JEAN SASSON

Jean Sasson was born in a small town in Alabama. An avid reader from an early age, she had read all the books in her school library by the time she was 15 years old. She also began her book collection at age 15. When given the chance to travel, Sasson accepted a position at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh and lived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 12 years. She traveled extensively, visiting 66 countries over 30 years.

Jean started her writing career in 1991 when she wrote the book, THE RAPE OF KUWAIT. The book was an instant best-seller, reaching #2 on the New York Times bestseller list. When the Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington heard that soldiers sent to free Kuwait did not know why they were there, the Embassy sent 200,000 copies to the region. Later Sasson wrote PRINCESS: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA, which is the story of a princess in the royal house of al-Sa'ud. The book was an international bestseller published in 68 different editions (also staying on the NYTimes bestseller list for 13 weeks). Later Sasson wrote two sequels (DAUGHTERS AND CIRCLE).

She is the writer of "The Rape of Kuwait," "Daughter of Arabia," "Desert Royal", "Ester's Child", "Mayada: Daughter of Iraq", "Love in A Torn Land," "For the Love of a Son," "Princess Sultana's Daughters",   "Princess Sultana 's Circle," "Princess More Tears To Cry," and "American Chickin Saudi Arabia." She is the voice for the Middle East and writes the story based on the true story.

Her book is usually about women and how their life is stuck with the decision of men. After reading her books, especially "Princess," readers will able to know about the women of Saudi Arabia and how they are trying to break the chains that bind them. Moreover, Sasson gives the facts and figures of the country. Although 58 % of Saudi College graduates are female, only 6% of the workforce is female. It's because Saudi women are not allowed to work or to intermingle with men, not of their family.

The way she writes and mentions about the facts and events are the best part. She focused on Women's Rights and wants the change of women through her books. Furthermore, she shows the reality of women and how they are living their lives.

The reason why I like her writing because she writes the fact and does research about women issues. She writes in the detailing which holds till the end. While reading the book, readers get attached to the characters and get emotional with the story.

WORKS OF JEAN SASSON

The Rape of Kuwait

ISBN 978-1561291939 – Knightsbridge Pub. Co.; 1st edition (January 1991)

Sasson's first book, The Rape of Kuwait about the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, was published in 1991. It was a work of propaganda funded by the Kuwaiti government which was allegedly based on interviews Sasson had conducted with pseudonymous Kuwaitis who had fled to Cairo, Saudi Arabia, London and Washington, D.C. The book was published before the war broke out. Advertisements in the major newspapers and on network television featured the book with the accompanying tag line: "Read it and you'll know why we're there".The Kuwaiti Embassy in Washington distributed 250,000 copies of it to American troops in the Persian Gulf.

The Princess Trilogy

·         Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

ISBN 978-0967673745 – Windsor-Brooke Books, LLC (March 1, 2001)

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia, her second book, chronicles the life of Sultana, a purported Saudi princess. It claims to be a true story, detailing gender inequalities experienced by Saudi Arabian women. The identity of Sultana (a pseudonym) is concealed to assure her safety. The book remained on the New York Times Best Seller list for 13 weeks. In 1995, a lawsuit was brought against the author of the book alleging plagiarism. The lawsuit was later dismissed. The court held that the plaintiff's claim was "objectively unreasonable" and directed her to pay the defendants' legal fees.

·         Princess Sultana's Daughters

ISBN 978-0967673752 – Windsor-Brooke Books, LLC; 1 edition (March 1, 2001)

UK Title: Daughters of Arabia (ISBN 978-0553816938, Bantam, new ed 2004)

As second-generation members of the royal family who have benefited from Saudi oil wealth, Maha and Amani are surrounded by untold opulence and luxury from the day they were born and which they take for granted. In Princess Sultana's Daughters, Sasson exposes the stifling and unbearably restrictive lifestyle imposed on these women. They have reacted in equally desperate ways. Their stories are set against traditional Saudi Arabian culture and social mores.

·         Princess Sultana's Circle

ISBN 978-0967673769 – Windsor-Brooke Books, LLC (May 1, 2002)''

UK title: Desert Royal (ISBN 978-0553816945, Bantam, New ed 2004)

When Sultana's niece is forced into an arranged marriage with a cruel, depraved older man and a royal cousin's secret harem of sex slaves is revealed, Sultana's attempts at intervention in their various plights are thwarted. But when her nephews are caught committing an unspeakable act against a 12-year-old girl, Sultana is galvanized into action. Risking her status and wealth, she takes a stand against the complacency of her male relatives over the child's fate. Ultimately, in Princess Sultana's Circle, Sultana and her sisters vow to form a circle of support that will surround and shelter abused women and girls.

Ester's Child

ISBN 0967673739 - Windsor-Brooke Books, LLC (September 1, 2001)

This is a historical fiction book based in the Middle East, about two families; one Palestinian and the other Jewish. The story details how both families were affected by devastating tragedy and adversity, as well as how they overcame it.

Mayada: Daughter of Iraq

ISBN 978-0525948117 – Dutton Adult; First Edition (October 16, 2003)

When Mayada Al-Askari was assigned to be Jean Sasson's translator in 1998, during a trip to Baghdad, she could never have imagined where her friendship with this prominent Iraqi woman would take her. The two women kept in contact until, in 1999, Mayada was arrested by Saddam Hussein's secret police. Allegations that Mayada had been producing anti-regime pamphlets were brought forth, and she was confined in Iraq's brutal Baladiyat Prison for over a month, fated to visit the torture rooms and wait for crowded cells. In cell 52, Myada was imprisoned with 17 other "shadow women" whose lives had similarly been interrupted with false allegations and hardships. Sasson tells their stories.

Love in a Torn Land

ISBN 978-0470067291 – Wiley (March 5, 2007)

In this true love story, Sasson focuses on the life of a Kurdish woman living in Iraq and the broader story of ethnic tensions between the Kurds, Iraqis, Turks, Iranians, and Syrians. Joanna Al-Askari Hussain marries a freedom-fighter, and makes his fight her own, persevering through genocide campaigns, deaths of friends, and missile attacks that cause the sky to rain down the bodies of dead birds.

Growing Up bin Laden

Najwa bin Laden, who married her cousin Osama bin Laden at the age of 15, is his first wife and the mother to eleven children, seven of Osama's sons and four of his daughters. Omar bin Laden is the fourth son of Osama bin Laden. Najwa and Omar narrate details about the drama, tensions, and everyday activities of the man they knew as a husband and father. Until Omar and his mother approached Sasson, no other writer or journalist had access to this type of personal information.

Growing Up bin Laden is a book based on interviews with the wife and son of Osama bin Laden.

For the Love of a Son: One Afghan Woman's Quest for Her Stolen Child

ISBN 0553820206 - Bantam (February 1, 2011)

This tells the story of Maryam Khail, a woman from Afghanistan that had her son kidnapped from her by her husband. The book follows her journey as she searches for her son for many years.

Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage, and Survival

ISBN 1939481147 - LDA (October 3, 2013) Yasmeena's Choice is the true story of Yasmeena, a Lebanese stewardess that was trapped in Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1990 with Iraq. Yasmeena's subsequent capture, imprisonment, and repeated rape are detailed in the book. This is somewhat of a follow-up to Jean Sasson's first book The Rape of Kuwait.

Princess, More Tears to Cry

ISBN 0857522426 - Transworld Doubleday UK publisher (August 28, 2014) Princess, More Tears to Cry is the fourth in the Princess Sultana series about the world's most beloved Saudi princess, Princess Sultana. The princess has been an outspoken advocate for change among women of Saudi Arabia and all over the world. This fourth in the series focuses on Princess Sultana, her family, and ten Saudi women who are creating change in Saudi Arabia. It will be available as a hard-cover and all e-books formats including Kindle in the US and UK and published in many other countries worldwide.