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In the Land of Invisible Women

A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom

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In the Land of Invisible Women

By: Qanta A. Ahmed MD
Narrated by: Nicola Barber
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About this listen

The decisions that change your life are often the most impulsive ones. Unexpectedly denied a visa to remain in the United States, Qanta Ahmed, a young British Muslim doctor, becomes an outcast in motion. On a whim, she accepts an exciting position in Saudi Arabia. This is not just a new job; this is a chance at adventure in an exotic land she thinks she understands, a place she hopes she will belong. What she discovers is vastly different.

The Kingdom is a world apart, a land of unparalleled contrast. She finds rejection and scorn in the places she believed would most embrace her, but also humor, honesty, loyalty, and love. And for Qanta, more than anything, it is a land of opportunity. It is a place where she discovers what it takes for one woman to recreate herself in the land of invisible women.

©2008 Qanta Ahmed (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc. Adventurers, Explorers & Survival Cultural & Regional Islam Medical Professionals & Academics Women Middle East Royalty Saudi Arabia Witty Iran Africa

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it is nice to read a book by a Muslim doctor about living on a Muslim world from a westerners perspective. a very interesting book that made me challenge my own views on the who establishment from highest to lowest level.

very informative and enjoyable

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If you could sum up In the Land of Invisible Women in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, shocking, long

What did you like best about this story?

I've read numerous books about women living in Saudi but the majority had been about women who had been born in the country, for whom the customs were something they had grown up with. I chose this book because it wanted to see if the story would be different coming from a woman who had been born outside of the kingdom, one who was educated and working in what some may have considered a male job.

Have you listened to any of Nicola Barber’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is the first performance I've heard, but its been very enjoyable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

At the start I enjoyed listening to this book and would have happily considered listening to it in one sitting. However, as the book progressed I found some parts continued for much longer than what I would have liked and had it been a print book I would have probably skipped a few pages to get back into the more gripping stuff.

Any additional comments?

It was interesting to hear the story of a woman who despite being a muslim, she had never really practiced her religion and had lived in the relative freedom of the USA for many years having to deal with the cultural differences she came across when working in Saudi. Overall it was a very interesting book. My only criticism is there were sections of the book which I felt went on a bit too long and at times I lost track of what was going on. Had it been a print book I would have probably skipped a few pages. At the same time I felt the conclusion was quite quick compared to the rest of the book. Maybe this was because I dipped in and out of the book several times rather than listened to it in long sessions.

Interesting but a bit too long

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If you could sum up In the Land of Invisible Women in three words, what would they be?

Interesting; accurate; observant

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a memoir, so no favourite character.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Events when she went on the Hajj pilgrimage. However, scenes that I found most interesting were the Saudi reactions to 9/11.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sometimes amusing, sometimes made me angry.

The narrator mispronounced the word "thobe" incorrectly throughout the book by sounding the "e" at the end. The "e" is silent, as in "robe".

Any additional comments?

I have lived in Saudi Arabia for 30 years so was very interested in reading this memoir. Although the author occasionally got carried away with her descriptions, overall I think she conjured up the atmosphere of Saudi Arabia extremely well. Her understanding of Saudis, both men & women, was very sympathetic. From everything that we have learnt about them in our years here, she came up with very similar conclusions in a very short space of time. She was observant of everything going on around her and swung from being impressed to dismayed at various things that happened - for instance, extreme prejudice coming from men & women who until that point had seemed highly educated and intellectual; parents wishing to install hatred & prejudice in their children for Jews; on the other hand, the great warmth and hospitality that Saudis extended to her. The reaction of Saudis to the events of 9/11 were shocking, and then a few years later they too were on the receiving end of Al Qaeda bombing. Her understanding of the Wahabi version of Islam in Saudi Arabia was also very accurate and she became quite disillusioned seeing how this religion is frequently distorted here. I would recommend this audiobook - or book - to anyone who is interested in learning about Saudi Arabia, especially if they are considering coming to work here in the medical field.At the end of the audio book, there is an interesting interview with the author about her subsequent experiences in Saudi Arabia and observations about the progress of women in the Kingdom.

The narrator mispronounced the word "thobe" incorrectly throughout the book by sounding the "e" at the end. The "e" is silent, as in "robe".

Excellent account of life in Riyadh

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I'm enjoying this story and I'm on chapter 27 feeling as though I don't want the story to end. The account of the story is just so vivid and gripping I can't stop listening with intrigue as I want to know what happens next. The story whilst it is non-fiction has such a novel worthy feel to it that I am just loving it every step of the way. The life is Saudi is truly fascinated for me a westernised non-muslim to read about I couldn't imagine it until this story brought it to life for me. Thank you Quanta, may more women have the courage to share their stories as beautifully as you did!

Brilliant Storytelling

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interesting book, I have learnt a lot about Islamic culture, but the constant fawning of the author and the incredible amount of first name usage spoilt the book. For a western MD, I'm not so sure if the delivery is fake or her sheer naivety. I feel some of the stories are sensationalised.
just heard the authors voice in chapter 40, I wish she had read the book not miss saccharine.

sycophancy at its best

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lovely story and interesting, it's another world, I can't say I believe in some of these religions but everyone for their own

interesting

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Is there anything you would change about this book?

It was a valuable read/listen for me, as I learned quite a bit about Saudi and Muslim culture. However, I did not warm to the author. There was a arrogance to her, admittedly one not uncommon to medics of a certain generation. She also seemed preoccupied with how physically attractive each person she met, or even simply saw, was. She repeatedly commented on each persons weight (likely lifestyle in respect of it), the straightness of their teeth, the size of noses etc. Generally, the writing was reasonably good, but in some chapters there was a jarringly clumsy use, and overuse, of metaphor and the language used was at time over-contrived.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It felt unfinished. There was more to say about returning to America as a British-Pakistani Muslim immediately post 9/11.

What three words best describe Nicola Barber’s performance?

A little too delicate for this particular book, but very good quality narration.

Could you see In the Land of Invisible Women being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

It probably would make a good movie.

Hmmm!

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Great book which reveals do much about The Kingdom and its treatment of women. Hopefully books like these may help to bring about change!!

Excellent a real eye opener

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Really enjoyed this book about women and the medical world and Saudi Arabia and progression of women Qanta has shown such an amazing overview of people from the West going to Saudi Arabia and the changes that have come over time. Some part of me was sad that nothing happened between Qanta and Imad I wish they had met again it’s a fact of life that sometimes people don’t get together. The experience of Hajj and umrah was very nice and great to read about. Being Pakistani and British I could understand the authors feelings and was great to read about

Land of invisible women great book

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These stories are not happening only in Saudi Arabia but in any radical community anywhere in the world. Radical Islam is sometimes called wahabbism or salafism and infiltrates mosques all around the world because these mosques highly rely on major financial donations from Saudi Arabia but often are even builded and financed by Saudi Arabia. I've seen recent influences of such financing destroying life of Muslim western women who are often trapped in unhappy marriage and despite of the many teachings of the Prophet saws about woman's rights and husband's duties they are mostly denied divorce and asked to be patient with their often phisically and emotionally abusive husbands because people who are in the board of these mosques were formerly educated in Saudi Arabia and basically they apply pseudoSaudi Sharia laws in regards of Islamic divorces through Europe and America. They will hardly ever support the womans decition to leave the abusive marrige and without this religious paper the woman is not able to enter new Islamic marriage and she's trapped for life in the marriage or living separated in shame and sin looked down on and is not ever able to marry again. Sometimes men will say to the person who has right to dissolute the marriage they are sorry and they will change but what they really mean is they will marry another woman and let their current wife suffer life of loneliness as punishment for ever bringing up the divorce up in the mosque. It's very important for the growing western Muslim community to bring this topic up and establish real Sharia courts in every country in Europe where is Islam practised by minorities so the Islamic right for divorce is granted for Muslim women outside of Islamic countries. Same way the world should pursuade Muslim states to establish proper social welfare for women and children both divorced and widowed.
I can identify with everything in this book. I've seen the same happen in mosques and in communities in Europe whereas their followers were Pakistani, Sudani, Turkish or even converts trapped in these unislamic ways of oppression.
However this book didn't completely explain that these modern families she admires are considered outcast and infidels and beside their workplace people will refuse mingle with them and perhaps even close family can disconnect with their children if they were too modern because of the gossip and shame it causes to the elderly parents. It's hurtful to hear from neighbours about their daughter in law bad moral conduct and they will force their son to make his wife to behave. Unfortunatelly it doesn't work the other way round. Westernised Muslim men are hardly ever disgrace to their families or seen as public shame. It's women only who are the symbol of their whole family moral conduct and that's why it's so hard to make a change.

Truthful

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