The Prince & I

by Rosemarie Buschow

A true story of a young German woman hired to raise a Saudi royal's son. She does a wonderful job adapting to the culture and in raising the boy, but things go wrong and she is suddenly let go due to "private family reasons". Quoting the book's inner jacket, "Within the desert palaces of the Saudi royal family, Rosemarie Buschow spent two years as governess.... Privy to a way of life never before witnessed by any Westerner, Miss Buschow tells what life is like for the lonely, luxury-loving princesses whose incalculable wealth buys everything except the love they desperately desire.... Dramatic, moving story that began with the promise of love and ended in tragedy when young Princess Mishaal and her lover were publicly executed for adultery.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Middle East

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Kelsey Figone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dated but fascinating perspective on women's lives in Saudi Arabia half a century ago. If you've ever lived abroad for an extended amount of time, the cultural assimilation and exhaustion is familiar to read about. The norms of raising children in a royal Saudi Arabian household were interesting to learn and perhaps Buschow should have been more delicate in navigating those differences. However, the ending is tragic and reveals the narrow options available to women, how quickly the cultural hegemony can supercede family bonds.

[Gillis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een waargebeurd verhaal dat ongetwijfeld het vertellen waard is. Zeker in zijn tijd (jaren '80) waarin er hier over't algemeen weinig geweten was over het leven in landen als Saoedi Arabië.
De schrijfstijl lag me echter niet waardoor ik geen connectie vond met de personages en het verhaal me niet echt kon boeien.

[Jolieg G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waargebeurd maar vond het boek geen echte hoogvlieger.
Kon het gemakkelijk aan de kant leggen.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

So eloquent and well written. Loved this book.