Princess: More Tears to Cry is Jean Sasson’s fourth book in the famed Princess Sultana series and her fifteenth non-fiction work to date, all of which revolve around life in the Middle East, predominantly Saudi Arabia. Even if you haven’t read her work before, it’s quite likely you’ve seen a book cover of kohl-lined eyes framed by a jewelled lace niqab in an airport bookstore. Her first book, Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil, was sold in over 25 countries and became a New York Times bestseller. A first-person account of Princess Sultana’s life as a Saudi princess, it laid bare a world that outsiders had never been invited to. It told the story of a daughter and a woman in a closed off prison palace where her sisters were sold off in marriage and even brutally murdered for stepping beyond their boundaries. For the average western reader, it was an eye-opener, because, unlike us, they had never been exposed to the Purdah system. Over the course of the next two books, Princess Sultana (a pseudonym) talked about her children and coming into her own life, marrying and moving away from the palace. This fourth book focuses on what life is like for women living in Saudi Arabia and the work she is doing to create a change. There is also an underlying story arc involving her antithetical daughters, Maha and Amani; it seems sisters pull each other’s hair no matter where they live.
The book has two introductions, the first one is Sasson’s own personal account of her journey and her relationship with the princess and the other is a prologue by the princess herself summarizing her trials so far. The first few stories disappoint. They read like a Middle Eastern Bold and the Beautiful as we get a ringside seat to her interactions with her loving and almost saint-like husband Kareem, the villain in her life, her noxious brother Ali, and her cloistered extended family—sisters who weep hysterically and faint at the sight of diamonds. Midway, however, the scope of the stories move beyond her family to include common women who are fighting to become doctors and social workers, women who are questioning their role as punching bags and possessions. The formal superficial dialogue that lent an air of artificiality to the family feuds now enables authenticity; stripped of any flowery language, the horrible plight of these women remains in focus. We meet Dr Meena, whose mother, after having four daughters, was sent back to her parent’s home where they tried to starve their female grand children to death. We learn about Nadia who can’t go to work because her guardian, her brother, refuses to drive her and she would be stoned if caught driving herself. You’ll have a hard time not putting the book down when you get to the chapter on Female Genital Mutilation; it pulls no punches. There are also glimpses of hope, of Saudi men waking up from what the princess calls, ‘Saudi sleep’, after living outside and realizing that women can and should live differently.
And through it all, Sultana’s daughters act like a foil. Amani is an ultra conservative who believes each extra layer of clothing brings her closer to God. Maha is a liberal who lives in Europe. Perpetually angry, she is unable to work out who she is, sexually or otherwise. We watch them transform as they inch towards common ground and each other.
There are perhaps better, more well-researched books to educate us on the plight of women in the Middle East, but having a princess tell the story probably means these stories reach a wider audience. Sound bytes like ‘Lean in!’ and ‘ You can’t have it all!’ echo around us like tinnitus. They lull us into a false sense of security compelling us to believe we have made it to the frontlines in this war for equality. There is no doubt some of us have, but we need to step out of the bubble. Jean Sasson’s book goes some way in waking us up. It helps us keep in mind that for many women around the world, ‘Leaning in’ is the least of their problems.