Jean Sasson
International Bestselling Author
Available August 22, 2019
Despite having a decadent palace, four mansions on three continents, and opulent jewels from an adoring husband, Saudi Princess Sultana Al Sa’ud refuses to let the glitz of the royal lifestyle or the antics of the royal family distract her from the truth: that when it comes to the treatment of women, her beloved Saudi Arabia remains in the Dark Ages. True, infant girls are no longer buried in sand, nor are bold women battered with stones. But the kingdom’s “guardianship law” means Saudi women can never be truly free.
Suddenly, whispers of change herald a charismatic young Crown Prince who aims to move the kingdom forward. Thanks to the prince, Saudi women can now drive and some policy-watchers even propose lifting the guardianship law! But when female activists are thrown into jail and members of the royal family die during harsh interrogation, the true nature of Saudi Arabia’s new ruler is revealed. Heartbroken over false promises but fiercely resilient in their fight for freedom, Princess Sultana and her Saudi sisters prepare to face this new threat to women’s rights. Will the guardianship law forever bind them? Will the ascension of the crown prince permanently cloak Saudi Arabia in darkness? Whatever the future holds, PRINCESS: STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOWS proves that nothing is simple in Saudi Arabia.
Praise for Jean Sasson
Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil
"Anyone with the slightest interest in human rights will find this book heart-wrenching. It is a well-written, personal story."
Betty Mahmoody, international bestselling author of Not Without My Daughter
Growing Up Bin Laden
"...Skillfully framed by Middle East authority Jean Sasson, this book will grip you, make you shudder, and leave you better informed than presidents and generals have been."
Ralph Peters, author of Beyond Terror and The War After Armageddon
For the Love of a Son
‘[Thank you] for sharing your extraordinary and heart-breaking story with the world’
Hilary Rodham Clinton, former US Secretary of State
About Jean
Born in Troy, Alabama and growing up in Louisville, Alabama, Jean Sasson found adventure between the pages of her favorite books. Eager to see the world outside her tiny southern town of 800 people, Jean jumped at the opportunity to travel and work abroad—specifically at The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Over the next fifteen years, Jean would befriend a Saudi Princess, discovering Saudi women’s unwavering resilience in their fight for equality; meet dozens of Kuwaiti exiles, documenting the effects of the Iraqi invasion; and work as a freelance writer, traveling to Lebanon, Kuwait, Cairo, and London.
Today, Jean lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is the author of fourteen books (many of which are bestsellers), including the internationally acclaimed Princess series, Growing up Bin Laden, and The Rape of Kuwait. Through her years of travel, research, and writing, Jean has become a spokesperson for Human Rights in the Middle East, appearing on national and international television programs such as Oprah, The Today Show, CNN, Fox, BBC and C-SPAN. Her work has also featured in publications such as The New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Time Magazine.