Saudi Arabia is a millionaire’s dream. The playground of the oil fields, the meaning of the exaggerated and the extravagant. But nothing is perfect, and if I had to choose between a normal life as a European girl or a life as a princess in Saudi Arabia, I would choose the former. Ever since Princess Sultana made the decision to write a book, she exposed the most intimate parts of her life. Is it possible that in the world of the excessively rich something could go wrong?
Saudi Arabia has a major flaw, or should I say, men in Saudi Arabia have a major flaw. I don’t mean to judge or offend anyone, none of that, but if there’s one thing I believe in, it’s the story behind the book. Say it’s nonsense, the fact that I believe every word I’ve ever read, but this can’t be a story in disguise. There is a reason why I love this book and why I believe in it: Sultana is not impeccable, actually she is far from it, she would say. In the worst moment of her life she starts drinking, she doesn’t handle stress either, she is not a perfect mother or wife. She sometimes loses control over her children or over herself… and none of that matters because I’ve never seen a woman stronger than her. She forgets everything when men abuse women. Unlike the “feminists” of our world, she fights for equal rights. I repeat-same. She doesn’t want to prove that women rule the world, and she never mentions things like “women give birth” or “men are good for nothing”. No, because it wouldn’t be a bestseller if she wasn’t fighting for equality.
What makes the books even more interesting is that you get an insight into how ridiculously rich women live. Some parts are very interesting, like when she says that she buys 3-4 of the same dresses so she can have one in every house she owns. That’s why she fights for women’s rights and carries no baggage. (Just making a point.)
The second book, “The Daughters of Princess Sultana,” is where it gets more personal. He talks about the problems her children had, especially mental problems with the eldest. Throughout each of his books, he talks about the Muslim religion. I did some research on the web, and while scrolling up and down through the comments on one of the book reviews, I noticed one that caught my eye. An anonymous person said that he changed his religion to Muslim after reading the book. So if this book literally changes your life, why shouldn’t you read it?
For me, the third book “The Circle of Princess Sultana” is the end of the whole story, because the ending made me cry. Sultana and many of her sisters get together and promise each other that they will fight for her sisters (they consider all women in Saudi Arabia as her sisters) and form the circle of the legendary Princess Sultana.
As I said, for me the third book is a complete story. It was not necessary to add the fourth part. “More tears to cry” seems like a report on the current situation. And as always, Jean Sasson did a great job writing it, and Sultana, remained a wise woman who will have many, many stories to tell.
This is it, the best of Al Saud. And if you ever think that you are unlucky, that you are not important or that you are not equal, just remember Sultana.