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In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom by Qanta A. Ahmed
strawbs's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a while to finish because this is a solid book and I primarily read on my Kindle app. It's enjoyable, but there were some parts of it that I really didn't care to know about - her personal journey to Hajj/Mecca, I felt was not very relevant to the premise of the story, which was concentrated primarily on women in the Kingdom.
neenzreads's review against another edition
2.0
I wish I could’ve gotten past the first third of the book, but the writing didn’t hold my attention. Maybe one day I’ll come back to this book, but I’ve spent months trying to get through it with no success. The subject matter itself is fascinating, but the cumbersome writing style killed it for me.
lovelifeandbeyond's review against another edition
4.0
An unflinching look at pre-9/11 Riyadh through the eyes of a Muslim 'Westernised' woman. She talks about the beauty of Islam and how it is being manipulated by certain sections of the orthodox society where not just women, men too feel oppressed and lash out in destructive ways.
Most would think that being a Muslim, albeit who was raised in England and the US , she would feel right at home in the center of Islam. But in her 2 years of stay, she faces as many challenges (if not more) than any other foreigner entering the country. She shares her discomfort when she's forced to wear the stifling abayah, the strict moral policing where women cannot even show a strand of their hair in public, the dichotomy of ideals of her colleagues, and almost getting arrested for having a meal in public with men. The list of dont's for women are just endless: They cannot drive, cannot enter/leave the country without permission from a male family member/employer, cannot buy music, cannot mingle with male co-workers (with rare exceptions), cannot be in public with men who are not related, and the list goes on.
Although these rules are said to be for the safety of the women themselves and prevent temptation in men so that they don't sin, it is clear that whether semi-clothed or covered from head to toe, men will try their luck no matter how much you try to segregate them. Often, women reciprocate wanting to feel the freedom to express their desires. But not all men are created equal...there are many examples of people she meets who are staunch supporters of the women in their lives and their rights.
A well-balanced book talking about both sides of the coin.
Most would think that being a Muslim, albeit who was raised in England and the US , she would feel right at home in the center of Islam. But in her 2 years of stay, she faces as many challenges (if not more) than any other foreigner entering the country. She shares her discomfort when she's forced to wear the stifling abayah, the strict moral policing where women cannot even show a strand of their hair in public, the dichotomy of ideals of her colleagues, and almost getting arrested for having a meal in public with men. The list of dont's for women are just endless: They cannot drive, cannot enter/leave the country without permission from a male family member/employer, cannot buy music, cannot mingle with male co-workers (with rare exceptions), cannot be in public with men who are not related, and the list goes on.
Although these rules are said to be for the safety of the women themselves and prevent temptation in men so that they don't sin, it is clear that whether semi-clothed or covered from head to toe, men will try their luck no matter how much you try to segregate them. Often, women reciprocate wanting to feel the freedom to express their desires. But not all men are created equal...there are many examples of people she meets who are staunch supporters of the women in their lives and their rights.
A well-balanced book talking about both sides of the coin.
jolson's review against another edition
1.0
WAY too much description! Every little thing was described in excruciating detail. There were bits of the story I found intriguing but the stories were so bogged down in details, metaphors and similes, the entertaining bits were lost. With some editing, this could be a good book, but as it stands it is just annoying.
em_beddedinbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Truly an astounding journey into a foreign culture. Though a non-fiction, which I usually avoid, I was hooked to the book from page 1. Saudi Arabia has been an alien country to me. I haven't come across it much in my previous reads. I just knew that it is full of oil and rich sheikhs and there is extreme suppression of women. I was made aware of the extent of suppression of not only women, but also men, through this eye opener. I loved the people I came across in this book. Most of the Saudi people are kind and good and not at all anti-female, except for the dreaded moral police. I literally shook in my boots reading about the moral police - the mutauddin. I would dread going to this country, where non Muslims are scorned upon, females can't show an inch of their body parts, and can't move around without male relatives. I also came to know about the lovely Islam culture which was alien to me so far, in spite of having Muslim friends. I devoured about the original peace loving religion and how it was distorted through the ages. I loved reading about the courageous, intelligent Saudi ladies who managed to enjoy themselves in spite of rigid segregation and rules. But there are a few things I could not fathom. Almost every one the author came across was uber rich. I was amazed at the description of their houses and possessions. To boot, every female was described as ultra beautiful and every man as super handsome. How can it be? I mean, most of us are normal or above average at the most, with maybe one or two real beauties amidst us. Or was the skin and hair color with maybe genetic tall stature considered as beauty? I was horrified to read about the anti Jew and anti American sentiments of even the educated, otherwise gentle Arab.
I really enjoyed reading about Hajj. Hajj had been one mass religious feat which had surprised me, (only thing akin to Hajj in Hinduism is Kumbh Mela , to the best of my poor religious and spiritual knowledge, and yet this is not considered to be something which should be experienced by all Hindus)The description of Hajj was beautiful. I was almost transported to Mecca. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Islam, Saudi Arabia, or even human nature and culture for the matter.
I really enjoyed reading about Hajj. Hajj had been one mass religious feat which had surprised me, (only thing akin to Hajj in Hinduism is Kumbh Mela , to the best of my poor religious and spiritual knowledge, and yet this is not considered to be something which should be experienced by all Hindus)The description of Hajj was beautiful. I was almost transported to Mecca. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Islam, Saudi Arabia, or even human nature and culture for the matter.
lizdesole's review against another edition
3.0
I found this to be a very frustrating book. Either the author is conflating circumstances to create a "good" story or she is the most willfully uninformed person.
I can't understand how a well-educated woman could sign on to living in Saudi Arabia for 2 years and show up with no covering. How incredibly ignorant. She came from New York so she doesn't have the excuse of lack of access to proper attire. I could walk from my house in Brooklyn and get an abbaya!
She (supposedly) at the last minute decides she's been called by god to do a pilgramage to Mecca but doesn't even have a koran with her.
She complains about her cheap abbaya and is constantly panting over other womens' and I can't swallow that a doctor brought over from the West doesn't make enough money to afford a decent one.
She also claims not to follow fashion and branding, but the book almost reads like it was written by Bret Easton Ellis with all the brand descriptors of everything everyone else is wearing.
I also got sick sick of every woman being described as beautiful. I felt myself rolling my eyes for every new loving decription.
It's a real shame because she does spend quite a bit of time getting to know many different kinds of people while she is in Saudi Arabia. I know some of the time she is acting stupid to forward the story.I just wish she didn't come off as such an ignorant drama queen
I can't understand how a well-educated woman could sign on to living in Saudi Arabia for 2 years and show up with no covering. How incredibly ignorant. She came from New York so she doesn't have the excuse of lack of access to proper attire. I could walk from my house in Brooklyn and get an abbaya!
She (supposedly) at the last minute decides she's been called by god to do a pilgramage to Mecca but doesn't even have a koran with her.
She complains about her cheap abbaya and is constantly panting over other womens' and I can't swallow that a doctor brought over from the West doesn't make enough money to afford a decent one.
She also claims not to follow fashion and branding, but the book almost reads like it was written by Bret Easton Ellis with all the brand descriptors of everything everyone else is wearing.
I also got sick sick of every woman being described as beautiful. I felt myself rolling my eyes for every new loving decription.
It's a real shame because she does spend quite a bit of time getting to know many different kinds of people while she is in Saudi Arabia. I know some of the time she is acting stupid to forward the story.I just wish she didn't come off as such an ignorant drama queen
mkat303's review against another edition
3.0
Very informative book. Could've used a little editing, though.
malenkka's review against another edition
5.0
Qanta's insights and views of life in Saudi Arabia as an educated, single Muslim woman (ex pat) are phenomenal.
mmbay's review against another edition
2.0
Working in medicine, I was excited to read about a US trained physicians experiences working in Saudi Arabia. The fact that the physician in question is a woman and a Muslim made me move this book to the top of the tbr pile. The book focuses less on medicine and more on the role of women in The Kingdom. While interesting at times, overall the book was loooong, and the dialogue stilted and artificial. I found myself struggling to push on to the conclusion. For me there were some worthwhile insights about the Arab culture, especially for an expat woman, but overall it was just too boring to give more than two stars.
bhavani's review against another edition
3.0
Rating: 3.5
Fed a steady diet of anti-Muslim sentiments from family, friends, and media, I started reading this book with a lot of prejudice and preconceived notions on what it means to be a Muslim, especially a Muslim woman, and what life is like in Saudi Arabia. I finished it feeling a mixture of enlightenment, confusion, and the sense that there is so much I don't know about the world around me.
Truth be told, I wrote down some paragraphs that made an impact on me and my thoughts of them But now, I'm not really keen to write down those thoughts in a review and I'm not even sure why...However, I can do a better job at writing about the things I had learned from this book. The list includes:
1) The history of the Kingdom and how it came to be under King Abdul Aziz over a hundred years ago - through strategic alliances achieved through negotiation, polygamy, and enforced militarism by Ikhwan, the more violent predecessor to modern-day Mutawaeen.
2) Quranic verses and Hadiths, especially those related to women's rights
3) The rituals and practices required during Hajj
All in all, this book is a great introduction to life within the Kingdom and definitely a recommended read.
Fed a steady diet of anti-Muslim sentiments from family, friends, and media, I started reading this book with a lot of prejudice and preconceived notions on what it means to be a Muslim, especially a Muslim woman, and what life is like in Saudi Arabia. I finished it feeling a mixture of enlightenment, confusion, and the sense that there is so much I don't know about the world around me.
Truth be told, I wrote down some paragraphs that made an impact on me and my thoughts of them But now, I'm not really keen to write down those thoughts in a review and I'm not even sure why...However, I can do a better job at writing about the things I had learned from this book. The list includes:
1) The history of the Kingdom and how it came to be under King Abdul Aziz over a hundred years ago - through strategic alliances achieved through negotiation, polygamy, and enforced militarism by Ikhwan, the more violent predecessor to modern-day Mutawaeen.
2) Quranic verses and Hadiths, especially those related to women's rights
3) The rituals and practices required during Hajj
All in all, this book is a great introduction to life within the Kingdom and definitely a recommended read.