It was 1945, and Marianne Alireza, who had spent almost her entire life in California, had moved to Saudi Arabia with her new husband. Suddenly she was a member of a rich and prominent Arabian family, veiled and cloaked like a biblical figure, thousands of miles and two centuries from home. For twelve years she lived in a harem, a female group composed of her mother-in-law, sister-in-law and various servants. Men outside the family could not penetrate the harem, and women could never jin the men socially or be seen in public without veils. Here, i a world both luxurious and humble, she raised her children and grew to love her new homeland. This unique look at Saudi life in the years before the petro-dollar was hailed by the Washington Post as "an authentic and remarkable human tale." For this edition the author has added a new introduction reflecting on her life and the changes in Saudi Arabia since this book"s first appearance twenty years ago.