Jean Sasson

Jean P. Sasson
Born	1950 (age 74–75) Troy, Alabama, United States
Occupation	Author
Period	1991–present
Genre	Non-fiction
Notable works	Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
Website
www.jeansasson.com

Jean P. Sasson (born 1950, ^[1] Troy, Alabama, United States) is an American writer whose work mainly centers around women in the Middle East.

Biography

Growing up in a small town, Sasson found adventure between the pages of books. Her strong desire to uproot herself from her rural surroundings led her to jump at the opportunity to work and travel abroad. In 1978 she traveled to Saudi Arabia to work in the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh as an administrative coordinator of medical affairs., ^[2] where she met Peter Sasson, her future husband. They married in 1982 and Sasson left the hospital after four years of service, but the couple remained in Saudi Arabia until 1990.

Sasson is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. ^[3]

Works

• The Rape of Kuwait ISBN   978-1561291939 – Knightsbridge (January 1991)
• Ester's Child ISBN   0967673739 – Windsor-Brooke (September 1, 2001)
• Mayada: Daughter of Iraq ISBN   978-0525948117 – Dutton Adult (October 16, 2003)
• Love in a Torn Land ISBN   978-0470067291 – Wiley (March 5, 2007)
• Growing Up bin Laden: Osama's Wife and Son Take Us Inside Their Secret World St. Martin's Press, (2009)
• For the Love of a Son: One Afghan Woman's Quest for Her Stolen Child ISBN   0553820206 Bantam (February 1, 2011)
• Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival ISBN   1939481147 – LDA (October 3, 2013)

Princess Sultana

• Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia ISBN   978-0967673745 – Windsor-Brooke (March 1, 2001)
• Princess Sultana's Daughters ISBN   978-0967673752 – Windsor-Brooke (March 1, 2001) (UK Title: Daughters of Arabia ( ISBN   978-0553816938, Bantam, 2004)
• Princess Sultana's Circle ISBN   978-0967673769 – Windsor-Brooke (May 1, 2002) (UK title: Desert Royal ( ISBN   978-0553816945, Bantam, 2004)
• Princess, More Tears to Cry ISBN   0857522426 – Transworld Doubleday UK (August 28, 2014)
• Princess, Secrets to Share ISBN   9781939481399 – Penguin Books (November 30, 2015)
• Princess, Stepping out of the Shadows ISBN   9780593080504 – Random House (August 1, 2019)

Reception

Though the Princess Sultana series is presented as an account of a real Saudi princess, external commentators have argued that the princess does not really exist. Former United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Akins and writer Jack Shaheen pointed out what they described as factual inaccuracies and implausibilities in the books. Akins stated that Saudis have not attempted to discern the identity of the princess because they consider the stories to be fictional. ^[4]

Awards and honors

• Princess was selected as one of the best "500 Great Books by Women" ^[5]
• The New York Times Best Seller list ^[6]
• The Sunday Times Best Seller List ^[7]
• Princess – chosen as an Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild Doubleday Book Club ^[8]
• Princess – chosen as A Reader's Digest Selection ^[9]
• Princess was a Bestseller in over 25 countries around the world ^[10]

Other works

• American Chick in Saudi Arabia (Kindle Edition only, not a full book) ^[11]

References

1. "birthday" . Retrieved April 15, 2014.
2. McDowell, Edwin (January 9, 1991). "Book Notes". The New York Times . Retrieved December 8, 2009.
3. "About Jean". Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
4. "Princess Plagiarism Suit Provides Rare Look Into Literary Arab-Bashing". WRMEA. October 24, 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
5. "500 Great Books by Women". Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
6. "New York Times Best Seller list". Archived from the original on June 19, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
7. "Sunday Times Best Seller List". Archived from the original on June 18, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
8. "Alternate Selection of the Literary Guild Doubleday Book Club". Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
9. "A Reader's Digest Selection". Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
10. "Princess Bestseller in over 25 countries". Archived from the original on August 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
11. "American Chick in Saudi Arabia" . Retrieved April 12, 2014.

External links

• Official website