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Book review: Behind Palace Walls by Cay Garcia
This was a book that came into the local e-library a while ago: I had to put myself on a waiting list to be able to get hold of it. Now I can see why, I read it cover to cover in just 6 days. It’s a quite unbelievable story.
I cannot quite fathom that these things go on in this day and age. The author is using a pseudonym to write this book, due to the nature of its content. She tells the story of her time working for the Saudi Royal family as Butler to one of the princesses. And what she has to go through is incredible.
I find it difficult to believe that this type of culture exists: a religion that is such that women live under such oppression, fear, and restriction. It doesn’t seem to be much of a life.
From assault, both verbal and physical, to blatant withdrawal of rights, Garcia tells a compelling story of a journey that ends in pure survival of the fittest in a completely alien Middle Eastern country. She has her passport removed on arrival by her employer, has her every move scrutinised, no privacy whatsoever.
It is a truly eye opening story, one which I imagine took some considerable bravery to actually out to paper and print.
For anyone who is an avid advocate of human rights, you may well find this a difficult book to read. It certainly puts Saudi Arabia in a whole new light for me.
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