Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

Queen Noor, formerly known as Lisa Hallaby, has graciously given us an intriguing look into a world we usually see through edited cameras on our nightly news. I found this memoir honest, touching and a reminder to me that every story has two sides.

An American girl (although half Arab on her

Show More

father's side so not looked at in the Middle East as American, but as an Arab coming home) she meets and falls in love with King Hussein of Jordan. we watch her grow from young, insecure girl, to a woman determined to dedicate herself so fully to Hussein and to his people--her people. We see her in many capacities throughout the book: strong woman with her own opinions; wife; Queen; mother; defender; humanitarian -- an absolutely fascinating read.

Show Less

Excellent story of truly remarkable lady. She did lots of homework to put this together. It gives some history and cultural background along with the bio of her personal life.

I've read quite a few memoirs in my time but this one didn't read as a memoir. I enjoyed the book as a first person account of history and politics of Jordan. The book opened up my eyes to what life and culture is like from a political stand point in the Middle East, however, it wasn't a personal

Show More

journey or struggle through life as I come to expect from a memoir. Yes, Queen Noor explains personal details of her life but almost as an after thought. I do recommend the book but the title is misleading expect instead a book chronicling the political life of Queen Noor and a mini modern history of Jordan.

Show Less

this book is about the life of queen noor of jordan before and after her marriage to king hussain, her early life as american lisa halaby, and her later life as the wife and later widow of king hussain

Really excellent. I learned a lot from this book.

I have to admit that I skipped through some of this book. It was just too detailed about *everything*. At first, those details were interesting, but I feel it bogged down the rest of the book to the point that it overshadowed the historical aspect of her life with King Hussein.She most certainly

Show More

reveals a lot of the history of Israel, Jordan and the problems within the Arab-Israeli community in the Middle East - and from an Arab standpoint. It was enlightening, to say the least. I do feel that it showed some prejudice on her part, which is natural as she was Queen of Jordan for many years.I always admired Hing Hussein of Jordan, but after reading this (even with her obvious love shading descriptions of him), I realize what a great loss his death was to the efforts of peace in the Middle East.I would have given the book 4 or 5 stars if it had been more compact - the last few chapters are touching and wonderful.

Show Less

I think it’s safe to say that any Queen has an extraordinary life, but being a Queen in the Middle East during the most conflicted times of the 20th century has a unique place in history. Queen Noor’s autobiography is a love story, not only the love of her husband and family but also her love

Show More

of Jordan. The book chronicles her life from growing up in California to the death of her husband. Much of the book discusses relatively “normal” issues: a blended family with many stepchildren, having children, dealing with a spouse’s illness, etc.

However, those issues, which make the Queen seem very down-to-earth, are offset by the incredible duties of a Queen in a developing nation and the Middle Eastern conflict. She served as a champion for women’s rights, improving children’s lives, and liberalizing the rule of law in Jordan. She also sought to boost the economy with these changes; she started a large arts festival to showcase traditional Jordanian artists which were mostly women. She also implemented a vaccination program for children and a public education system. Lastly, she called for greater freedom of the press. These were all truly progressive ideas in the Middle East, and she handled them with grace and care for Jordanian traditions and respect for the Islamic religion.

Living on a country bordering Israel and being married to a beloved King who passionately pursued peace in the Middle East gave her an incredible vantage point in the late 20th century. I am not very educated on the Middle Eastern conflicts, and her book gave me a better idea of the Arab perspective in layman’s terms. She also effectively described the heartbreaking frustration of the peace negotiations between Arabs and Israelis.

It was a good read. The writing was decent, but her life has been incredible.

Show Less

I really enjoyed this biography. It often felt as if Queen Noor was sitting across and tell her story to me herself. Queen Noor was american born so I enjoyed reading her perspective on becoming a queen and living in the middle east.

An account of the life of the American woman who became queen of Jordan for the last twenty years of King Hussein's life. The first chapter was narrated by the Queen, whose voice I actually found more pleasing than the professional narrator's. The first part of the book was quite interesting,

Show More

hearing about the childhood and maturation of Lisa Haliby, who became Noor. Her royal romance was also interesting, although I found it somewhat incredible that someone would be so naive concerning the attentions being paid upon her by a king. (She seemed to think they were just being friends and was totally startled when he asked her to marry him.) After that, however, the book degenerated into a polemic for the Arab point of view until the sections on the king's last illness. It probably boils down to the fact that one royal is not that much more interesting than another, whether they are British or Jordanian.

Show Less

I waited for this book for almost 6 months to come to paperback and everyday was worth it! I am so intrigued by the quiet strength of Queen Noor, this biography is a wonderful glimpse into another world. Her life has been both spectacularly glamorous but typically normal at the same time. I am

Show More

grateful for a story from the 'other side' that has opened my eyes to the truth about American media and the politics of the Middle East. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about a brilliant woman and the politics that have helped to shape the Middle East.

Show Less

Royalty is always fun to read about. This lady lives an interesting life and clearly made an important contribution to her adopted country adding some needed glamor.

Read this one for my library book group. I was very disappointed with the bashing of the US and our attempts to help bring peace in the middle-east. We are blamed for eatery fart in the room. The middle-east will never be able to return to 1960 borders that is not even feasible. This hatred has

Show More

been going on for centuries with both sides having valid points but until both are willing to give we will not see a change.

Wow what girl doesn't dream of becoming a princess let alone a queen. She enjoys all the niceties that come with it but is not happy and it does not fit how she believes things should work.

Jordan is a moderate in the Arab countries but women are still not completely free. Honor killings can still and do occur.

I did enjoy reading how she met and came to be Queen.

Show Less

very good Jordan/Israel/Palestine position — straight forward

Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised amid privilege, Lisa Halaby joined the first freshman class at Princeton to accept women, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning. Two years later,

Show More

while visiting her father in Jordan, she was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein. Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic death of his wife. The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime friend. After a whirlwind, secret courtship Lisa Halaby became Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan.

Show Less

I rarely leave a book unfinished but I read about a third of this book then decided it just wasn't interesting enough so I flagged it.

This book was a deeply emotional read for me. Members of my husband's family were employees of Queen Noor's family so I always heard from my late, beloved sister-in-law how wonderful Queen Noor and King Hussein were. Being Jewish myself and having lived in Israel, I was most interested in reading

Show More

about King Hussein's fervent desire to help bring about peace between Arab nations and Israel.

From stories I heard about about King Hussein in his non-royal role, I greatly appreciated learning in this book about his life-style with Queen Noor. My favorite picture in the book is one in which Queen Noor and King Hussein are out riding his motorcycle. It brought back memories of hearing from my husband's family about the King's checking out Harley-Davidson dealerships when he was in the Washington area.

This biography seems more like a friend sharing a precious diary with me than a Queen having written her memoirs for people the world over. Everything seems so personal. I found it extremely difficult to read the very end of the book which described King Hussein's failing health and then his death at age 62 of cancer.

I have a special copy of this book, signed to me by Queen Noor. I never read this book before. I'm not sure why. However, I think it means more to me now as I can reflect back on what Queen Noor and King Hussein not only meant to my husband's family, but what they meant to the whole world, and how special the Queen and King were as individuals with their hearts in exactly the right place.

Show Less

Brilliant, sensitive, insightful. Dispelled so much of my ignorance of middle-east issues, the incessent, taxing, self-denying efforts conscientious royals must put into each day of their lives. A beautifully detailed portrait of a great man (King Hussein) and his amazing consort. So happy I read

Show More

this long book. My deepest thanks to Queen Noor for sharing all of this in her most gracious way.

Show Less

I learned a lot from reading this, about a part of the world I didn't know at all, except from all the stereotypes.
A fascinating look at a turbulent time through the eyes of a woman that started her life in the USA, yet made her real home in Jordania, by marrying its King.
The only thing that was

Show More

somewhat irksome to me was the way she so seldomly referred to her husband as well, yes, my husband or just Hussein.
The King, King Hussein- and that from a loving wife?
Still,@ athenasowl: "Sidi" is Arab for friend, not Sir.
All in all, I think this is a wonderful read, by a strong, determined woman who did manage to both adjust to her life in the Middle East and still be true to herself; which did make a difference to that area.
And I thank my friend Rosa for reccing it to me!

Show Less

What an amazing life lived by this young American of Arab descent who falls in love with King Hussein of Jordan and becomes his partner in all things. It was a leap of faith to become Muslim and embrace a lifestyle so foreign so full of tradition. I also enjoyed reading about the Arab / Israeli

Show More

conflict from an Arab point of view .
Still, in many ways I found the book a bit of a “lecture”, on the Arab way of thinking . Still I am happy to understand better the Arab viewpoint in the Middle East and to learn about the extraordinary man who was King Hussein

Show Less