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A review by apechild
Desert Royal by Jean Sasson
3.0
My 2009 bookcrossing review:
Well, I have now read the trilogy and I am glad I read her story right through. This is (obviously) a continuation from the first two books. Sultana's three children are now in their late teens, and certainly don't need their mother so much. This book is about a short period in her family's life: incidents and happenings. The international sex slavetrade also comes into this book more than I remember in the other two. And that is really grim. Rich men praying on poverty-striken people by persuading them to sell their young daughters as sex slaves. There really are some awful people out there. And not only would you be locked up for rape in most countries - which is what goes on here - but sometimes these girls are under ten. We're talking peodophaelia... and yet they're allowed to get away with it, because "legally" these girls are theirs to do with as they will. It's very, very depressing.
Something else that can become quite disgusting (although to a much lesser extent) is the ridiculous wealth and the flaunting of it. The shopping trip she describes in New York; or when they go camping! I couldn't believe that - when they suggested it, they almost made it sound like roughing it! They took persian carpets, fridges and freezers, tankers with water for her daily baths.... absolutely ridiculous. It can be quite hard to think that this isn't actually fiction when you're reading it.
Although she's not perfect by a long short, you've got to admire Sultana and her determination to help opressed women whenever she can. She does have guts. And the book ended quite positively that she was going to go ahead with her goals after the end of this book.
Well, I have now read the trilogy and I am glad I read her story right through. This is (obviously) a continuation from the first two books. Sultana's three children are now in their late teens, and certainly don't need their mother so much. This book is about a short period in her family's life: incidents and happenings. The international sex slavetrade also comes into this book more than I remember in the other two. And that is really grim. Rich men praying on poverty-striken people by persuading them to sell their young daughters as sex slaves. There really are some awful people out there. And not only would you be locked up for rape in most countries - which is what goes on here - but sometimes these girls are under ten. We're talking peodophaelia... and yet they're allowed to get away with it, because "legally" these girls are theirs to do with as they will. It's very, very depressing.
Something else that can become quite disgusting (although to a much lesser extent) is the ridiculous wealth and the flaunting of it. The shopping trip she describes in New York; or when they go camping! I couldn't believe that - when they suggested it, they almost made it sound like roughing it! They took persian carpets, fridges and freezers, tankers with water for her daily baths.... absolutely ridiculous. It can be quite hard to think that this isn't actually fiction when you're reading it.
Although she's not perfect by a long short, you've got to admire Sultana and her determination to help opressed women whenever she can. She does have guts. And the book ended quite positively that she was going to go ahead with her goals after the end of this book.