Leap of Faith : : Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

Locations
Call Number: 921 Noor, Consort of Hussein
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	921 Noor, Consort of Hussein	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Includes index.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

superficial life of privilege submitted by 21621031390949 on August 24, 2016, 1:06pm I've always been curious about Queen Noor, the former Lisa Halaby, the American woman who became Queen of Jordan. I wondered how she gave up the freedoms she had as a woman in the US, in order to be a Muslim royal. Alas, this memoir gives only the most superficial of answers to that -- and other -- questions about her life. Granted, she does explain that her father was of Middle Eastern descent and that piqued her interest in her Middle Eastern roots; however, in this memoir she fails to beyond that bit of information. Indeed, I found this memoir to be more like the journal entries of a superficial person, e.g. "Today I went here, yesterday I went there." What emerges is woman of little depth, who has dedicated her life to being her husband's consort and number one fan.

It is interesting to hear her version of the Arab-Israeli conflicts, especially their conflicts about the West Bank and Gaza. She is, of course, clearly on the side of the Arabic nations, and presents an entirely one-sided point of view, but it is a view that is rarely seen in American media. Again, however, there is little new or insider information, other than cute little vignettes about breaches of protocol, or her husband's "hooligan" antics.

Now, it must be said that I've been listening to this recorded book, rather than reading it. It is possible that the reader's voice -- very smooth and glamorous -- accentuates the "beautiful-woman-telling-her-life-to-admirers" feel of the book, but I think that's only a small part of my experience of this as a superficial, self-satisfied accounting of a life of privilege.

Also, I must admit that I've read only 3/4 of the book; I just don't want to read the rest. Perhaps she redeems herself and the last quarter is more thoughtful and complex. Let me know if that happens.