Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2004), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 224 pages
Description
Osama bin Laden's former sister-in-law provides a penetrating, unusually intimate look into Saudi society and the bin Laden family's role within it, as well as the treatment of Saudi women. On September 11th, 2001, Carmen bin Ladin heard the news that the Twin Towers had been struck. She instinctively knew that her ex-brother-in-law was involved in these horrifying acts of terrorism, and her heart went out to America. She also knew that her life and the lives of her family would never be the same again. Carmen bin Ladin, half Swiss and half Persian, married into and later divorced from the bin Laden family and found herself inside a complex and vast clan, part of a society that she neither knew nor understood. Her story takes us inside the bin Laden family and one of the most powerful, secretive, and repressed kingdoms in the world.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Niecierpek
I would like to recommend this book. I found it a very interesting, balanced, non-sensationalist account of Carmen Bin Ladin's life in Saudi Arabia as a wife of one of the Bin Ladin brothers. Osama is mentioned from time to time, and the origins of the Saudi Islamic fundamentalism are clearly
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explained, but is not the main point of the book. The point of the book is to communicate the conditions and laws women have to live under in Saudi Arabia. Show Less
LibraryThing member DLayton
This is a very descriptive book about the life of a Persian woman marrying into Saudi Arabia's limiting culture. Even though she was rich and associated with a priviledged family, her existence in her husband's country was still incredibly stifling. She also comments on her experience and
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expectations with her brother-in-law, Osama. The book was a unique perspective on the culture. Show Less
LibraryThing member EllenH
Makes me shudder to think that a woman could be so much at the mercy of a man & to be considered his property. The portrayal of women in the Saudi community is sobering. It was suggested that to understand Bin Laden one had to look at the the whole culture there. This book does a good job of
I agree with Marlene who was impressed by Carmens' quote " They will use our tolerance to infiltrate our society with their intolerance." Frightening.
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putting one into that life. Carmen was very lucky to be rich enough to escape with her children. I agree with Marlene who was impressed by Carmens' quote " They will use our tolerance to infiltrate our society with their intolerance." Frightening.
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LibraryThing member Jamily5
2* I wonder if I should just comment on the book, itself or Carmen.
So, first: the book (I did not feel) gave me much insight about life in Saudi. sure, there was the overwhelming theme of the subjection of women -- but what's new. I have read "The promise," by Gusim Majim and I liked it much
Carmen was a wealthy woman. She was born half Iranian and she notes the problems that she had on her visit before her wedding. Yet, her naivity kept her from seeing things clearly. Certainly, it did give us a look into the Bin laden clan which I found interesting.
Still, I felt as if it was the story of a scorned divorced woman trying to rival "Not without my daughter." I realize that firsthand accountsare rarely objective, but this left me searching for the truth.
So, first: the book (I did not feel) gave me much insight about life in Saudi. sure, there was the overwhelming theme of the subjection of women -- but what's new. I have read "The promise," by Gusim Majim and I liked it much
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more.Carmen was a wealthy woman. She was born half Iranian and she notes the problems that she had on her visit before her wedding. Yet, her naivity kept her from seeing things clearly. Certainly, it did give us a look into the Bin laden clan which I found interesting.
Still, I felt as if it was the story of a scorned divorced woman trying to rival "Not without my daughter." I realize that firsthand accountsare rarely objective, but this left me searching for the truth.
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LibraryThing member 2chances
So, I'm trying to catologue my books (because what if the house burned down? How would I know what to tell the insurance company???), and I was going through one of the bookcases and found this book. It actually belongs to my mother, and I was supposed to read it and mail it back to her YEARS ago.
Carmen Bin Ladin is not a talented writer, but she is competent, and her story is sort of fascinating to a western sensibility. (In a completely horrid way, of course). Bottom line is that wearing the veil - and all that goes with it - turns women into ciphers. Scared ones. Since I always pretty much suspected this, it was interesting to see it confirmed. Part of me kept thinking, Hello? You married a Saudi guy, and didn't expect this kind of misery? and part of me kept responding, Oh, leave her alone. She was young, she was in love. And I give her full credit for fighting successfully for custody of her daughters. Well done, Carmen! They're beautiful and they sound terrific
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Which I am now going to do. But I thought I'd better read it fast. Carmen Bin Ladin is not a talented writer, but she is competent, and her story is sort of fascinating to a western sensibility. (In a completely horrid way, of course). Bottom line is that wearing the veil - and all that goes with it - turns women into ciphers. Scared ones. Since I always pretty much suspected this, it was interesting to see it confirmed. Part of me kept thinking, Hello? You married a Saudi guy, and didn't expect this kind of misery? and part of me kept responding, Oh, leave her alone. She was young, she was in love. And I give her full credit for fighting successfully for custody of her daughters. Well done, Carmen! They're beautiful and they sound terrific
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LibraryThing member Venqat65
This was a very interesting look into life in Saudi Arabia. Having lived in a Muslim country, much of the information was not as new to me as I would have thought it would be. Still, some aspects of the Saudi lifestyle were different from the lifestyle in Qatar, where we lived.
I think that some of
Saudi is stricter than Qatar, however, and I found it very interesting to hear the stories about the stricter religious order and also to gain insight into what life would be like when you are married into the culture.
Being half Persian, I would be surprised if Saudi was really as much of a shock to Carmen as she seems to lead us to believe.
The countries are very different, but she would be familiar with some aspects of Islam just from her visits to Iran in her childhood.
I found that Carmen sometimes repeated herself, but it did not bother me too much--it just served to reinforce her point.
The book seemed to tease that it was going to provide more information about Osama than it actually did. I think that I came to that conclusion because Osama was mentioned so quickly in the book and his life was summarized right from the start. The book is truly about Carmen, her husband, and her daughters though....a wonderful story in itself but I felt the Osama name was used simply to draw in more readers.
I think that some of
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the elements of life in Saudi would be shocking to an outsider--wearing an abaya, needing an exit visa, women having to be separate from men, luxurious clothing, separate marriage ceremonies--but I was already familiar with all of that, and quite honestly, in Qatar none of that is any big deal.Saudi is stricter than Qatar, however, and I found it very interesting to hear the stories about the stricter religious order and also to gain insight into what life would be like when you are married into the culture.
Being half Persian, I would be surprised if Saudi was really as much of a shock to Carmen as she seems to lead us to believe.
The countries are very different, but she would be familiar with some aspects of Islam just from her visits to Iran in her childhood.
I found that Carmen sometimes repeated herself, but it did not bother me too much--it just served to reinforce her point.
The book seemed to tease that it was going to provide more information about Osama than it actually did. I think that I came to that conclusion because Osama was mentioned so quickly in the book and his life was summarized right from the start. The book is truly about Carmen, her husband, and her daughters though....a wonderful story in itself but I felt the Osama name was used simply to draw in more readers.
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LibraryThing member carterchristian1
Coll, who spent 2 years writing his book on the Bin Ladin family refers to this book frequently, and it is my impression that Carmen Bin Ladin's book is a useful, if small addition to accumulating information about Osama himself. She places him within the family at a particular tijme from a
My sense from this book and Coll's book is that Carmen as well as the rest of the very large family of sibliings and in-laws has changing views of their brother over time and are probably still trying to discover their own livews.
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sister-in-law's views. Her personal story of a good marriage that failed under the stresses of an international life with children in the late 20th early 21st century, sad, but nor remarkable.My sense from this book and Coll's book is that Carmen as well as the rest of the very large family of sibliings and in-laws has changing views of their brother over time and are probably still trying to discover their own livews.
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LibraryThing member Marlene-NL
on Friday, December 19, 2008
Finished it last night (Dec.18) . Guess what I loved her conclusion, the last chapter and she has given me a sentence I want to remember cause I totally agree with it.
They will use our tolerance to infiltrate our society with there intolerance.
This is so true. The
Now about the book. I've read more books about women in Islamic culture and her life is very mild compared to the others. I think is interesting because she is one of the rich ones , her link to the Osama family , although you hardly hear anything about the main person of that horrible family, and of course the Princes.
Like Rosie i am also going to search for some more info on google now.
Which prince is now in power for instance. Is it the one she mentioned the more conservative one? Abdallah? I see the one reigning is called Abdulah
? 8.5
Finished it last night (Dec.18) . Guess what I loved her conclusion, the last chapter and she has given me a sentence I want to remember cause I totally agree with it.
They will use our tolerance to infiltrate our society with there intolerance.
This is so true. The
Show More
Netherlands is well known for its tolerance but it slowly is giving away because we have let so many people into our country who now want us to change and do not like all the freedoms we have! Now about the book. I've read more books about women in Islamic culture and her life is very mild compared to the others. I think is interesting because she is one of the rich ones , her link to the Osama family , although you hardly hear anything about the main person of that horrible family, and of course the Princes.
Like Rosie i am also going to search for some more info on google now.
Which prince is now in power for instance. Is it the one she mentioned the more conservative one? Abdallah? I see the one reigning is called Abdulah
? 8.5
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LibraryThing member maryreinert
I'm not a Biblical scholar or an authority on the history of the English language although both subjects are of interest to me. This is not a book for those looking to discredit Bible translation as a way to discredit Christian faith. Obviously, the author has a great deal of respect for those that
All in all, I found this book interesting, easy to read (except for a few places), and enlightening.
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took on this task. However, he doesn't shrink from telling all the "dirty laundry" associated with the translation and the acceptance of the KJV. If we think politics and religion get all mixed up today, we only have to read this to find that there is nothing new in the world.All in all, I found this book interesting, easy to read (except for a few places), and enlightening.
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LibraryThing member MomsterBookworm
The author was Osama Bin Ladin's sister-in-law. A New York Times review of the book reads: "If you want to beat Osama, you've got the start by listening to Carmen."
Well, the book does nothing of the sort -- spill the beans on Osama that is. Instead it is an exposé of her restricted life, behind
This is a quick read, compared to Jean Sasson's 'Princess Sultana' (3-book) series, which expounds in greater detail the lives of women in Saudi Arabia, the religious fundamentalism that pervades the country, and told from the perspective of a member of the Al-Saud royal family.
Well, the book does nothing of the sort -- spill the beans on Osama that is. Instead it is an exposé of her restricted life, behind
Show More
the veil, married into the Bin Laden clan. This is a quick read, compared to Jean Sasson's 'Princess Sultana' (3-book) series, which expounds in greater detail the lives of women in Saudi Arabia, the religious fundamentalism that pervades the country, and told from the perspective of a member of the Al-Saud royal family.
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Language
Physical description
224 p.; 9.28 inches
ISBN
0446577081 / 9780446577083
Other editions
Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia by Carmen Bin Ladin (Paper Book)