A stark reminder of how much Saudi Arabia has improved for women just in the last 30 years, this book gives us a peek at life behind the veil for a Saudi princess from 1970 to 1990. Though a first person narrative, Sultana’s story is told from a distance, the way a friend would describe her life to a friend, rather than a novelized narrative. It worked very well and I found myself being profoundly grateful for my life and the men in my family. I also found my opinion of today’s Saudi Arabia softening, as their reforms -though paltry by western standards- are coming quickly and at great peril to the reformers.

I knew when I was getting into the book - this will be a hard book as I have lived in Muslim Countries in spaces of time due to my Dad’s work - I have been to Saudi too - Me & my mom have lived in a gated community with restrictions during our stay - there is is less freedom for women there. I have also known barbaric stories from a Kenyan boss while in Dubai of what Saudi women go through but this book really opened my eyes to atrocities that women go through in name of them just being women - according to their Quran they are meant to be treated like however men like, they are progressive countries like UAE, Kuwait & others where things are definitely different but Saudi is the worst.

This book was a small one but I had to pace it as it was hard to stomach, I went through the emotions of what Sultana went through, her helplessness & her will to fight even though it was out of her hands - she is one hell of a woman.

I can’t imagine how can they receive these spiritual messages of when things are about to head into death and birth, but they are so close minded and not forward when it comes to women’s rights and the women are so shackled to their chains because of luxury, base of living & they have nowhere to go if divorced.

I am intrigued of the next books in the series but I will think about it

This purports to be the memoirs of a Saudi princess, as written by her Western friend and confidante. It was an easy read and I devoured it within a few hours. However, I had the following issues with the book:

1. There appears to be some kind of plagiarism case surrounding this book (Google it), which makes me question whether this is in fact a true story;

2. Some of the details in the book ring false such as women being forbidden to enter the mosque and the protagonist's older sisters having undergone FGM. FGM is not widely practised in Saudi Arabia and apparently it is the intervention of a Western doctor that prevents the family from carrying on the practice;

3. I believe this book caters to what Western readers expect to hear about women's life in Saudi Arabia rather than depicting the reality there. Tragic incident is heaped upon tragic incident. All the men in the book are utterly irredeemable and have a voracious and perverted sexual appetite;

4. It's rather difficult to have a huge degree of sympathy for the eponymous princess when a lot of the narrative exposition takes place whilst she is being served tea and sweets, and having her feet rubbed by her Filipina maid. This woman gets a hell of a lot of foot rubs. I would like to see a follow up book: Maid to the Princess.

A gripping read, but rather a composite of media reportage, the author's own experience, stereotypes and anecdotal evidence, than a true story.

This is really sad. I hope everyone can read this and know the plight some women still face. It's with knowledge that we can change the world.

Shocking but not unexpected

The content of this book did not surprise me, but it was unsettling to read the details. Still it was difficult for me to feel too terribly bad for people who live in the lap of luxury and casually spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a whim. The plight of women not born into families of fabulous wealth and power would be the real issue and I shudder to think what they live through.

A fascinating story, horrific tragedies interspersed with spots of brightness, and a rare look into the closed society of an enigmatic Middle Eastern kingdom.

The book is simply written, without dross, and is filled with the recollections of a girl growing up in an environment determined to crush her spirit. She perseveres, and lives to tell the tale of others not as lucky. You wouldn't think you could pity a real-life princess, but you will.

I think I'm going to say this in a lot of other reviews, but I give a five-star-rating only to those books I can read over and over again. For a long time this was a regular re-read, one that I would find myself drawn to, and then finish with the realisation that life as a free woman is precious, and worth more than all the wealth in the world.

I’ve been reading quite a lot of contemporary biography recently, particularly ones showcasing experiences from different cultures across the world, so it’s no surprise that I ended up reading Princess. I found it considerably more interesting and well-written than the previous biography I read, and zipped through it a lot faster as a result, my interest held throughout. The princess’ “voice” (or should that be Jean Sasson?) was engaging and compelling enough to hold my attention. Same goes for the anecdotes and episodes she relates, and yes, it evoked my sympathies. That is in the book’s favour.

However, I find myself questioning the veracity of the book. We’re told that Princess “Sultana” has had her name changed to protect her identity, as have other key members mentioned in the book, so it cannot be traced back to her. However, so many specific details about the composition of her immediate family and their marriages, jobs, and residences, are revealed that I find it hard to believe that it wouldn’t be immediately obvious who “Princess Sultana” was by anybody who knows the royal family. And this makes me wonder if this is a genuine biography or a novel masquerading as one – other reviewers have commented on how neatly the various episodes seem to fit together, though I couldn’t say.

Perhaps it’s best simply to recommend this book as an entertaining read with the cautionary warning that it may or may not source from a real Saudi princess.

7 out of 10