Manal al-Sharif

Manal is a Saudi Arabian woman and a Muslim whose life has been dominated by the restrictions that laws and customs have dictated for her. In this book, she shares much about her growing up, born in Saudi Arabia in 1979, so the writing is current. Many parts of the book are painful to read and hard to imagine. I admire her courage in trying to change things so that lives will be better for Saudi women. The changes are happening very slowly. I also was impressed by the devotion to her religion that didn't wiaver through all that she experienced.… (meer)

Growing up in conservative Saudi Arabia and adhering to strict, Muslim doctrines as a teenager and young adult, Manal al-Sharif undoubtedly never imagined that in a few short years she would be leading a campaign supporting Saudi women's right to drive cars. This endeavor would ultimately land her in jail, despite there being no laws on the books forbidding Saudi women from driving.

Sharif's story was fascinating, not only due to the sheer amount I learned about Saudi culture, but also her remarkable personal achievements. In addition to her women's rights campaign, she was among the first Saudi women to work in the field of information security. A truly brave woman!… (meer)

This book is a very brave account of a life constrained by the laws of one of the richest countries in the world, but one where women have virtually no rights. It is predominantly a memoir sharing the life of an ordinary Saudi woman who is trying to make things better for her fellow women in a country where anybody without a y chromosome is denied the freedoms that western women take for granted.
This is an important book both from a feminist and a world perspective and I think every woman should read it.

For the full review check out my blog: Engrossed in a Good Book… (meer)