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Princess Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Princess


Princess is the story of a Saudi Arabian Princess looking to find her own unique voice within a culture set upon a doctrine of female oppression. Princess tells the story of Princess Sultana, a royal woman who lives the most privileged of material lives yet she is held back by the country she lives in. Penned by national best selling author Jean Sasson, Princess Sultana tells her story of what it is like for herself and all women living in Saudi Arabia. Lack of education, forced marriage, sexual assault and even death are all things women of this region face and she describes these experiences in great detail. With the help of Jean Sasson, Princess Sultana pulls back the veil of female oppression and opens our eyes to an often forgotten group of women.   
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Best part of story, including ending: This story was particularly appealing because it was a unique look into a social/cultural group that we in Western society rarely hear about. It is always important to learn about new cultures because it provides us the ability to have a better appreciation for the culture we live in, especially if that culture is oppressed in any way. As a women it is hard to know that there are women, like Princess Sultana who face such hardships. However it is imperative to learn about their experiences in order to help change their situations.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene of the book was when Princess Sultana was in Europe and she was speaking to her husband on the phone about the possibility of her coming home after fleeing Saudi Arabia with her children. Because of her descriptions of the situation, it was easy to imagine her standing at the payphone stating her demands for her return home. I imagined the amount of strength it took for her to stand up to her husband for the sake of her children and that was extremely powerful.

Opinion about the main character: What I liked about the main character, Princess Sultana is she did not get political throughout the entire book. She did not try to add philosophy to her situation. She simply stated what was going on in her life and she was able to do so in a way that made the reader sympathize for her and her situation. Yet throughout the entire book, you never really felt bad for her, simply because she did act so boldly and was so strong. You cheered for her and her Saudi sisters throughout the entire book.

The review of this Book prepared by Anne Opatz a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Chapter Analysis of Princess

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Plot & Themes

Political/social rights fight    -   Yes Plotlet:    -   women fighting for rights Ethnic/Relig. of subject (inside)    -   Arab or Muslim Gender/Class story?    -   woman's story If this is a culture clash:    -   minority culture living in majority area Ethnic/regional/gender    -   Yes Period of greatest activity?    -   1950+

Subject of Biography

Gender    -   Female Profession/status:    -   homemaker Ethnicity    -   Arab

Setting

How much descriptions of surroundings?    -   7 () Desert?    -   Yes Desert:    -   hostile arabs Small town?    -   Yes Small town people:    -   hostile, like Gomer Pyle on steroids Misc setting    -   Fancy Mansion Century:    -   1960's-1970's

Writing Style

Book makes you feel?    -   thoughtful If this is a kid's book:    -   Age 16-Adult How much dialogue in bio?    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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Jean Sasson Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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