Friday, March 29, 2013

Book Review – Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Al-Sanea




An upright, modern book on women, coming straight from the heart of Riyadh – this one is sure to capture your imagination right from the start. The book is a story of four friends living in Riyadh, their struggles and learning’s as they work to find a balance between the conservative Saudi society and the West. Essentially a chick flick, it stands apart from the fact that it is based out of Riyadh, and there are very few books that would give you an account of some of the women staying there (in this case barely 2 % of the women population).

The story telling of the author at first caught my attention. Every chapter begins with her sending mails to random people telling them her story. It always starts with a verse or poetry. The book is a bold attempt by the author as she tries to bring into light lives of a certain section of the society of Riyadh, breaking all the cliché’ surrounding Saudi women.

The girls here are the ‘velvet’ Riyadh upper class, similar in their upbringing but different in their choices. The plot revolves around all of them as they discover friendship, love and marriage, retaining the strong chains of their conservative upbringing. The book is a series of beginnings and break ups for each of the girls. The double standards of the Saudi society, particularly of men, have been highlighted with every narrative within.

Yet another chick lit, I would recommend this book if you are looking to understand the lives of girls in Saudi. It is a captivating insight into a concealed culture. The story telling is simple, and descriptive and the girls are a lot more than “which nail polish do I wear today” types. 

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