Perilous Journey [Hardcover]

Patricia Sutherland (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sutherland now lives on Lake Michigan with her two children, but a decade ago, her life was dramatically different. Traveling through Asia in 1989, the 28-year-old Sutherland met a Malaysian of royal descent; after a whirlwind courtship, she converted to Islam and they married. Living at the prince's South China Sea island resort, they had a son and a daughter, but Sutherland was disturbed by her husband's gun, alcohol abuse, infidelities and lies. Fearing his irrational rages ("Mahmood claims it's sometimes necessary to scare and/or beat the shit out of people to get things done") and his link with a Muslim extremist group, she contemplated ending the marriage; he retaliated by seizing the children's passports and making threats on her life, telling her to leave the country. Back in the U.S. without her children, she became involved in a custody battle that stretched on for years. Sutherland reconstructs these events with vivid, detailed descriptive passages, some drawn from her diaries and letters, communicating her early joy, "frayed emotions," confusion, despair and determination as she traveled back and forth between Malaysia and the U.S.: "I began a frenzied quest to organize and fund the children's rescue." Despite an ineffectual and murky cover design, the strong suspense will intrigue readers.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Sutherland, on an adventure with a friend, meets a handsome Malaysian prince and falls in love. In 1990, after Sutherland's conversion to Islam and arrangements by Prince Mahmood Shah Bin to divorce his wife, the American and the Malaysian prince marry and have two children. Then Sutherland's dream life turns nightmarish as she discovers the prince's true character--violent, alcoholic, unfaithful, cruel, and abusive. The cultural differences and repressive notions toward women increase Sutherland's fear that if she leaves her husband, she will lose her children. By 1994, Sutherland is forced to return to the U.S. without her children and begins the long, harrowing process of getting them back. Reconstructed from letters, interviews, court documents, and press accounts, Sutherland's ordeal is rendered in journal format from the time she meets the prince, through the troubled marriage, the unsuccessful custody fight in Malaysia, and the perilous journey to recover her children. This book will appeal to readers interested in the increasingly popular topic of American and Islamic cultural differences as well as those who wish to read a dramatic account of a failed marriage and bitter custody battle. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: New Horizon Press (November 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882822268
• ISBN-13: 978-0882822266
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,056 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read, November 18, 2002

By 

Jolynn Paige (Suttons Bay, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Perilous Journey (Hardcover)

I absolutely could not stop reading this true story about Patricia, who falls in love with and marries a prince of Malaysia. She thought all of her dreams had come true, but then, after having two children with this man, he abuses her and the children. Through letters written to friends and family, you will gain a profound understanding of domestic abuse, child abuse, and child custody battles which transcend international boarders. I found myself outraged by the curruption and injustice allowed in Malaysia and I was shocked at the blatant prejudice against Westerners that her ex-husband, Mahmood, perpetrated. As I read this book, my heart was breaking for Patty and her children as they had to endure years of separation, confusion, and fear in a country where women have few rights, and the court systems are corrupt. Patricia's determination to be a part of her children's lives by facing down the entire Malaysian system, and then finally escaping to the US with them, is an inspiration. Her continued instistance on being a loving force in the world in spite of all of the betrayal and cruelty she has endured, is also an inspiration to us all. Your buying and reading this book will help raise consciousness in the world.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The high Risk of Intercultural marriage step by step by gifted writer, August 22, 2007

By 

Clarence W. Gillispie "Themocassinman.com" (Westerville,ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Perilous Journey (Hardcover)

Anyone contemplating intercultural or inter country marriage should read this riveting day by day account in this book written by gifted writer Patricia Sutherland prior to their marriage decision. I have heard several first hand accounts of marriages similar to this but none so well documented with the frequent letters of the struggle during and after the romantic period. I am absolutely no expert on marriages but it appears to me after reading this harrowing account that the potential destructive variables of the intercultural marriage require very thoughtful consideration.If the maxim that opposites attract,and apparently this is true, it is bound to happen again and again. This micro example and marriage was the ultimate demonstration of a totally free spirit and liberated young beautiful American woman clashing with traditional Muslim values and Royalty was a disaster waiting to happen.This individual situation demonstrates the total major conflict and lack of understanding at play in the world today between Islamic Law and women.
A very insightful and well written book that should be required reading for couples from different cultures and countries during the pre-marriage counseling stage.
Most modern marriages and love bonds are also complicated by religious,racial,value differences and this world view problem is well documented in this book. Every Minister,Priest,Rabbi,Muslim,Hindu,etc should have a copy readily available in their reference library and read this book before giving agreement to preform a intercultural marriage ceremony. Even though Patricia tried extremely hard to adapt and become a total part of the culture and religion that was not enough to ultimately preserve the romantic bond and love between she and her Prince who turned
quickly into a rat.I suspect he always was but kept it well hidden.
The narrative and story actually turns frightening as the author describes her daily efforts to assert herself in the dangerous Malaysian setting.She is lucky to have escaped intact with her three beautiful children and her life.This is an excellent tribute to her personal Northern Michigan strength and a adventurous read written by a obviously gifted survivor.