I had heard so many good things about this book that I really looked forward to reading it. I almost put it down after the first couple of chapters. This is a true story of a female western Muslin who is a very accomplished M.D. Due to visa problems she needs to leave her beloved North America for Saudia Arabia. The culture shock is predictable. Wearing the abayallah and being chaperoned in public is the least of it. My problem with the story was the very poor writing. Dr. Ahmed felt the need to use EVERY adjective and adverb known to man. It was annoying and distracting. Also, her over use of designer names was making me crazy. Okay, I get it! A lot of people in Saudia Arabia are wealthy and they wear American and European designers with gusto. Ho Hum. Also, the book was peppered with spelling errors. Still, the story itself was interesting and I enjoyed hearing about the good doctor's trip to Mecca and her adjustment to this society.

It was great to learn about a country, people and religion I knew very little about.

Very informative regarding life for women in Saudi Arabia. Also provided some history of Saudi Arabia that is not readily available.