Girls of Riyadh ~ Saudi Arabian 20-somethings stick together through scandal and heartbreak
Written: Jul 23 '08 (Updated Jan 26 '09)
Product Rating:
Pros: great summer reading ~ glimpse of modern Saudi young ladies in a conservative culture
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: A first novel by a Saudi Arabian author which may turn your preconceptions about this ancient country upside-down. Simply, an engrossing and endearing tale.
jenniferkateab's Full Review: Rajaa Al Sanea - Girls of Riyadh
I am enamored with reading about exotic people and far away places. One of my favorite pastimes is scanning the library shelves for books written by authors with exotic names that suggest they might be from India, Japan or the Middle East. I find it fascinating that citizens of far away places often struggle with the same mundane problems as Westerners, and many are currently grappling with the modernization of their ancient cultures at a lightning quick pace.
Rajaa Alsanea's new work of fiction, Girls of Riyadh, is one of those books I plucked from the shelf with only the promise that something exotic or unusual might leap from the covers. In this case, my prediction was spot on. I was looking for insight into the hidden mystique of Saudi Arabia, and Alsanea's book delivered that and so much more. In case you're wondering if globalization, Western values and technology have made inroads to Saudi Arabian culture, the answer is "Yes" in both Classical and Modern Arabic.
Girls of Riyadh is a modern story about four twenty-something Saudi young women, each hailing from a different part of Saudi Arabia. The girls become best friends in High School, and keep their clique together through college days and beyond. We learn about these ladies travails and triumphs through a series of emails sent by the narrator, Seereh Wenfatahet. Each chapter represents the latest installment in a soap opera featuring the four young women: Gamrah, Michelle (Mashael), Sadeem and Lamees. We discover, bit by bit, that these girls are caught in a crossroads between their strict, religious upbringing and their modern education and trappings of wealth. We learn that Muslim ladies living in Saudi Arabia must publicly bow to the curfews and prohibitions imposed by their religious government. At the same time, they value education, many become doctors, dentists or other professionals, and they have romantic dreams and aspire to meet and marry the man of their dreams.
Life in Saudi Arabia before television, email, Internet and cell phones must have been very different, indeed, than it is today. How would women have communicated with the outside world? All these modern technological trappings have brought Western values with them, and Saudi Girls like those in Alsanea's novel are no exception. Among the four, several have lived in either America or England, and each has traveled abroad for pleasure. They are aware of the social freedoms that abound in the west, and use modern devices to transcend their prohibitions in Saudi Arabia and live their lives to the fullest. Conversations with Saudi men take place anonymously in Internet chat rooms. Tinted windows provide a safe haven for transport. Cell phones and text messages allow girls to carry on relationships with eligible bachelors without being under constant scrutiny.
With all the above being said, don't get the idea that these modern characters have forsaken all their traditional values and culture. To the contrary, they still hold their Muslim faith dear and observe their religion with respect and pride. Prayer is a daily ritual for most of these young women. Yet, the paradoxes are great. For example, many young ladies dream of marrying their romantic ideal, but may end up instead paired in an arranged marriage with a man who loves someone else. Or, students in boarding school study hard to gain entrance into medical or dental college, but are not allowed to possess DVDs of Western movies like "Braveheart".
Back to the narrator ~ she sends messages to subscribers from her fictional email address: seerehwenfadha7et@yahoogroups.com. The narrator is charming in a college co-ed fashion. She begins the story with an eyebrow raising missive, inviting readers to join her for a wild ride through the desert, encountering scandal at every turn. And, true to its promise, the story is full of scandals like divorce, affairs, and premarital relations. Mostly, though, it's a novel with intense characterization and nuance.
Without giving away too much of the plot, here's a brief rundown of the main characters: Sadeem ~ is betrothed to a man she's in love with, but a single night of bad judgement causes him to shun her. Michelle ~ Falls in love with Faisal, but is forbidden to marry him because of her tribal background. Lamees ~ a Medical school student who dares to get close to another... Gamrah ~ marries a man who belongs to another. Her subsequent divorce leads to her isolation from society, but also the unexpected joys of motherhood.
Many other characters find adventure in Girls of Riyadh, and occasionally I found it difficult to keep track of so many characters with unusual names. But, that wouldn't stop me from recommending the book with my highest rating!
If my review has intrigued you so far, I must say it's a witty, engaging and exotic novel. It's not grand literature in a sweeping sense, but is almost like chick-lit with an Arabian twist. Truly, it was one of those books that ends up splattered with food and doused with bath water because I just couldn't put it down. In fact, I plan to read it again before taking it back to the library, just in case I missed anything the first time! With her daring characterizations of Saudi women and the modern challenges they face, I could almost hear Alsanea's voice in the background. The narrator's voice is folksy and conversational. She teases us with her installments ~ playing with the audience to see if we can guess which character might actually be her in disguise. My guess ~ they are all a little part of the author, maybe not in deed, but in personality and will. I'll end by saying, if you read my review, Ms. Alsanea, please OH please, write another novel soon!
======================================================= Girls of Riyadh Author: Rajaa Al Sanea (Rajaa Alsanea or Rajaa Al Sani) Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Reprint edition (June 24, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 014311347X ISBN-13: 978-0143113478 =======================================================
A bold new voice from Saudi Arabia spins a fascinating tale of four young women attempting to navigate the narrow straits between love, desire, fulfil...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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