Girls of Riyadh

By Rajaa Alsanea, a decent read and a wonderful look into the lives of a group of people Americans might otherwise not see. Rajaa, a 25-year-old author, now of some fame, produced a series of emails over time, that told in detail the intimate lives of her Saudi girlfriends. The emails have now been compiled into a novel, and for a 25-year-old, I have to say, she keep the reader engaged.

I was interested to earn many new Arabic phrases, and her perceived differences among people from different regions of Saudi Arabia. She dishes the old school customs that prevent young Saudis from partnering with someone they find suitable for themselves, while yet honoring her family and forefathers & mothers.

Certainly, anyone interested in learning a bit more about the Muslim faith as seen and practied by this modern Arabic woman, should give this book a go. I rate it on a scale of 1-5, a 4.