Customer Reviews

Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

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This is a book that had to be written and should be read. It is clearly aimed at the average American audience because it outlines a prespective of the Middle East that U.S. readers have been deprived of. And it might perhaps partially answer the common question that has been frequently asked in America since 9/11: "Why do they hate us?" Queen Noor's book is written in simple form and is an easy read, whereby she touches upon her own personal experience as King Hussein's wife, step-mother to his many children, as mother, and of course, as the American queen of an Arab country.

I found her private political discussions with her late husband as the most fascinating and she reveals, for the first time, some "inside information" throughout the various crises facing Jordan and the region. However, the queen was clearly careful in not revealing enough and many questions remained unanswered, be they political or personal, and sometimes jumps from one issue to the next without clarifying what happened next or how a certain problem was eventually resolved. She does not divulge details of her relationship with her older step-children, especially the now King Abdullah, her husband's eldest son who was suddenly named heir to the throne shortly before Hussein's death. She clearly did not want to ruffle any feathers through her cautious accounts -- after all, she is still officially a Jordanian queen -- but wanted to dedicate this book to portraying her husband's long search for peace in the Middle East.

As for some of the reviews here, criticism of the book and writer as "anti-semitic" is ludicrous, and simply proves one of her points in the book on extremist Jews being "planted" to sabotage her message or any other Arab message meant to reach U.S. ears. Norma Khouri's review is even more ridiculous, accusing the queen of abandoning women's rights. Queen Noor, and many many other Jordanian women, has done a whole lot more for women's rights and their empowerment in this country than Khouri has ever even attempted to do. At least she did not fabricate an entire story in a piece of bad fiction full of factual errors and sell it as non-fiction.

I highly recommend Queen Noor's Leap of Faith to every reader interested in this part of the world.

This is an extremely well thought out, intriguing book. If you are thinking you are getting some book about a fluff queen in a little country - you are mistaken. This is a book about an unbelieveably strong, brilliant woman married to a man who happened to be king of a country undergoing tremendous strife for the entire time of their marriage. It made me realize my poor knowledge of the region and of the strength and values of the Jordanian people. A great book.

Once in awhile a book comes along that does make change. This book is a true enlightenment for many. We have ideas as to what goes on in the Arab world, but this clearly sets the record straight. I cannot emphasize the importance of needing to read this if you are one who has any interest or concern covering this huge reality.

From King Hussien's vision as to what a womans role is to the rest of the region, to what this woman was able to move forward with. This gives us insight as to what is in fact possible with proper diplomacy and extreme diligence.

What I cannot convey more of is how this book seriously applies to all of us and especially in this current time of war in Iraq. There is application in this book which is of incredible intellect and insight. Women are in fact a huge influence in the area if these women know how to get into position and pass the message continually. I highly recommend this along with another book which covers this same exact effort in the Arab world and how women are desperately needed to get fearlessly involved, title is SB 1 or God by Karl Maddox.

"Leap of Faith" can be deceiving. At first you think: cool upper middle class blonde marries much older(and shorter) King. Ah, a late 20th century Grace Kelly? An American Princess Diana?
Far from it. Queen Noor, who began her life as Lisa Halaby, is and always has been a serious, thoughtful woman who chooses to live her life for politics, philosophy, her family (both her one of origin and by marriage), and causes. She does not and appears to have never been a woman consumed by clothes, jewelry, gossip, and glamour. (Though some of her detractors might argue differently.)
This book traces her beginnnings in the upper middle and upper classes of American society. Her father, Najeeb Halaby, was a very successful Arab American who at various times ran the FAA and Pan Am. Her mother was of Swedish American descent. While Lisa/Noor appears to have inherited the looks of her Nordic ancestors, she clearly embraced her Arab American heritage far more enthusiastically as a child. Lisa, as she was then known, grew up in affluent sections of LA, Washington, DC, and New York. She was educated at the finest schools-westlake, national cathedral school, chapin and concord academy-and was a strong student and outstanding athlete (captain of the field hockey team). She took her studies and the politics of the 1960's very seriously and insisted on transferring from the apolitical Chapin to the more academically challenging Concord Academy. Eventually she lands at Princeton, in the first female class. After she receives a degree in urban planning, she moves from one international job to another and finally lands at an architecture firm in Jordan.
And the rest, as they say, is history. Noor details her leap-from all American (albeit one of the upper classes) Wasp girl to Muslim wife to royalty-in a clear, elegant, understated way. She clearly believes that she found her soulmate not only with her husband, King Hussein, but with the country of Jordan and its people.

Most of the book details the Arab Israeli conflicts of the 20th century from the vantage point of Hussein. I found these sections riveting. Certain incidents-for example, the assassination of Rabin after peace accords-took on an added poignancy through Hussein and Noor's eyes. She notes how difficult the American obsession with celebrity news-OJ, Tonya Harding-was for those in the Mideast struggling with the lives and deaths of millions.
While Noor does not overemote throughout the book about her husband, clearly she loved and still loves him deeply and passionately. Beyond being a biography, this book is a romance, though a very understated one and palatable to both genders. Her chapters on Hussein's final months, which she embroiders with such details as her bathing him daily at the Mayo Clinic, are deeply moving.
If I had one criticism of this book, I would note that Noor offers little self-analysis on some very important issues in her life. In addition to her mother's nordic looks, she also seems to exude a Swedish reserve. While she provides the details of her leap, she offers little insight into the impact on herself, her family and her friends. Certain things can be inferred: her father was a high powered, controlling, Arab American perfectionist as was her husband. You don't need Freud. Other issues might have benefited from analysis. At one point, she was against the war in Vietnam, a pioneering woman in Princeton's first female class, and independent soul. A few years later, she was a Muslim woman, enmeshed in some of the most controversial issues of the 20th century, and bound to the traditions of her new land. She was part of the first generation of women that didn't take their husband's last name. Yet in Halaby's case, she changed her last and first name upon her marriage, as well as her religion, citizenship, political views, and profession. In addition, I would have been interested if she or her parents had had Jewish friends who had difficulty (or didn't) with her choices. To be fair, Halaby simply may not have in it her for such analysis-she mentions at one point that she considered going to a therapist but realized that she couldn't for fear of her confidences getting out.
I would recommend highly this book to individuals who like serious biographies and/or current political issues. You will learn a lot. Your understanding of the Arab-Israeli world will be enriched.I would caution individuals with very strong pro-Israeli views that she is very (though not militantly) pro-Arab. I also would warn individuals who love biographies on celebrity princesses-Diana, Grace Kelly, Jackie Kenndy-that this book focuses on politics and philosophy and not clothes and hair. You'll learn about what people said at a State Dinner at the White House not what they wore that night.

This couple is fascinating. I've always been intrigued by the two. It was wonderful to see inside their daily life. The most interesting parts, though, for me, was about the Israel - Palistine conflict. It was refreshing to see it from a different side. I have been to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain, as well as Israel. Sadly enough, the Arabs made me feel as if I had a disease; the Israelis made me feel as if I was a long lost friend. The only friendly arabs (besides shop owners I was spending money at) were the Jordanian soldiers I had met at their border with Israel. The American public needs more books like this to remind us that folks like bin Laden are the exception, not the rule. And, no, I don't want to read a book about the Palestinians plight that is written by a NY Times writer. I want to hear from arabs. And Arabs should make an effort to realize that all Western society isn't necessarily bad, just different. (stepping off my soapbox) This book, however, changed many of my opinions, and my mind is more open. Although understandable coming from Her Majesty, the book made it appear as if King Hussein never made a single mistake, politically or personally, in his entire life. That made me skeptical of some of the "Israelis are the bad guys" stories. I still recommend the book, if only because it is a warm and loving story of a fascinating family. (I do wish Her Majesty had talked more of her American family and their opinions of these events over the years...)

In her book, "Leap of Faith," Queen Noor describes her life as an independent, well educated American woman, and later her life as the pro-active, compassionate Queen of Jordan. The majority of the book focuses on her life as the Queen of Jordan and as such the Arab-Israeli conflict is discussed at great length. What makes this part of the book so fascinating is that it is an account of history as seen through the eyes of an individual who played a major part in the events of that day. Queen Noor was always by King Hussein's side during peace negotiations and often acted as his sounding board during difficult political and social times. In fact, it was Queen Noor who encouraged the King to hold fair and open parliamentary elections in Jordan - the country's first general elections in over 20 years. In her book, Queen Noor describes how she re-defined the role of Queen and actively tried to better Jordanian government and society in any way possible. She was a champion of many causes - peace in the Middle East, the advancement of Jordanian women, the preservation of the environment, and the development of the Jordanian tourist industry. She was also a staunch supporter of the arts in Jordan. On a more personal level, I was inspired by the Queen's grace and strength. Reading "Leap of Faith," one gets the sense that Queen Noor handled the many difficult political, social, and personal problems life presented her with thoughtfulness, compassion, and humility. In short, I highly recommend this book to those who wish to read about a remarkable woman who lived through and impacted remarkable times.

This book was better than I had expected. I had read reviews which called this book anti-semetic IT IS NOT! It is a truthful account of the middle east history, I should know I am a history teacher. Sometimes the truth is not pretty. Queen Nohr's journey is amazing and entertaining and you learn a bit about the middle east along the way!!! Give it a try.

A book that should be in everybody's library. An invitation to reed more about the quest of the Palestinians and Arab nations to live peacefully in their home lands. A wonderful story of a very difficult life of this wonderful American woman. I'm really proud of her and her courage. What a wonderful calling card she is for our Country.

I thought this was a wonderful book, both easy to read and informative. I liked that Queen Noor gave specific examples of UN resolutions that are able to be confirmed and might serve to inspire readers to learn more about the Middle East. It was a great blend of her life/personality and historical events as she saw them. I particularly liked her description of Petra, the Dead Sea and other places in Jordan.

Within the first chapter she basically says straight out that she is not an expert or a scholar on the Middle East, but rather is giving her view of things as she sees them. ( as most autobiographies do) I found it refreshing to hear an Arab view about the Middle East to balance so much of the negative propaganda we hear about Arabs and Muslims. I did not in anyway find her view anti-Semitic. (It might be noteworthy here to point out that Arabs are themselves Semites.) While she is critical of Israel, America, and Egypt to name a few, she did not come across to me as anti-Jewish. At one point in the book she talks about visiting Iraq, and how the numerous posters of Saddam Hussein reminded her of the propaganda in Nazi Germany, and how she found this quite disturbing.

That said, I found this book informative, inspiring, and entertaining. I think it is one of the best autobiographies I have read. If you are interested in learning more about Islam/Arabs and the West, try Richard Fletcher's book called Moorish Spain. I'm reading it right now, and really enjoying what I am learning. So, thank you Queen Noor, and Thanks!

The "Unexpected Life" of Queen Noor was fascinating. Although I knew who she was and her american born background and conversion to muslim , I had no idea Noor was SO intelligent. Her college education in urban planning, and her brilliant intellect were definately America's loss and Jordan's gain when she married King Hussein. She has a wonderful heart and truly cared about the people of Jordan, even before she knew the King.

Though each bit of information in this book was highly signficant, there were parts that were slower than others, as the specific and minute details of the politics of Jordan and inner-workings of the people of the country sometimes seemed abstract. However, as I forged ahead, I realized that the information in each chapter helped me to learn more about this country and its King.

I must say I was truly appalled at the resistance and criticism offered up by our "stellar politicians" toward the King and his attempts to make peace in the middle east and his efforts to get everyone, including other countries on board as well. The Queen tried to assist her husband in subtle, though politically correct ways and get involved on an "inside" level, and they were treated with rudeness and disrespect. But in true Queen Noor grace, she always seems to have something good to say about those who had turned their backs on the King and his ideas, dreams, and hopes for his country and its people.

This book will introduce you on a more "personal" level, to a Queen who tried to exact change in a country difficult to change. The Queen was a loving mother, devoted wife, and caring friend. She seemed to have friends no matter where she went and made more friends in every corner. Her loving words about her feelings for her stepchildren were touching. Even though things were not always perfect (an admission on her part) she took on a brood of children who had no mother figure and loved them as she did her own.

Though she was a woman with her own ideas and thoughts, in a country that doesn't always encourage such, she was so respectful of the culture and somehow tried to intersect a sense of style and grace without overpowering the resident culture of the people. She stated in the book that she felt uncomfortable at some public gatherings wearing elaborate and expensive dresses, when so many of the people in the country were poor and struggling, so she went with dresswear that was more fitting within the culture and much more affordable.

Though there may be times when the political speak gets a little overwhelming, keep reading! This book is an awesome tribute to a wonderful woman and her husband the King. But even more, its a tribute to the country of Jordan. Through much of the middleast troubles of recent years, I learned more about the conflict in the middle east, and its basis than I would have watching several hours of CNN. The dynamics of Jordan's relationships with its neighboring countries were insightful and eye-opening. This is a MUST read for everyone wanting to feel a little more educated about the conflict that our world is in at this time. This doesn't mean that we would in any way approve of war, conflict and violence. But it definately leaves you with a better understanding of it's background.