and courage’s woman.

RELEASE NOTES:

On the way to deepdowne in South Arabia *-)

I'm afraid this book has met a sad fate....

From the very last potential reader:

Hello mrsordonez,

this is to tell you some sad news. i guess the saudi censors have
confiscated the princess book(book 1) since this is a book criticising
saudi arabia. i haven't received it yet eventhough it has been sent to
me
around 2 months ago. the envelopes of all books that have arrived here
by
post so far have been subjected to scrutiny by the censors before
passing
on to me. but i hoped this too would get through since i had received
the
carmen bin ladin's book on saudi arabia earlier despite their
inspection.
but i'm afraid this time the book has met with a bad fate. i feel
deeply
sorry for this.

happy bx'ing,
happy new year!

deepdowne

RELEASE NOTES:

Somewhere, some censor is having fun reading this, hopefully, and that it has not been destroyed...