Comment

Daring to Drive

a Saudi Woman's Awakening
Nov 03, 2017DorisWaggoner rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This book is about a great deal more than a Saudi Arabian woman driving. It isn't a straight autobiography, either. By the end, Manal has led us through enough Saudi history, and the story of several generations of her family, so that we have a clear understanding of why the most conservative country in the world, and one of the richest, bases its culture so strongly on gender segregation. Women driving is merely an example. Manal and all her family suffer greatly because of it—among other things, the immediate family has to move out of the country, and her two children can't get visas to both visit family members in Saudi at the same time. The family is strong enough to overcome the problems because her generation is well educated and can get good jobs, and because of their love and faith. Ironically, this week I heard on the news that in ten months, women will be allowed to drive legally. The time gap is to allow adjustment to the large cultural change. The events around Manal driving happen in 2011. I wonder how much they influence the decision to finally allow women to drive without having a man in the car? Interesting, well written, and highly recommended.