Saudi

by Laurie Devine

From a fatal fire aboard an excursion boat in the Persian Gulf in 1938, to contemporary Saudi Arabia, the destinies of three descendants of that catastrophe--American Sunny Shannon and two very different brothers, Rashid and Muhammad Al-Murrah--intertwine

Genres: Fiction

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

(from book cover)..."a story of the enduring love of two proud, indomitable people that throws the moral ambiguities of the modern West into conflict with the ancient values of the Mideast."

Sunny is an American from New England who meets, falls in love with, and marries a man from Saudi Arabia. She grew up fascinated by the writings of T. H. Lawrence and the tales of Bedouins, Arabian horses and the desert mystery. Her naivete is soon shattered as she comes face to face with cultural restrictions on women. Betrayal, anger, and false pride tear her family apart and send her rushing back to America to reconstruct her life.

A story of love, hate, family ties, and religious dogma and the threads they weave in our lives...

[Basirat Atif · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a few years ago ( hubby got it for me from a guy who sells used books) and since I grew up in Saudi Arabia, pretty much what was written in it is true. But not all Saudi men are bad, I know a few who are just simply amazing.

[Windy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a teenager. found it compelling and eye-opening.

[Rachelle Seymore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was printed in 1985, so quite dated, but I sourced it after I had read the Nile by the same author.

A lovely story and it gives one a glimpse of the life in a huge country such as Saudi.

The main character is a young western girl who dreams about Arabia. Her father worked in the oil fields and while her mother visited him, she died in a tragic accident. He couldn't cope with the loss of his wife and sends his young daughter back to England to her grandparents. She never really knew her dad, but yearned for him and Saudi was her focus in life.

She eventually married the Arabian 'prince' of her dreams and settles into Saudi life. But her past comes back to haunt her.

[Grace thepeach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book laying around my home.

This book has truly brought the empathy out of me. Never have I ever read a novel that made me sigh with a warm feeling in my heart, then sit at the edge of my bed in anticipation. The narrating style is splendid. It's like you become one with the character's thoughts and emotions which feel quite realistic and relatable ( to me) . A good mix of romance, woe and slight adventure.

[Ryichha C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like this story the way Laurie Devine has describe Saudi Arabia the culture and the inter caste transition with foreign girl is really commendable.

[Lidia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book in the 80's, I can still remember it as a wonderful read. I was looking for it all these years. I couldn't get hold of it because I couldn't remember the name of the author. Fortunately Sandy, here on Goodreads helped me. I will try to get hold of it now for a re-read.

[Teryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The circumcision scene still gives me nightmares. I probably would have enjoyed it if it hadn't been for that.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, when I read it made me sob when I read certain parts of iti

[Mh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out and was totally sucked in. I reread it recently and it was just as good as I remember.