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Desert Governess: An Inside View on the Saudi Arabian Royal Family
 
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Desert Governess: An Inside View on the Saudi Arabian Royal Family (Paperback)

by Phyllis Ellis (Author)
2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 200 pages
  • Publisher: Eye Books Direct (1 Jun 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1903070015
  • ISBN-13: 978-1903070017
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 321,674 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #14 in  Books > Travel & Holiday > Countries & Regions > Middle East > Saudi Arabia
    #80 in  Books > Travel & Holiday > Speciality Travel > Family Travel

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Product Description

Review

'A fascinating account of her time in the closed Muslim society.' Daily Express 'Her sense of comedy is as sharp as ever.' Saga 'An enormous adventure.' Realm


Media Reviews

"Fascinating...Desert Governess throws light on a way of life that has hitherto remained almost literally under a veil." - The Sunday Express
"Desert Stormer" - The Evening Standard
"A King and I tale" - The Daily Mail
"Not just a natural adventuress Phyllis is an astute observer of human life andnotices details of human actions that give her a great insight and appreciation of other people's lives." - The Women's Writers Network
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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Prim, unimaginative, and factually flawed, 20 Jul 2004
It becomes clear from the first page of Ellis's book that it is only her exotic subject matter, and not her writing style, that won her a contract with a publisher. The majority of her descriptions are insipidly dotted with weak-legged adjectives such as 'nice' and 'pretty'. Erratically, she chooses to describe the palace's unremarkable kitchen table but does not once attempt to paint portraits of those she lived with. Yes, we know you are not allowed to photograph Princess Abtah, but how does she look? What is her face like?

I have lived in Saudi Arabia for the past seventeen years, and each factual flaw that I stumbled across made me wince. The author incorrectly claims that 'Islamic law forbids women to show their faces in public' and that 'women can't travel in taxis'. When in public, a Muslim woman is permitted to show her face and her hands. I cannot believe that Ellis did not know this fact, as a.) she claims to have read Ruqaiyyah Waris Maqsood's book 'Islam' (Maqsood devotes a whole chapter to the subject of female dress) and b.) one of the photos that illustrate the book shows her camel-riding unveiled on the Jeddah Cornice. I suspect that she deliberately slipped in these little errors to 'spice up' her book - this is nothing more than a sordid effort to squeeze money out of the unusual position in which she found herself.

Ellis also handles her material with staggering arrogance. Whilst declaring that 'Arabic is far too difficult for me to learn', she still tries to convince the reader that she has touched Saudi women's lives. How can she have done so, when she herself admits that she could not understand their conversations and could only sometimes find a translator? There is a saying: "The limits of my language are the limits of my world," and Phyllis's inability to learn even basic Arabic fetters both herself and her readers. Her English is equally abysmal - misused punctuation and poor grammar made me want to attack the text with red ballpoint. A thoroughly bad read.

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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible!!!!, 12 Jul 2004
By Ele "Ele" (Warwickshire) - See all my reviews
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I have always been fascinated with the Middle East, and in view of the privileged vantage point of the author - who spent about a year working as governess for the young Saudi Prince and Princess - I really thought this could well be a great read. But I was wrong. Promising as the premises are, the writer is simply not up to the job. The superficiality of many commets made me cringe, and some of her remarks so arrogant! I ended up really disliking the author by the end of the book. I kept going, hoping the book would get better, but - unbelievably! - it actually does get worse, and it touches rock-bottom when the author decides to plunge into poetry... Terrible, believe me, this bookis just terrible!!!!!!
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Is this the whole story?, 13 Jan 2003
By A Customer
An interesting account of life within the palace walls of Saudi Arabia. However, having lived in the Middle East for a number of years, and having visited Saudi Arabia, I felt that while describing the frustrations of the closeted life, the author is holding back on some of the seedier details of womens' life behind the veil. Readers should try Jean Sasson's books, of which 'Princess' is the first, and then attempt to reconcile the two very different accounts. I'd certainly be interested in people's comments.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible!
What a pity! I was really looking forward to receiving this book and can't describe how disappointed I was when I started reading. Read more
Published 21 months ago by K. Mayos

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating insight into a world of women.
Recently widowed Phyllis Ellis answered an advertisement for an English Governess for a Saudi Prince and two Princesses. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly captivating and regal personal memoirs.
These completely authentic and unique memoirs are set within the genre of eastern romantic fiction. Phyllis Ellis' personal journey struck me as a truly thought provoking and... Read more
Published on 22 Nov 2000

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