Honor Lost: Love and Death in Modern-Day Jordan

Rating:
Summary: I never do this.
Review: Review a book I didn't finish. But I feel safer in doing so now that this book has turned out to be a hoax.

See, there were two reasons I couldn't complete the book, and only got through a few chapters. First off, the writing quality, well, it really sucked. I mean, it hurt my head to read it. But I probably on a matter of principle would have plowed on anyway. I had sat down with high hopes for this book, as I have an abiding interest in all things Arab and about the situation of women.

But there was something about the way the author wrote. I couldn't put my finger on, it was far too nebulous- which is why I hesitated to review the book. She was constantly denigrating Arabs and Arab culture. Which I suppose if you are Arabic you're allowed to do. But there was something off about the way she did it. Part of it was the lack of positive description of the culture- and one would hope that someone could see *some* positive aspects about their own culture! But more than that, she denigrated the culture and people in a way that didn't seem like a native of the culture would. It felt like something that an outsider would write. It read much like negative treatises on Arab Muslims that see them all as terrorists, or some stereotypical orientalist literature I've read. But I couldn't quite say why.

Now I can, and now we know. Don't read this book, for two reasons. It's not actually written by a woman growing up in Jordan, and it doesn't read like it. And it's really, really, really bad writing.

Rating:
Summary: it gets the message across
Review: Some peole have commented on the idea that Norma has used false names for Dalia and Michael. Some have also commented, that due to Norma's lack of evidence that Dalia was murdered, she actually died of natural causes. I have not heard of anyone being stabbed 12 times, and the result being they died of 'natural' causes.
Even if Norma fictionalises the accounts of Dalia and Michael's relationship, surely the facts that she presents must be acknowledged. Articles 340 and 98 exist, despite international pressure to abolish them. Women only have rights so far as the men in their lives allow them to.
Some reviewers say that Norma simply wanted a ticket out of Jordan like so many others. Surely this begs the question: why do so many people wish to flee?
Perhaps Norma's reason for writing the book, fictionalised or not, was to get the primary information out: thousands of women are being killed for no reason, and everything possible should be done to stop this. Good on you Norma for at least trying to enlighten the world.

Rating:
Summary: Touching and Sad Book in Middle East
Review: This book was actually for a research project on honor killings, but as the project grew, I started to read more books on the subject. This novel is very touching, showing the brutalities of family life in Jordan, and throughout the Middle East. I mean, just because you have a boyfriend who's Catholic and you're not, does that mean your family should kill you???
I cried at the end of this book, and showed me how lucky I am to be living in the country, as a woman. I recommend this book to anyone who has the slightest concern for women worldwide, or anyone, as a matter of fact. It's informative and wonderful at the same time.