Connie G's Reviews > Bride of the Sea

Newlyweds Muneer and Saeedah came to America on student visas. The mismatched young couple from Saudi Arabia were soon expecting their first child, but Muneer already was thinking about divorcing his volatile wife. Muneer returned to Saudi Arabia while their daughter, Hanadi, stayed with his ex-wife in Ohio. Tormented by the fear that Muneer would eventually separate her from their daughter, Saeedah assumed a new name and disappeared with Hanadi. They moved frequently--constantly switching identities, changing schools, never getting close to people, and living a life of lies.

Muneer finally found his daughter when she was seventeen, and introduced her to a loving extended family in Jidda. (The city of Jidda is called the "Bride of the Red Sea.") This is a story of two cultures where Hanadi feels a sense of loss for what she missed and wonders where she belongs. She also loves the greater freedom for women, and educational opportunities in America. The book shows us a broken family over a fifty year period. Details of American and Saudi history, religion, food, and traditions are woven into the story. Author Eman Quotah grew up in both Saudi Arabia and the United States so she is able to sensitively portray Hanadi caught between cultures.