Woman's life in Saudi Arabia a closed book

"Inside the Kingdom, My Life in Saudi Arabia," by Carmen bin Ladin (Warner Books, New York, Boston, 204 pages, $23.95)

Carmen bin Ladin, former wife of Yeslam bin Ladin (as it is spelled in the book), brother to Osama bin Ladin, writes of her realization that her two daughters will never have the rights or education in Saudi Arabia that she had as a native of Switzerland.

Carmen is first swept off her feet by a young and handsome Yeslam who, along with other members of his family, rents out property from Carmen's mother.

In their courtship and early years of marriage, Carmen learns her rights are like that of any other woman's - as long as she is not in Saudi Arabia.

But when Yeslam wants to move back to his native country from the United States, where he completed a degree at the University of Southern California, the troubles begin.

Carmen discovers some difficulty adjusting to life there, where women must wear a full robe, including a veil, when outside of their homes.

She is not allowed to shop for canned milk for her newborn child. When she insists she be let into a store, she discovers the shopkeeper has emptied the store of everyone because a woman is entering.

Yeslam becomes more strict as he ages, clearly because the strict laws of Islam are bearing down on him.

With no sons, Carmen realizes that if anything happens to Yeslam, she and her two daughters will belong to one of his male relatives.

She is also increasingly frustrated by the education being given her daughters in school: little - no music, no arts, no literature - beyond the Koran.

Her story draws a correlation between the Western's world dependence on oil and the Saudi custom to live one way outside the country and another way inside it.

Little is mentioned about Osama, except Carmen's assurance that once a member of the family, always a member of the family.

"My fear - and outrage - is based on my convictions that a large majority of Saudis support the extremist ideas of Osama Bin Ladin, and that the bin Ladins and the Saudi royal family continue to operate hand in hand (p. 200)." A must-read.