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Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan
Paperback book, 2004. Adult fiction; middle eastern setting.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
October 29, 2010
This book is just one big fat lie.
I'm sorry to see that some people still are so fame hungry that they tell one big lie after another, I'm in no means ever racist, but this evoked my anger so much that I have to clarify this:
I'm a Muslim girl living in Jordan, this kinda stuff happens, but no more than few cases a year, we do not live in constant fear of being kill because we love, you cannot generalize the whole Jordanian community to be murderous just because some crazy person decides to kill his sister/daughter. A crazy (and I say crazy because in my opinion, any one who decides to kill another human being, no matter the reason, is just someone gone mad and lost his humanity) lost it and found the reason to excuse a kill.
I'm saddened that a Jordanian woman, who didn't spend her live in Jordan, and not even Muslim, tries to attack a world she knows nothing about. We have enough accusations thrown our way every day without given reasons to have more lies encouraging more attacks.
This books is in all means nothing close to the truth. And, the author claiming it to be the truth just makes it a piece of trash.
I'm sorry to see that some people still are so fame hungry that they tell one big lie after another, I'm in no means ever racist, but this evoked my anger so much that I have to clarify this:
I'm a Muslim girl living in Jordan, this kinda stuff happens, but no more than few cases a year, we do not live in constant fear of being kill because we love, you cannot generalize the whole Jordanian community to be murderous just because some crazy person decides to kill his sister/daughter. A crazy (and I say crazy because in my opinion, any one who decides to kill another human being, no matter the reason, is just someone gone mad and lost his humanity) lost it and found the reason to excuse a kill.
I'm saddened that a Jordanian woman, who didn't spend her live in Jordan, and not even Muslim, tries to attack a world she knows nothing about. We have enough accusations thrown our way every day without given reasons to have more lies encouraging more attacks.
This books is in all means nothing close to the truth. And, the author claiming it to be the truth just makes it a piece of trash.
April 4, 2019
This book turns out to be a hoax. I loathe authors who write fiction and then pass it off as nonfiction. So, to say that I didn't like this book would be a huge understatement.
The only reason her book became a best seller, in my humble opinion, was the sensationalism of the topic. If she had sold it as a fiction story, it would have sunk without a trace, 'cause she can't write worth a damn.
The Inside Story of Disgraced Author Norma Khouri
More details have emerged in a story by well-known journalist David Leser, published in The Australian Women's Weekly this month. It is the magazine with the largest circulation in the country: over 600,000. Leser reveals for the first time that Khouri admits that she lied in the writing of her book, Forbidden Love. "Look, I did lie, but I lied for a reason. It wasn't fame and fortune I was after, not at all. It was about the issue [of honour killings]. And I apologise to you for lying. I justified it in my head as the ends justifying the means. I hated lying to anyone about anything."
Khouri Makes Charming and Scary Subject
Norma was in fact, a real estate agent from Chicago, mother of two and on the run from the FBI; not the virgin Jordanian woman campaigning against honour killings, she claimed to be on chat shows all over the world.
There's No Honour in Murder
But it was all a lie, as numerous investigations within Jordan and Chicago, Khouri's true place of residence, revealed. While it was SMH journalist Malcolm Knox who wrote the biting expose, the Arab journalist who first queried the authenticity of the book was Rana Husseini.
Excellent section on her in this book.
Telling Tales: A History of Literary Hoaxes
1 Star = Lies! Hoax! Yuck! I wish I hadn't wasted my time reading it.
The only reason her book became a best seller, in my humble opinion, was the sensationalism of the topic. If she had sold it as a fiction story, it would have sunk without a trace, 'cause she can't write worth a damn.
The Inside Story of Disgraced Author Norma Khouri
More details have emerged in a story by well-known journalist David Leser, published in The Australian Women's Weekly this month. It is the magazine with the largest circulation in the country: over 600,000. Leser reveals for the first time that Khouri admits that she lied in the writing of her book, Forbidden Love. "Look, I did lie, but I lied for a reason. It wasn't fame and fortune I was after, not at all. It was about the issue [of honour killings]. And I apologise to you for lying. I justified it in my head as the ends justifying the means. I hated lying to anyone about anything."
Khouri Makes Charming and Scary Subject
Norma was in fact, a real estate agent from Chicago, mother of two and on the run from the FBI; not the virgin Jordanian woman campaigning against honour killings, she claimed to be on chat shows all over the world.
There's No Honour in Murder
But it was all a lie, as numerous investigations within Jordan and Chicago, Khouri's true place of residence, revealed. While it was SMH journalist Malcolm Knox who wrote the biting expose, the Arab journalist who first queried the authenticity of the book was Rana Husseini.
Excellent section on her in this book.
Telling Tales: A History of Literary Hoaxes
1 Star = Lies! Hoax! Yuck! I wish I hadn't wasted my time reading it.
October 3, 2016
For those who don't know, this book is a literary hoax. It was the subject of the Australian documentary titled "Forbidden Lies" by Anna Broinowski. Norma insisted on the credibility of her book before it was revealed that it was fake. She published it under the assertion that it is a nonfictional account of her friend although it had inaccurate descriptions of the Jordanian women's lives and of the Jordanian suburbs and villages, and she wasn't in Jordan during the time frame of the events of the book, she barely even lived in Jordan. It's sad how this book preys on the Western World's already existent misconceptions about the Arab World. And it's sad how there are many fake memoirs out there because it's very disappointing once you've emotionally invested in the characters and then you've found out that the author has lied to you. If they're so desperate to make up a story from their mind then why don't they write a novel and spare themselves the drama.
October 11, 2017
Ho letto questo libro diversi anni prima di avere l'occasione di trascorrere alcuni mesi in Giordania, dove i cosiddetti delitti d'onore sono ancora oggi più frequenti di quanto si pensi.
Studiavo all'università e a lezione con qualche docente giordano se ne parlava; mi colpì il fatto che il più indignato e decisamente arrabbiato contro questi crimini che restano legalmente impuniti fosse un uomo, mentre una sua collega, come imbarazzata, ci parlò della scottante faccenda senza soffermarvisi troppo.
Ho anche notato che la gente comune non ne parlava volentieri e ho toccato con mano la reticenza delle ragazze ad affrontare l'argomento. Penso che la famiglia reale e la tanto famosa regina Rania non facciano nulla affinché questi fatti legati alla mentalità tribale del Paese, dove dunque una ragazza rischia la vita anche per il solo fatto di trovarsi ritratta in una foto sul cellulare di un uomo, vengano definitivamente sradicati.
Studiavo all'università e a lezione con qualche docente giordano se ne parlava; mi colpì il fatto che il più indignato e decisamente arrabbiato contro questi crimini che restano legalmente impuniti fosse un uomo, mentre una sua collega, come imbarazzata, ci parlò della scottante faccenda senza soffermarvisi troppo.
Ho anche notato che la gente comune non ne parlava volentieri e ho toccato con mano la reticenza delle ragazze ad affrontare l'argomento. Penso che la famiglia reale e la tanto famosa regina Rania non facciano nulla affinché questi fatti legati alla mentalità tribale del Paese, dove dunque una ragazza rischia la vita anche per il solo fatto di trovarsi ritratta in una foto sul cellulare di un uomo, vengano definitivamente sradicati.
May 26, 2008
I loved this book, but after adding it to my books on Good Reads, I learned it was a hoax. I will leave my 4 stars as that's how I felt about it at the time, but, based on this new information I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The muslim community has enough againist them right now, without having lies passed off as true stories.
June 14, 2017
THIS BOOK IS SO BAD.
Not just because the majority of it reads like it was written by a 12 year old for a misjudged creative writing assignment, but because the author seems to be evil.
Some background: Norma Khouri is a Catholic from Jordan, whose best friend, Dalia, was murdered by her Muslim family because she fell in love with a Catholic man. Although they barely even kissed, the strict Muslim codes that her family - like all of Jordan's Islamic population - abide by mean that Dalia is murdered by her father and brothers to restore their honour. In response, Khouri promised to honour her friend by fighting against this practice of family murder, and bravely stood up to Dalia's family, before being forced to flee Jordan in fear for her life. The book is told in simple, often childish English, which makes sense - according to the publishers at Random House who were asked why they had published a book based solely on its synopsis and not its literary merits - as Norma spent her life in Jordan until she was forced to flee as a refugee to Greece when her own family threatened her. Married to the cause, she lived as a virgin refugee in Greece, unable to have any relationship with a man due to her conservative Arab upbringing which instilled a fear of sex, something she discusses in the Afterword of the book, and then moved to the US to publish her memoirs.
Except Norma Khouri is really Norma Bagain (now Toliopoulos), who lived in the US and then Australia from the age of 3, and Dalia never existed. Bagain is married to a Greek man, had two children when the book was published, and had been living in the US at the time that Dalia was supposed to have been murdered, in 1996. Bagain is suspected of being a serial con artist, with evidence suggesting that she is suspected of fraud (befriending an old woman with dementia and forging her signature on her will, borrowing and then never returning money from a neighbour to fight accusations in the US, lying about her children being those of a drug addict whom she had adopted) and whose husband is rumoured to have links to Greek crime rings in the US. She’s still in touch with her family, who never tried or threatened to kill her - although their relationship is strained due to unrelated accusations - and was never a refugee. She didn't heroically make a stand for women's rights which forced her out of the country of her birth, unless she was an oddly feminist 3 year old. The simple, often immature writing style of the book isn’t due to any language difficulties, as English is one of her first languages; it’s just because she has barely any discernible talent.
This book is thinly veiled Islamophobic propaganda. Bagain to this day asserts that she wrote it based on the real death of her friend and she just fudged the details so that her friend wouldn’t be identified, as this would put Bagain's own life in danger, but that’s been proven to be false. For a start, Bagain's life, she says, is already in danger because she went public with her story. For another thing, she has released pictures of the girl she says is Dalia. For a third, she was not living in Jordan for her adult life, so unless Dalia was a particularly close penpal, she didn't have a best friend living in Jordan who was murdered. She has nothing to lose by coming out with the full truth about Dalia's identity, and the sole reason that she hasn't done so is because Dalia is fiction. It’s basically just a book full of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric, released at a time when worldwide suspicion of Arab culture was at a high, with lengthy descriptions of how women in Jordan can’t leave their houses without a full veil and a chauffeur (which isn’t true) and how Islam is inherently misogynistic over every other religion (also not true). Of course honour killings happen and they are absolutely unforgivable, but the book made people think that every Arab family had at least one killing every generation.
Before it was exposed as a hoax, it was a bestseller. Now it’s out of print, which is good because I wanted to read it without giving the author any revenue, so had to buy it secondhand, and Bagain has disappeared from public life. It’s one of those literary hoaxes which has no merit. It was purely a money making scam, and it’s a bit of a bitter reminder of how willing people are to believe horrible things about certain groups of people.
The most charitable interpretation of this fraud is that Bagain heard about the practice of honour killing, and chose to write a novel which she felt exposed the crime, wrapping it up as memoir to improve its chance of being published and open a dialogue. This interpretation falls apart when you realise that Bagain never gave the money that the book raised to women's charities, as she'd promised (the promise is printed on the back of some editions of the book), and that she still maintains, in the face of overwhelming evidence, that this is not a novel, but a memoir. She also did not research the practice sufficiently, and caused damage to the awareness work of honour killings that was being undertaken by many women in Jordan. This book did not raise awareness of an actual, terrible phenomenon, but instead distorted the truth and made people angry about an imagined practice, which lessened their rage about the actual practice. That, to me, is unforgivable.
This book is full of mistakes which should have made its hoax status obvious. Bagain makes errors in geography and currency. She describes and names a real hospital but gives it a morgue in the basement, whereas the real hospital has no basement. She says that she and Dalia opened a salon for men and women, which would be illegal in Jordan. She describes buildings that weren't built at the time of the narrative. She describes the murderers getting bail, which is not part of Jordanian law. She says that they were tried by a jury, which murderers weren't. She says that the ambulance took Dalia's body away, which would have been the responsibility of the police. She says she went to an English school in Jordan that doesn't exist. Photos of 'Dalia', who comes from an extremely devout Muslim family, show her wearing hijab with her hair on display, which would not have been allowed in a family of that level of religious devotion. These facts were not checked - and are detailed in the documentary Forbidden Lie$ in more detail - not just because the publishers trusted Bagain, but because it was convenient to believe them. It makes us in the West feel good to see - or, more accurately, to believe - that the people in the East are frequently guilty of such awful things as Bagain describes, because it makes us feel better about our own failings; we get to say 'well, at least we don't do the things that they do in Jordan!'
Well, neither do the vast majority of the people in Jordan, or indeed the rest of the Arab world, and allowing books like this to be published without verification just furthers misinformation and prejudice. It's a shame Bagain was not prosecuted over this book. It's a relief that she's now exposed and discredited.
The 2* rating that this book has from me is based on the following:
3* for the book itself, devoid of context, read as though it were a novel and not wrapped up as non-fiction (death of the author, and all that)
1* for the author being a terrible plague upon the truth, who was allowed to get away with deceiving the world - and possibly with defrauding a string of other people - just as the father in her fictitious work was allowed to get away with murder
Not just because the majority of it reads like it was written by a 12 year old for a misjudged creative writing assignment, but because the author seems to be evil.
Some background: Norma Khouri is a Catholic from Jordan, whose best friend, Dalia, was murdered by her Muslim family because she fell in love with a Catholic man. Although they barely even kissed, the strict Muslim codes that her family - like all of Jordan's Islamic population - abide by mean that Dalia is murdered by her father and brothers to restore their honour. In response, Khouri promised to honour her friend by fighting against this practice of family murder, and bravely stood up to Dalia's family, before being forced to flee Jordan in fear for her life. The book is told in simple, often childish English, which makes sense - according to the publishers at Random House who were asked why they had published a book based solely on its synopsis and not its literary merits - as Norma spent her life in Jordan until she was forced to flee as a refugee to Greece when her own family threatened her. Married to the cause, she lived as a virgin refugee in Greece, unable to have any relationship with a man due to her conservative Arab upbringing which instilled a fear of sex, something she discusses in the Afterword of the book, and then moved to the US to publish her memoirs.
Except Norma Khouri is really Norma Bagain (now Toliopoulos), who lived in the US and then Australia from the age of 3, and Dalia never existed. Bagain is married to a Greek man, had two children when the book was published, and had been living in the US at the time that Dalia was supposed to have been murdered, in 1996. Bagain is suspected of being a serial con artist, with evidence suggesting that she is suspected of fraud (befriending an old woman with dementia and forging her signature on her will, borrowing and then never returning money from a neighbour to fight accusations in the US, lying about her children being those of a drug addict whom she had adopted) and whose husband is rumoured to have links to Greek crime rings in the US. She’s still in touch with her family, who never tried or threatened to kill her - although their relationship is strained due to unrelated accusations - and was never a refugee. She didn't heroically make a stand for women's rights which forced her out of the country of her birth, unless she was an oddly feminist 3 year old. The simple, often immature writing style of the book isn’t due to any language difficulties, as English is one of her first languages; it’s just because she has barely any discernible talent.
This book is thinly veiled Islamophobic propaganda. Bagain to this day asserts that she wrote it based on the real death of her friend and she just fudged the details so that her friend wouldn’t be identified, as this would put Bagain's own life in danger, but that’s been proven to be false. For a start, Bagain's life, she says, is already in danger because she went public with her story. For another thing, she has released pictures of the girl she says is Dalia. For a third, she was not living in Jordan for her adult life, so unless Dalia was a particularly close penpal, she didn't have a best friend living in Jordan who was murdered. She has nothing to lose by coming out with the full truth about Dalia's identity, and the sole reason that she hasn't done so is because Dalia is fiction. It’s basically just a book full of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab rhetoric, released at a time when worldwide suspicion of Arab culture was at a high, with lengthy descriptions of how women in Jordan can’t leave their houses without a full veil and a chauffeur (which isn’t true) and how Islam is inherently misogynistic over every other religion (also not true). Of course honour killings happen and they are absolutely unforgivable, but the book made people think that every Arab family had at least one killing every generation.
Before it was exposed as a hoax, it was a bestseller. Now it’s out of print, which is good because I wanted to read it without giving the author any revenue, so had to buy it secondhand, and Bagain has disappeared from public life. It’s one of those literary hoaxes which has no merit. It was purely a money making scam, and it’s a bit of a bitter reminder of how willing people are to believe horrible things about certain groups of people.
The most charitable interpretation of this fraud is that Bagain heard about the practice of honour killing, and chose to write a novel which she felt exposed the crime, wrapping it up as memoir to improve its chance of being published and open a dialogue. This interpretation falls apart when you realise that Bagain never gave the money that the book raised to women's charities, as she'd promised (the promise is printed on the back of some editions of the book), and that she still maintains, in the face of overwhelming evidence, that this is not a novel, but a memoir. She also did not research the practice sufficiently, and caused damage to the awareness work of honour killings that was being undertaken by many women in Jordan. This book did not raise awareness of an actual, terrible phenomenon, but instead distorted the truth and made people angry about an imagined practice, which lessened their rage about the actual practice. That, to me, is unforgivable.
This book is full of mistakes which should have made its hoax status obvious. Bagain makes errors in geography and currency. She describes and names a real hospital but gives it a morgue in the basement, whereas the real hospital has no basement. She says that she and Dalia opened a salon for men and women, which would be illegal in Jordan. She describes buildings that weren't built at the time of the narrative. She describes the murderers getting bail, which is not part of Jordanian law. She says that they were tried by a jury, which murderers weren't. She says that the ambulance took Dalia's body away, which would have been the responsibility of the police. She says she went to an English school in Jordan that doesn't exist. Photos of 'Dalia', who comes from an extremely devout Muslim family, show her wearing hijab with her hair on display, which would not have been allowed in a family of that level of religious devotion. These facts were not checked - and are detailed in the documentary Forbidden Lie$ in more detail - not just because the publishers trusted Bagain, but because it was convenient to believe them. It makes us in the West feel good to see - or, more accurately, to believe - that the people in the East are frequently guilty of such awful things as Bagain describes, because it makes us feel better about our own failings; we get to say 'well, at least we don't do the things that they do in Jordan!'
Well, neither do the vast majority of the people in Jordan, or indeed the rest of the Arab world, and allowing books like this to be published without verification just furthers misinformation and prejudice. It's a shame Bagain was not prosecuted over this book. It's a relief that she's now exposed and discredited.
The 2* rating that this book has from me is based on the following:
3* for the book itself, devoid of context, read as though it were a novel and not wrapped up as non-fiction (death of the author, and all that)
1* for the author being a terrible plague upon the truth, who was allowed to get away with deceiving the world - and possibly with defrauding a string of other people - just as the father in her fictitious work was allowed to get away with murder
April 12, 2023
just started reading this lie reluctantly for the sake of an academic purpose.
Norma Khuri is a Jordanian author who claims to be documenting the true story of her Muslim friend Dalia who was killed by her father cause she fell in love with a Christian man. This novel was written in English and targetted western readers who were stricked by Dalia's death that they made a song for her and sent hundreds of letters to Norma khury who made a fortune out of this novel's success, a couple of years later investigations were made and proofs came out that this story never happened. the novel has many mistakes about places and people who never existed. Well honor crimes do exist, but they don't define Muslims or Arabs the way Norma wanted her reader to believe. she was fishing in murky waters!
I've just watched a documentary about the (fabrication) of this story. it is available on youtube called (forbidden lie). I am shocked how some people are willing to fabricate lies that would end up causing troubles or a sectarian strife. Norma Khuri could have just passed on her story as an imaginative one, but she wanted to play the super hero in a story that had nothing to do with her (if it was true). she fabricated a piece of hate and claimed it is true. she got the scandal she deserves. SHAME!
I highly recommend watching the documentary to know how a liar looks like when she insists on extending lies that have nothing to do with exposed facts and logic.
this story and its “author” is a case study. A sample of sociopaths and haters who justify their hate for their own interest. Norma is an example of those who take minor acts of injustice, multiply it and expose it as a definition of a certain nation or a religion. She doesn't consider ethics of literature, and how shameful it is to play on reader's emotions. She hates her home country, she hates Muslims and I bet she hates herself. Cause no stable person would need to do this cheap show. Norma should feel "proud" today that her "novel" is used, unlike what she planned for, in the shameful context of hate, literary hoax and ideologized misrepresentations.
Norma Khuri is a Jordanian author who claims to be documenting the true story of her Muslim friend Dalia who was killed by her father cause she fell in love with a Christian man. This novel was written in English and targetted western readers who were stricked by Dalia's death that they made a song for her and sent hundreds of letters to Norma khury who made a fortune out of this novel's success, a couple of years later investigations were made and proofs came out that this story never happened. the novel has many mistakes about places and people who never existed. Well honor crimes do exist, but they don't define Muslims or Arabs the way Norma wanted her reader to believe. she was fishing in murky waters!
I've just watched a documentary about the (fabrication) of this story. it is available on youtube called (forbidden lie). I am shocked how some people are willing to fabricate lies that would end up causing troubles or a sectarian strife. Norma Khuri could have just passed on her story as an imaginative one, but she wanted to play the super hero in a story that had nothing to do with her (if it was true). she fabricated a piece of hate and claimed it is true. she got the scandal she deserves. SHAME!
I highly recommend watching the documentary to know how a liar looks like when she insists on extending lies that have nothing to do with exposed facts and logic.
this story and its “author” is a case study. A sample of sociopaths and haters who justify their hate for their own interest. Norma is an example of those who take minor acts of injustice, multiply it and expose it as a definition of a certain nation or a religion. She doesn't consider ethics of literature, and how shameful it is to play on reader's emotions. She hates her home country, she hates Muslims and I bet she hates herself. Cause no stable person would need to do this cheap show. Norma should feel "proud" today that her "novel" is used, unlike what she planned for, in the shameful context of hate, literary hoax and ideologized misrepresentations.
March 20, 2024
Hoax, written and published to profit off Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and the fetish the West has towards “oriental” women.
It is both sad and ironic to see how major publishers and organizations just jumped at the opportunity, enabling this fraudulent project to become a bestseller. There’s a good documentary about the investigation into the story, available on YouTube.
A lot of basics, as others pointed out, are completely baseless. Jordan is not bordered by Kuwait, Islam doesn’t give the permission to kill women, and Jordan’s law doesn’t even mandate the traditional clothes associated with Islam like the book claims.
“Honor” culture has serious daily consequences on the lives of women. Even when honor-shaming and terror don’t cause death, they still determine big and small decisions in the lives of women and girls. To see such a genuine cause exploited by a fellow woman is especially disappointing.
At the moment of writing this review, Jordan is reading about the story of Isra’a Abu Zaid. Ahlam, Fatima, and many others, are forever engraved in the feminist and women rights movement memory.
It’s a very complex, painful issue. It can be very contextual, personal, and household-specific too. I do believe that “honor” controls far too many areas of our lives and became the pretext for far too many lives ruined and stolen, and I also believe that the world (including the Western voices which claim to be light years ahead of the Global South) is indeed sickeningly obsessed with women, their bodies and their “honor”, and the story of this hoax is a prime example of when greed, racism, and colonial legacy meet the literary world and further contribute to compounding the challenges of telling real stories about “honor”.
It is both sad and ironic to see how major publishers and organizations just jumped at the opportunity, enabling this fraudulent project to become a bestseller. There’s a good documentary about the investigation into the story, available on YouTube.
A lot of basics, as others pointed out, are completely baseless. Jordan is not bordered by Kuwait, Islam doesn’t give the permission to kill women, and Jordan’s law doesn’t even mandate the traditional clothes associated with Islam like the book claims.
“Honor” culture has serious daily consequences on the lives of women. Even when honor-shaming and terror don’t cause death, they still determine big and small decisions in the lives of women and girls. To see such a genuine cause exploited by a fellow woman is especially disappointing.
At the moment of writing this review, Jordan is reading about the story of Isra’a Abu Zaid. Ahlam, Fatima, and many others, are forever engraved in the feminist and women rights movement memory.
It’s a very complex, painful issue. It can be very contextual, personal, and household-specific too. I do believe that “honor” controls far too many areas of our lives and became the pretext for far too many lives ruined and stolen, and I also believe that the world (including the Western voices which claim to be light years ahead of the Global South) is indeed sickeningly obsessed with women, their bodies and their “honor”, and the story of this hoax is a prime example of when greed, racism, and colonial legacy meet the literary world and further contribute to compounding the challenges of telling real stories about “honor”.
May 12, 2013
Forbidden Love was a very good book because it made me more aware of some of the injustices that are taking place to women around the world especially in Muslim countries. This is also a true story so the message was even more powerful and effective to me. I also liked this reading this book because it showed this close, sisterly friendship between Dalia and Norma. I thought it was touching that they would both go through extraordinary lengths to do something or protect each other. Forbidden Love was an easy book to follow and had a good balance of both suspenseful and calm moments. The only thing that I disliked about the book was that the back of the book was a spoiler. It told how the story was going to end and it took some of the mystery from the plot. None the less, Forbidden Love opened my eyes to how women are treated in Muslim countries and was a inspiring and dramatic story. I would highly recommend this book to every woman and girl to read.
January 5, 2010
This account is not a true memoir, but actually a fiction. It is a very controversial book in the eyes of most educated Jordanians. Khouri actually grew up in Chicago, not in Jordan. I will be using this book in my thesis about memoirs about honor killings.
This novel is not very good. The characters fall flat and it is obvious that the Khouri has an axe to grind with Jordanian society. I struggled with this unbalanced and preachy portrayal. I could read it in a day, quite easily. It was almost as if it was written for young adults, not mature educated people. I did not feel it was real or compelling. The most difficult part of the book is when she lists real accounts of women who have been lost in honor killings.
Nonetheless, anyone who is interested in this genre should take a look. Amazon will show you other books of the same variety, or you can keep an eye on what I'm reading! It will be interesting to contrast it with other memoirs.
This novel is not very good. The characters fall flat and it is obvious that the Khouri has an axe to grind with Jordanian society. I struggled with this unbalanced and preachy portrayal. I could read it in a day, quite easily. It was almost as if it was written for young adults, not mature educated people. I did not feel it was real or compelling. The most difficult part of the book is when she lists real accounts of women who have been lost in honor killings.
Nonetheless, anyone who is interested in this genre should take a look. Amazon will show you other books of the same variety, or you can keep an eye on what I'm reading! It will be interesting to contrast it with other memoirs.
June 12, 2007
Honor Lost is a book that still haunts me even though it's been a couple of years since I read it. It was very well written and quite captivating. It's a beautiful and devastating true story and it gave me an education every Western woman needs. I'm still at a loss for what I can do to keep this story from repeating itself in the lives of so many innocent women. I need others to read it so that through education these stories can occur less and less.
January 8, 2010
I honestly don't know how to rate this book. When I first read it, it was believed to be a true story. Later it became known that the author lied about it. So, for a fiction, it was a very good story. Too bad it lost its appeal because of lie.
August 22, 2009
Disappointment has driven me to give this book only one star and I classified this book as a fiction regardless what the author claimed that this is a nonfiction; I could have given this book more than this given the story is very touching and romantic love story, the Author is not a very wordy kind of author but I think the simplicity makes this book readable or is it because the readers thought simplicity is a good way of telling a true story?
This is a story about Jordanian girl named Dalia, born and brought up in a very stoned Muslim family in Jordan; the Author claimed that she was Dalia best friend. They together opened a unisex beauty salon and along the way, Dalia fell in love with a non Muslim man and finally she got killed by his own brother and father for having a relationship with non Muslim man and In Jordan apparently this kind of action is “secretly accepted” and it’s called honour killings and based on the book the Jordanian Government didn’t do anything about this kind of actions.
This book soon became best seller nonfiction book and people condemned what has happened in Dalia and other women there who became victims of this kind of action.
The truth was, this so called nonfiction book is a completely lies, none of the “facts” inside the book had “real facts”. And honour killings were never happened (at least by the time she wrote the book).
I still don’t know what has driven the Author to do this kind of lies really. I think she just took the advantages of the situation at that time when western countries have this “negative sentiment” over Islamic countries.
I have seen the documentary about the author in forbidden lie$$ in ABC channel and the truth is Norma Khouri is a pathological Liar. And lying in the name of literature is unacceptable.
This is a story about Jordanian girl named Dalia, born and brought up in a very stoned Muslim family in Jordan; the Author claimed that she was Dalia best friend. They together opened a unisex beauty salon and along the way, Dalia fell in love with a non Muslim man and finally she got killed by his own brother and father for having a relationship with non Muslim man and In Jordan apparently this kind of action is “secretly accepted” and it’s called honour killings and based on the book the Jordanian Government didn’t do anything about this kind of actions.
This book soon became best seller nonfiction book and people condemned what has happened in Dalia and other women there who became victims of this kind of action.
The truth was, this so called nonfiction book is a completely lies, none of the “facts” inside the book had “real facts”. And honour killings were never happened (at least by the time she wrote the book).
I still don’t know what has driven the Author to do this kind of lies really. I think she just took the advantages of the situation at that time when western countries have this “negative sentiment” over Islamic countries.
I have seen the documentary about the author in forbidden lie$$ in ABC channel and the truth is Norma Khouri is a pathological Liar. And lying in the name of literature is unacceptable.
December 29, 2015
Growing up in Jordan, I was aware of the Honor Killings that have occurred in the past. As I was reading Norma's book, though, I kept thinking there were some inconsistencies. While it would be plausible for two daughters from different religious backgrounds/families become friends, it is very very very uncommon that a Christian family and a Muslim family would be "friends" as a whole, especially to the extent that Dalia and Norma's family interacted. Additionally, the cultural rules for christian females in Jordan are vastly different from the rule established among Muslim women. Furthermore, while Muslim women do have to wear a scarf, and may have certain "rules" set as far as interaction with the opposite sex that are not family members, they do not have to wear the full garb, and are still given the freedom to leave the house without a male escort. In fact, in villages and in Amman, I would often walk with Muslim friends or take taxis with Muslims friends without a male escort. The area of Amman where the story was said to take place has also always been considered a more "western" part of the capital, and women are given much more freedom than what was being expressed in the book. So after reading the book, I looked up Norma Khouri. Come to find out, the entire story was a hoax. None of the events were true, and Norma herself hadn't lived in Jordan since she was 3 (her parents moved to Chicago in 1973). That was a little disappointing to hear, but also explained why I thought there were too many inconsistencies in the story from the Jordan I know versus the Jordan she was describing.
Despite the fact this "non fiction" was actually fictitious, it did shed a light on Honor Killings that I think could help educate several Westerns on the subject. It does still take place, it is a horrible thing, and it should be known about.
Despite the fact this "non fiction" was actually fictitious, it did shed a light on Honor Killings that I think could help educate several Westerns on the subject. It does still take place, it is a horrible thing, and it should be known about.
June 16, 2009
After posting my review, I've read about this author as presenting the story as factual, when in reality it is fiction. As a work of fiction, it would still be an intense and riveting novel, but when presented by the author as factual (and subsequently found to be fiction), it leaves a bad taste in one's mouth. It is hard for me to figure out the author's intentions; controversy, sensationalism, profit? I am leaving my review as originally written, but with a caveat at the beginning, that is: I believed it to be a work of non-ficiton.
Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan is a story dedicated to a murdered friend; a soul-sister, whose only crime was to love a decent, respectful man. Dalia, a Muslim, fell hopelessly in love with Michael, a Catholic in Jordan's Royal Army. Dalia's beloved friend, Norma, helped the two of them to meet and talk, while their love story grew. Their plans of marriage, committment, and a happy family-life were cut short by Dalia's father's thirst for revenge as her 'honor' was violated by these innocent meetings.
These ancient, barbaric rules are hard for Western society to imagine and even more so, difficult for us to believe they still take place today, and yet, they do. Norma's promise in death to Dalia was to tell her story to the world and to avenge a death that was utterly inconceivable and wrong. While their story is not new or unheard of, it is poignant and told with compassionate familial memories. Ultimately, we are, as human beings, compelled by the bonds of decency and ethical treatment which implore us to be united against this savagery. It is this reader's hope that Norma has found some peace and freedom from the nightmares that consumed her nights in the days that followed Dalia's tragic fate.
Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan is a story dedicated to a murdered friend; a soul-sister, whose only crime was to love a decent, respectful man. Dalia, a Muslim, fell hopelessly in love with Michael, a Catholic in Jordan's Royal Army. Dalia's beloved friend, Norma, helped the two of them to meet and talk, while their love story grew. Their plans of marriage, committment, and a happy family-life were cut short by Dalia's father's thirst for revenge as her 'honor' was violated by these innocent meetings.
These ancient, barbaric rules are hard for Western society to imagine and even more so, difficult for us to believe they still take place today, and yet, they do. Norma's promise in death to Dalia was to tell her story to the world and to avenge a death that was utterly inconceivable and wrong. While their story is not new or unheard of, it is poignant and told with compassionate familial memories. Ultimately, we are, as human beings, compelled by the bonds of decency and ethical treatment which implore us to be united against this savagery. It is this reader's hope that Norma has found some peace and freedom from the nightmares that consumed her nights in the days that followed Dalia's tragic fate.
June 7, 2017
The book was really good and it was heartbreaking, but I found out after I finished that it was a hoax! That's why I rated it 1 star, I hesitate to recommend this to anyone else because of the shadow it casts on a society.
Read
October 19, 2022When I read the book many years ago, I thought this was a true story. If true or not it really touched me and stayed with me. I just thought about it and wanted to look something up, just to find that it was proven to be a hoax and the author made up a fictional story, which she sold as a true and personal one. This is in no way ok. If she had marked it as a fictional story from begin, it would have been no issue but this is fraud and a shame.
I will therefor delete my 4 star rating of the book. But I want to state, that I really liked it, when I read it back then and found the story touching and emotional, so from a pure literature and story perspective it deserved these 4 stars (my own personal opinion and rating). But I will not support good ratings for such a fraud.
I will therefor delete my 4 star rating of the book. But I want to state, that I really liked it, when I read it back then and found the story touching and emotional, so from a pure literature and story perspective it deserved these 4 stars (my own personal opinion and rating). But I will not support good ratings for such a fraud.
February 25, 2021
What a ride this book is... holy crap. Would not recommend to anyone thats sensitive to violence/gore because this book definitely contains it. It was well written though and I enjoyed it.
December 10, 2024
Araabiamaades toimuvad nn aumõrvad on ikka üks jube nähtus! Õnneks toimub neid tänapäeval tõenäoliselt oluliselt vähem kui 30 aastat tagasi, aga ka üks on juba liiga palju.. Kohutav!
Raamat oli tõetruu ja andis elava ettekujutuse Jordaania naiste õigusteta elust, mida ei tahaks ettegi kujutada. See raamat raputas!
Paraku avastasin lõpuks ebameeldiva üllatusena, et see ei olnudki autori enda ja tema sõbranna saatuse kirjeldus, vaid väljamõeldis, mida esitleti tõestisündinu pähe.. see oli korralik pettumus.
Raamat oli tõetruu ja andis elava ettekujutuse Jordaania naiste õigusteta elust, mida ei tahaks ettegi kujutada. See raamat raputas!
Paraku avastasin lõpuks ebameeldiva üllatusena, et see ei olnudki autori enda ja tema sõbranna saatuse kirjeldus, vaid väljamõeldis, mida esitleti tõestisündinu pähe.. see oli korralik pettumus.
Read
August 1, 2023When I was 12 and bored I read this entire book in one day and my mom didn’t believe me. I’ve been trying to find it for like years and now I’m just finding out it wasn’t real
November 13, 2015
Why on earth couldn't Norma Khouri simply admit her book is a romantic fiction? Ironically this would have given her book the credibility she craved and have enabled an open discussion about how far it reflected real life in Jordan. Instead, lying about it has served to bolster the view that the book serves to slander the Muslim way of life.
Thanks to GR I discovered this "fact" when I was about halfway through the book and this led to my decision to abandon it. The sad thing is that honour killings do indeed go on, whether they are more prevalent in Jordan than anywhere else I couldn't say but here in the uk we have had a trickle of reported cases. Perhaps Khouri found a cause she felt passionate enough about to champion but having enmired herself in a web of lies and half truths can she ever find her way out of these?
I feel very sad..... Nobody is served well by deception
Norma Khouri - Absolute Write
www.absolutewrite.com › novels › norm...
Below is the link.to the fascinating documentary about Norma which uncovers the web of lies or half truths which she spun and then became enmeshed in, but undoubtedly this expose leads to more and more questions. Norma emerges as a woman with a complex history which in all likelihood included abuse from a parent. Although like everything in Norma's life this too is disputed (I.e. Denied by her father) That would however, certainly explain her need to keep up a facade, or maybe multiple facades. How much "truth" is behind Norma's book remains a mystery. However it seems to me that the interview with her (until recently) estranged father is important as he asserts that Norma's book is essentially true even though all details were changed.
Norma herself ended up by describing her book as "faction" . What a pity she did not use this term from the beginning, then whether what is described comes from actual personal experience or from something she was alerted to from a newspaper article ceases to matter and the story could have taken it's place perhaps without creating a political storm in Jordan and potentially jeopardising the long slow patient work that goes on there to transform that society from within.
At one point Norma is asked about how this change should be attempted and she asserts that changes in the law are needed to effect change in society whereas the view of the Jordanian campaigner on the ground is that to be effective laws must emerge naturally from a changed society. Coming from a country that has honoured and respected democracy for over a thousand years, even if at times monarchs attempted to ignore this, it is difficult to see why the latter view might be right. Norma may be born Jordanian, have visited many times and have maintained her fluency but having grown up in Chicago her ideas are heavily influenced by the American Dream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VkxT...
It seems to me that it is easy to label Norma Khouri as a pathological liar and con artist who belatedly, perhaps, found a cause to champion, but who, because of all the lies and half truths, is, sadly now unlikely to be trusted by those who are fighting on the ground for justice and freedom for women in Jordan. The cynical maintain, however, that her book was born not out of compassion or experience but purely to cash in on interest in Arab ways of life and thought.
I happen to be re-reading The Far Pavilions at the moment. The India of the Britush Raj may seem a world away from Jordan in the 21st century but MM Kaye's astute comparisons of the way in which the different characters think, including their instinctive attitudes to "telling the truth" seem to echo here. If "telling the truth" is dangerous and has been dangerous for as long as you can remember what can you trust in? Is it possible to forge positive relationships despite this?
Who is the real Norma Khouri? Perhaps she herself doesn't know, but it seems to me that a woman with such a talent for deception and such energy and passion surely potentially has much to offer to the world. Maybe she needs to find some humility first though and make amends to those she has wronged and deceived.
Thanks to GR I discovered this "fact" when I was about halfway through the book and this led to my decision to abandon it. The sad thing is that honour killings do indeed go on, whether they are more prevalent in Jordan than anywhere else I couldn't say but here in the uk we have had a trickle of reported cases. Perhaps Khouri found a cause she felt passionate enough about to champion but having enmired herself in a web of lies and half truths can she ever find her way out of these?
I feel very sad..... Nobody is served well by deception
Norma Khouri - Absolute Write
www.absolutewrite.com › novels › norm...
Below is the link.to the fascinating documentary about Norma which uncovers the web of lies or half truths which she spun and then became enmeshed in, but undoubtedly this expose leads to more and more questions. Norma emerges as a woman with a complex history which in all likelihood included abuse from a parent. Although like everything in Norma's life this too is disputed (I.e. Denied by her father) That would however, certainly explain her need to keep up a facade, or maybe multiple facades. How much "truth" is behind Norma's book remains a mystery. However it seems to me that the interview with her (until recently) estranged father is important as he asserts that Norma's book is essentially true even though all details were changed.
Norma herself ended up by describing her book as "faction" . What a pity she did not use this term from the beginning, then whether what is described comes from actual personal experience or from something she was alerted to from a newspaper article ceases to matter and the story could have taken it's place perhaps without creating a political storm in Jordan and potentially jeopardising the long slow patient work that goes on there to transform that society from within.
At one point Norma is asked about how this change should be attempted and she asserts that changes in the law are needed to effect change in society whereas the view of the Jordanian campaigner on the ground is that to be effective laws must emerge naturally from a changed society. Coming from a country that has honoured and respected democracy for over a thousand years, even if at times monarchs attempted to ignore this, it is difficult to see why the latter view might be right. Norma may be born Jordanian, have visited many times and have maintained her fluency but having grown up in Chicago her ideas are heavily influenced by the American Dream.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VkxT...
It seems to me that it is easy to label Norma Khouri as a pathological liar and con artist who belatedly, perhaps, found a cause to champion, but who, because of all the lies and half truths, is, sadly now unlikely to be trusted by those who are fighting on the ground for justice and freedom for women in Jordan. The cynical maintain, however, that her book was born not out of compassion or experience but purely to cash in on interest in Arab ways of life and thought.
I happen to be re-reading The Far Pavilions at the moment. The India of the Britush Raj may seem a world away from Jordan in the 21st century but MM Kaye's astute comparisons of the way in which the different characters think, including their instinctive attitudes to "telling the truth" seem to echo here. If "telling the truth" is dangerous and has been dangerous for as long as you can remember what can you trust in? Is it possible to forge positive relationships despite this?
Who is the real Norma Khouri? Perhaps she herself doesn't know, but it seems to me that a woman with such a talent for deception and such energy and passion surely potentially has much to offer to the world. Maybe she needs to find some humility first though and make amends to those she has wronged and deceived.
June 13, 2018
I wasted time reading this book...it's apparently an elaborate hoax, which is a shame because the writing is very interesting. However, I can't recommend it because, though there are some truths about honor killings in it, overall the story is fake.
May 9, 2023
I know this book has been proven to be a lie but in my opinion it's a good lie. Who knows maybe honour killings like this do still happen.
January 15, 2015
Albeit there is so much controversy surrounding this book, I appreciate how important, clear, and well written this novel is. As a fan of Middle Eastern (and generally foreign) books, I had a few questions about this book once I re-read it like many readers. But questions weren't about whether the protagonist was real because I know there are plenty of women who have, and are facing gender-based violence.
I did arrive to this conclusion during my first experience with it, as I was in 10th grade, and simply too enthralled with how unique this book was amongst the bland, and frankly white-washed titles we had in school. This was fresh and it generated cogent dialogue with people for weeks to come.
I didn't care to question the authenticity of the characters then, and I'm unsure if I care to now. Despite the arguments over how realistic or fictitious this novel is, there are many true undertones such as, and primarily the main focus of the book on honor killings. Perhaps women in Jordan don't live in fear constantly, and this book may have slightly generalized an entire population, but honor killings do happen, and one is one too many.
I've seen people say in reviews on GoodReads that honor killings are only a "few a year," "rare," & etc. in countries where they happen commonly (when in reality, a "few" means 1200 gender-based killings annually). Those people need to reevaluate their statements and mentality. Death is death but this type of gender-based execution is startling. I'm glad Khouri decided to hon in on that in Honor Lost, which is the crux of her story, next to forbidden love, whether the protagonist and the logistics of the story are completely real or not.
Now as an undergrad (women's studies/public leadership & policy), I still see the redundant articles and enumerating responses people have held toward this book; 'is it real' or 'not' and I say those people are really looking for a flaw to discredit not just this story, but the extent of gender-based killings because it is so culturally embedded, and the world seems to enjoy looking for chinks in the armor, so to speak, for women who make accusations about gender-based violence.
Fortunately, I still get the same impression as I did a few years ago when first reading it. It's powerful and exposes something clandestine about was is arguably a cultural custom in many nations; it certainly is not unique to this region of the world, although it has the highest numbers, and it needs to be discussed. Take what you want from all the external controversy of this novel, but it was well written and effective to the point where you wholly believed what you read as any good and important book should make a reader do.
I did arrive to this conclusion during my first experience with it, as I was in 10th grade, and simply too enthralled with how unique this book was amongst the bland, and frankly white-washed titles we had in school. This was fresh and it generated cogent dialogue with people for weeks to come.
I didn't care to question the authenticity of the characters then, and I'm unsure if I care to now. Despite the arguments over how realistic or fictitious this novel is, there are many true undertones such as, and primarily the main focus of the book on honor killings. Perhaps women in Jordan don't live in fear constantly, and this book may have slightly generalized an entire population, but honor killings do happen, and one is one too many.
I've seen people say in reviews on GoodReads that honor killings are only a "few a year," "rare," & etc. in countries where they happen commonly (when in reality, a "few" means 1200 gender-based killings annually). Those people need to reevaluate their statements and mentality. Death is death but this type of gender-based execution is startling. I'm glad Khouri decided to hon in on that in Honor Lost, which is the crux of her story, next to forbidden love, whether the protagonist and the logistics of the story are completely real or not.
Now as an undergrad (women's studies/public leadership & policy), I still see the redundant articles and enumerating responses people have held toward this book; 'is it real' or 'not' and I say those people are really looking for a flaw to discredit not just this story, but the extent of gender-based killings because it is so culturally embedded, and the world seems to enjoy looking for chinks in the armor, so to speak, for women who make accusations about gender-based violence.
Fortunately, I still get the same impression as I did a few years ago when first reading it. It's powerful and exposes something clandestine about was is arguably a cultural custom in many nations; it certainly is not unique to this region of the world, although it has the highest numbers, and it needs to be discussed. Take what you want from all the external controversy of this novel, but it was well written and effective to the point where you wholly believed what you read as any good and important book should make a reader do.
January 4, 2010
This book was very important to read. It was written well and in an engaging way, although the end was clear from the beginning.
I enjoyed reading the account of the friendship between Norma and Dalia, and it was interesting (and heartbreaking) to read about how they manipulated the laws that govern their lives (and the lives of women in Jordan) in order to carve out some pleasure and freedom for themselves.
As the women plot and plan ways for Dalia and Michael to spend time together, they are successful, and they are able to push away the reality that these transgressions could result in their deaths. Literally.
The inevitable happens and Dalia's father KILLS his daughter and is not sorrowful about it, rather he feels justified to root out the "evil" in his house. The horrifying reality is that the courts and laws in Jordan support this "honor killing" and no one can do anything about it.
Dalia's death incites an anger and passion in Norma that is sure to endanger her own life, and with the help of Michael, is able to escape.
It's important to note that the laws of Jordan are ultimately the same as it pertains to the "honor and reputation" of families and women. Norma presents an ugly side of the culture of Jordan, and does not look favorably on Islam.
It is even more important to note that what is written in the Koran is interpreted by societies and cultures and this is what leads to immoral and unconscionable acts. The "honor killings" that happen largely in Palestine and Jordan are a vestige from the nomadic societies that pre-dated Islam in these regions.
Bravo, Norma Khouri, for a brave, passionate book.
I enjoyed reading the account of the friendship between Norma and Dalia, and it was interesting (and heartbreaking) to read about how they manipulated the laws that govern their lives (and the lives of women in Jordan) in order to carve out some pleasure and freedom for themselves.
As the women plot and plan ways for Dalia and Michael to spend time together, they are successful, and they are able to push away the reality that these transgressions could result in their deaths. Literally.
The inevitable happens and Dalia's father KILLS his daughter and is not sorrowful about it, rather he feels justified to root out the "evil" in his house. The horrifying reality is that the courts and laws in Jordan support this "honor killing" and no one can do anything about it.
Dalia's death incites an anger and passion in Norma that is sure to endanger her own life, and with the help of Michael, is able to escape.
It's important to note that the laws of Jordan are ultimately the same as it pertains to the "honor and reputation" of families and women. Norma presents an ugly side of the culture of Jordan, and does not look favorably on Islam.
It is even more important to note that what is written in the Koran is interpreted by societies and cultures and this is what leads to immoral and unconscionable acts. The "honor killings" that happen largely in Palestine and Jordan are a vestige from the nomadic societies that pre-dated Islam in these regions.
Bravo, Norma Khouri, for a brave, passionate book.
May 2, 2018
I will not recommend this book at all. Reason being that this book is a total lie. I have no clue for what reason the writer has totally wrongly depicted the whole story. I'm a proud practicing Muslim but there is nowhere to be found that Islam supports and kind of honor killing or to shed love for the sake of pride. The religion which states that a murder of one human being is the murder of whole humanity. How can such a religion objecting women to such brutality? Also, the publisher themselves have claimed the truthfulness of the book. Claims are all false. I don't even believe Dalia existed! What a perfectly awful book miss Norma Khouri.
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Full review on my blog - > https://areebaflaunts.wordpress.com/2...
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Full review on my blog - > https://areebaflaunts.wordpress.com/2...
September 15, 2014
People are missing out the point of the book. It's true that it is a false account, but I think the writing wasn't that bad. It also serves a good cause. There are women around the world that are prejudged and misunderstood by extremists, that is the truth the books has told. One cannot deny what it actually means to be in a society that doesn't appreciate you because of your gender, colour, or beliefs. Honor crimes still exist. There's one way to put an end for it, and that would be taking drastic measures for anyone who commits it.
December 6, 2016
While this book was heartbreaking for the author on a personal level, I thought it was very informative. I learned a lot I didn't know about life in Jordan and common cultural experiences there for women. I felt so much empathy for Norma, thinking about my own close friendships and how I would react to what happens. It empowers me to want to find ways I can help, if I could help, other women who will be going through similar situations.
March 30, 2011
A stark reminder of how love can easily sweep one off their feet, forgetting the religious boundaries. And how women are so suppressed in Arab cultures. A good read, couldn't put it down, read it in one sitting
dnf
May 22, 2014Well now I'm just annoyed I wasted 50p on this, only to find out it is a hoax. I can't bring myself to bin any book, however bad, but I've put a note on the cover so anyone who sees it after me will know it's a fake. I hope other people will do the same.
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