Have you ever wondered what it must be like to live behind a veil and keep your face hidden from outsiders? The following books selected by Reader Advisor Susan Higgins will give you an inside look at the Middle Eastern life style and how that life style may be changing for women.
Daughter of Persia: A Woman's Journey from Her Father's Harem by Sattareh Farman-Farmaian.
Born in 1921, the author was raised in a traditional Muslim family compound, except that her father believed in educating all his children. She received an American college education, and returned home to found the Tehran School of Social Work, which she ran until 1979 when she was forced to flee Iran. RC 35176.
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas.
Author recollects her family's adjustment to American culture after moving from Iran to California in 1972 when she was seven. In a series of vignettes, Firoozeh describes her father's amusing attempts to assimilate, her uncle's penchant for fast food, and their experiences during the Iranian Revolution. RC 58685.
Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia by Carmen Bin Laden.
The former sister-in-law of terrorist Osama bin Laden describes her marriage to his older half-brother, Yeslam, and her life in Saudi Arabia. Swiss Persian Carmen, raised in Europe with western values, relates her difficulties in adjusting to an intolerant Islamic household. RC 58828.
Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor.
Born in 1951 as Lisa Halaby, daughter of an Arab-American family, Queen Noor of Jordan relates King Hussein's courtship; their 1978 marriage; her role as wife, queen, and mother; her work in improving the life of Jordanian women; and Hussein's role in the Middle East, including his frustrations with international diplomacy. RC 56048.
My Forbidden Face: Growing Up under the Taliban; a Young Woman's Story by Latifa.
Latifa (a pseudonym) records her and her family's experiences when the Taliban took over Kabul, Afghanistan, in September 1996. She explains that at sixteen she was planning to study journalism at the university but was forbidden to leave home by Taliban decrees. Some violence. RC 53984.
The Prince and I by Rosemarie Buschow.
The true story of the young German woman who was governess to the Saudi Arabian royal family, having as her direct charge Prince Abdul Aziz. Privy to a way of life never before witnessed by any Westerner, Buschow tells what life is like for the lonely, luxury-loving princesses whose wealth buys everything except the love they desire. BR 4855, RC 16760.
Princess: A True Story of Life behind The Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson.
While living in Saudi Arabia, the author interviewed Sultana and learned of her life as a Saudi Arabian woman. Although a princess, Sultana asserts that she has no rights. She describes her life within the palace walls and states women have been forded to marry much older men, being treated as nothing more than breeding animals. Princess Sultana biography, book 1. BR 51601, RC 36195.
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi.
Former professor of English literature in Iran relates her experiences, after resigning her university post in 1995, in continuing to teach seven female students who met secretly at her home each week to discuss literary classics. Nafisi describes how the women, reacting to the Islamic republic's intolerance, resisted oppression and embraced free thought. RC 56459.
Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman's Struggle for the Soul of Islam by Asra Q. Nomani.
Journalist recounts her 2003 pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, on a quest to understand her religion and the role of Muslim women in the modern world. Chronicles her journey and return home to West Virginia, where she confronted her own mosque's sexism and intolerance. RC 60842.
Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir.
Moroccan woman describes her family's twenty-year imprisonment after her father led an unsuccessful coup against the king. Malika recalls her luxurious childhood in the palace; her harsh exile to an abandoned fort with her mother and five siblings; and their escape, recapture, and final release from prison. RC 52093.
The Storyteller's Daughter by Saira Shah.
Memoir by British-born Afghani writer of her visits to war-torn Afghanistan. In 1986 at age twenty-one she arrives as a war correspondent, later as documentary producer of Beneath the Veil during Taliban rule. Chronicles her attempts to reconcile bicultural values and interweaves her father's legends of the homeland with her own reality. RC 58409.
To See and See Again: A Life in Iran and America by Tara Bahrampour.
Memoir of the daughter of an American mother and Iranian father. Describes her bicultural background and upbringing: moving to Iran at age three and having to re-adjust to America at eleven. Through her trips and family connections, she is able to examine living conditions and customs in Iran before and after the revolution. RC 49409.
Veiled Courage: Inside the Afghan Women's Resistance by Cheryl Bernard.
An American reports on the subjugation of women under Taliban rule and the resistance movement of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Reveals the courage and resilience of mothers and daughters in their struggle for education and guaranteed human rights. RC 54180.
Zoya's Story: An Afghan Woman's Struggle for Freedom by Zoya.
An Afghan woman recounts growing up during the Russian oppression, the chaotic period of transition when the Russians left, and women's suppression under Taliban rule. Describes her association with the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA). Some violence. RC 54106.