Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life (Audio Editions)

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Summary: An Arab perspective through an American's eyes
Review: Most importantly, this book provides excellent insight into the life of an Arab leader including his relationship with other Arab leaders as well the leaders of Israel, the U.S. and other nations.

Queen Noor describes her life from her American childhood through her marriage to King Hussein of Jordan up to his death in 1999. The book is written in a diary-like fashion complete with many personal details. King Hussein is portrayed not as an invincible deity, but as a very decent man trying to make the world a better place.

An index is provided. A map of the Middle East and a Husein family tree would have been helpful aids in following the story.

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Summary: A Queen's World
Review: While looking for a good read to keep me occupied during a long flight back from Europe, I came upon this book, because I was drawn toward the glamorous woman on the cover. Honestly, I didn't know much about Queen Noor, but I figured that it would be a way for me to learn about another culture from an American woman's perspective. I did find her life interesting, but her writing style is a bit sugary. Although, I can't claim to know a whole lot about the Middle East, and its history, I can't help but feel that her views are one-sided. Otherwise, it is an interesting story about royal life in Jordan.

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Summary: The MID-EAST from an American Woman's Perspective
Review: This book provides a unique perspective--an American wealthy woman who marries into Jordanian Royalty.

The author discusses her care-free yout whith an emphasis on higher learning and attention to higher education.

I was impressed with her acknowledgement of her own difficulties of bringing in a strong free American will into an Arab lifestyle that could dictate that she be more submissive and 'back-seat' than she was used to.

Politically speaking, I liked that she spoke her mind and raised awareness to the stereotyping of her new people by the American media and her dismay and courage to try and rectify that.

While sometimes, I felt as thought she wrote with a certain naiveness regarding world events that felt like she was a housewife expressing her opinion, I for the most part, enjoyed this book even when I disagreed with her.

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Summary: Fair and Balanced View of the World Politics
Review: All political issues are discussed in this book with clarity and by discussing both sides of the coin and then making a point or stating a position. Further more this books also discusses the true aspects of Islam and what it entails.

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Summary: A Different Perspective
Review: Many reviewers have objected to the fact that Queen Noor appears biased in her discussions of Middle East politics. But this is precisely why the book is so important to read. We are constantly bombarded with the American/Israeli bias on events in that region. Even if you disagree with much of what she says, it is enormously helpful to contemplate the perspective of those who resent the actions of the U.S. and Israel. And it is unacceptable to label Queen Noor as anti-Semitic simply because she disagrees with the policies or actions of the state of Israel. That is a disgusting (and cheap) attempt to discredit her views with an insulting slur against her personal integrity.

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Summary: First and formost a love story
Review: Leap of Faith is first and foremost a love story, maybe not in the conventional sense but a love story nonetheless. Queen Noor, born Lisa Halaby, sets the stage for the reader to understand her perspective by describing her childhood in the United States as well as her early adulthood. The real intensity of the book begins when she meets King Hussein. She describes her reactions throughout the beginning of the relationship in a way that immerses the reader in her moments of confusion as well as her moments of joy. She gives the reader an inside look into her experience becoming royalty as well as her perception of world events and Jordan's place in the world. She talks of the deceptions that are prevalent in world politics and the games politicians play. She describes her struggles to find her place as Queen in a country where she wasn't born or raised as well as to balance her role as Queen with becoming a mother figure to her husband's children and to raise the children they had together. Leap of Faith is a beautifully written memoir that provides insight into the workings of government, politics on the world stage, Jordanian culture, the combining cultures, and the merging of families.

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Summary: An Unexpected Glimpse into Middle East Politics
Review: It's not fair to compare this book to The King and I or to the Grace Kelly saga. Lisa Halaby was conscious of her Arab roots before she met and married King Hussein. She'd spent considerable time in the Middle East, including Iran. Her father had been an aviation leader, most notably as president of the once-proud Pan American Airlines, and she'd traveled all over the world. So she wasn't a naive white-bread American blown away by exotic lands. She was a smart, well-traveled, deliberately unfashionable twenty-something who fell in love with her eyes wide open.

And Lisa was uniquely prepared for her queenly role. Private schools and Princeton gave her poise and polish that she probably didn't realize she had. The Halaby parents were at home with wealth and royalty. Even Lisa's Princeton major -- architecture and planning -- gave her unique skills to contribute both to the marriage and to her new country.

The book jacket calls Leap of Faith a love story. To be sure, Queen Noor adored her husband, as, apparently, did most of the country. But her love was clear-eyed. She mentions frustrations and times of anger and despair, enough to communicate the stresses of the marriage. Like all step-parents, she faced resistance from her husband's children from former marriages.

But Noor doesn't descend into self-pity or dwell on her own personal problems. Instead, she turns outward, to the social and political challenges of Jordan. She had a front row seat during several Middle East conflicts and she shares her unapologetic partisan views.

Noor makes a strong case for a view that remains unpopular in the United States. Israel was created to solve a European problem: how to compensate for atrocities and give Jews a homeland. To make room for this country, Noor argues, those already living on the land were forced to move. And, she claims, Israel wasn't satisfied with the original allotment, but rather went to war to gain more territory. When the Iron Curtain came down, Israel's population swelled, creating havoc throughout the region.

Is her perspective accurate? That's a question for scholars and experts -- and they don't all agree either. But I believe Americans need to realize how we are seen by other nations. Apart from the Arab-Israeli conflict, Noor expresses astonishment at the American ability to be distracted by human interest stories while the world teeters on the brink of disaster. Anyone who's talked to European, Middle Eastern or Asian citizens probably has heard similar views.

True, Noor does refer to a lot of famous people as "dear friends," but that's standard practice in celebrity autobiography. And she's careful to refer to King Hussein as "my husband" or "Hussein" or even "King Hussein" throughout the book. He appears to have been a remarkable man. Interestingly, Noor completely omits any mention of the age difference, perhaps because the cultural gap was so wide. I'd have liked to see more photos, but understandably Noor seems determined to avoid anything that creates an appearance of commercialism.

Many readers will find Noor somewhat chilly -- somewhere along the way she picked up a British reserve -- and many will disagree. But it's hard to come away without getting involved, even shaken. Thought-provoking, intelligent and, in the end, fascinating.