A fun Arabian chick lit about the nuances of the Saudi elite, this book will make you gasp from start to finish. The one phrase at the tip of my tongue while reading was “Oh.My.Gosh!”

Although the book did cross my radar a couple of times, it was never on my tbr list. I picked it up while browsing the aisles at a bookstore, drawn to the bright red cover and intriguing title (I mean who would not want to read a story about what happens behind doors in Saudi?). Two days later, I completed the book.

First published in Arabic in 2005 by Rajaa Alsanea, the Girls of Riyadh created quite the stir in Saudi society; so much so that it was banned by Saudi Authorities. At the time, women weren’t allowed to leave the house without a male escort nor were they allowed to drive. They had very few possibilities once they left school and Alsanea examines this lifestyle from the point of view of four twenty something Saudi girls; Sadeem, Gamrah, Lamees and Michelle. The story is narrated via weekly email by an unnamed narrator (excellent move on Alsanea’s part as I kept wondering if the narrator could be any one of those girls!) who seems to know all four girls inside out. From dating and drinking to premarital relations (and not just one mind you!), this books contradicts all rules and regulations that seemingly existed in Saudi.

It is my first time reading a Middle Eastern chick lit and this one did not disappoint. I am not a big fan of chick-lit (it was a favourite once upon a time in high school!) as the writing and plot I feel, lacks a certain amount of depth that I’ve come to enjoy. Yet this book was a page turner as it offers a different perspective of the people in Saudi. Alsanea points out in her author’s note:

…the Western world perceives us either romantically as the land of the Arabian Nights and the land where bearded sheikhs sit in their tents surrounded by their beautiful harem women, or politically as the land that gave birth to Bin Laden and other terrorists, the land where women are dressed in black from head to toe and where every house has its own oil well in its backyard. – (Author’s note)

This is completely true. Arabs in any Western movie or story were portrayed as either completely conservative or with an agenda to terrorize. This stereotype stripped both Arab men and women of their individuality; reducing them to mere pieces of black and white cloth. In her novel, Alsanea assigns colourful personalities to all her characters; thereby showing that they too are “full of hopes and plans and determination and dreams”.

The Washington Post called it “a taboo-breaking novel” and it’s easy to see why. Alsanea’s portrayal of life behind the veil is not an easy story to write as she takes on the Herculean task of navigating the bureaucracies of Saudi culture that dictates the lives of its men and women. Much has changed since the publication of the novel, but if you want a rare glimpse of Saudi society from ten years ago (keep in mind though that this is fiction), dive right in!

Overall rating: 3/5

Fact box
Author: Rajaa Alsanea
Translated by: Rajaa Alsanea and Marilyn Booth
Release date: First published in Arabic in 2005. Translated version published in 2007
Genre: Chick lit