Thursday, May 24, 2012

B2B Book Review & Giveaway: The Dawn of Saudi: In Search For Freedom by Homa Pourasgari

When I think of the word freedom, I think of things like the right to vote, the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, basically the right to say and do as I please within reason. The Dawn of Saudi by Homa Pourasgari opened my eyes to a number of freedoms that as an American woman I sadly take for granted on a daily basis. I'm talking about such things as what clothes I wear, whom I choose to date or marry, where I go, or who I talk to along the way. The Dawn of Saudi is a contemporary romantic mystery, though fictitious this book gives a startling look into arranged marriages and life as a woman in the Arab culture. Here's the summary from the back cover:

'In a country where women have no rights, two women
fight for freedom. Sahar Al- Hijazi refuses to allow men
to decide her destiny. Her bet friend, Dawn Parnell, made
the mistake of changing her religion and marrying a Saudi.
He misled her into thinking he was a progressive thinker.
Trapped in Riyadh, these women desperately seek a way to
escape.

Based in Pasadena, California, Crawford Enterprises with
strong business ties to the Al- Hijazi family couldn't care less
about the plight of these women or any Saudi woman for that
matter. Their main goal is to accumulate wealth and increase
their earnings per share. Headed by Andrew and his son Jason
Crawford, the conglomerate is well recognized in the business
world but as Jason begins evaluating his life and pondering
the Saudi way of life, he starts questioning the betrayal of his
ethics for the sake of making a profit.

With mystery and romance lingering in the air, the lives of
Jason, Sahar, And Dawn intertwine, giving readers a glimpse
of life in the kingdom, from the crushing of the female spirit to
the torture of foreigners from third world countries. Yet, world 
governments remain quiet in the name of oil, greed, and politics.

This book was a definite page turner with the perfect combination of mystery and romance. There's even a shocking twist! Throughout the book you get a very real look into Arabic culture. Though beautiful in many ways, it is definitely pretty scary to me too. I loved how Homa Pourasgari intertwined the need to bring awareness within the novel. I loved the book and think this would definitely be a great vacation read! While relaxing on the beach reading this, try to taike a moment to reflect on your freedom and be thankful for it. I'm pleased to announce that I have another copy of The Dawn of Saudi: In Search For Freedom to give away to one of my lucky readers! Follow the instructions below for your chance to win!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

**All views expressed are 100% my own and unbiased. I was provided a book to read and keep for this review as well as financial compensation.**