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Jillian Lauren

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Some Girls: My Life in a Harem Paperback – April 27, 2010

by Jillian Lauren (Author)

3.9 1,163 ratings

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A jaw-dropping story of how a girl from the suburbs ends up in a prince's harem, and emerges from the secret Xanadu both richer and wiser

At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The "casting director" told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay pretty American girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Soon, Jillian was on a plane to Borneo, where she would spend the next eighteen months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of the Sultan of Brunei, leaving behind her gritty East Village apartment for a palace with rugs laced with gold and trading her band of artist friends for a coterie of backstabbing beauties.

More than just a sexy read set in an exotic land, Some Girls is also the story of how a rebellious teen found herself-and the courage to meet her birth mother and eventually adopt a baby boy.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Plume
Publication date

April 27, 2010
Dimensions

5.32 x 0.82 x 7.9 inches
ISBN-10

0452296315
ISBN-13

978-0452296312
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

At the age of 19, Lauren was trying to get a fledgling acting career off the ground while working as a stripper and call girl. When the opportunity arises for several girls to travel to the island of Borneo to be a part of the harem of the Sultan of Brunei’s youngest brother, Prince Jefri, for a few weeks, Lauren jumps at the opportunity. Telling her family she’s headed overseas for an acting job, she travels to Brunei for what she thinks will be a diverting and exciting two weeks. Once she arrives at the expansive estate, Lauren finds her only duty is to attend lavish parties each night and hope that she will be the one chosen to steal away from the party with the prince. Two weeks turns into a year, and Lauren finds herself increasingly involved in the vicious competition for the prince’s attention. While the surprising and exotic subject matter is sure to pique interest, Lauren’s graceful, introspective prose lifts her unusual memoir far above the level of mere titillation. --Kristine Huntley

Review

"Some Girls is a heart-stoppingly thrilling story told by a punk rock Scheherazade. Lauren writes with such lyrical ease - the book is almost musical, an enduring melody of what it is to be a woman."
-Margaret Cho

"Lauren... is a deft storyteller, imparting equal parts poignant reflection and wisdom into her enlightening book. A gritty, melancholy memoir leavened by the author's amiable, engrossing narrative tenor."
-Kirkus Reviews

"Some Girls would have been riveting even if Jillian Lauren had merely illuminated the murky world of high-class prostitution for the general reader. The fact that she does so with humor, candor, and a reporter's gimlet eye is an added delight. But Some Girls also undertakes the deepest challenge: it reveals how and why a middle-class kid like Lauren found herself in such a line of work--and how she got out."
-Jennifer Egan, author of The Keep

"Wow, what a story! Jillian Lauren's Some Girls is the most exotic sex worker memoir I've ever read. Imagine being paid to play with the richest men in the world? Few women dare to speak of their youthful sexual adventures with such honesty and clarity. I can't wait for the movie."
-Annie Sprinkle, Ph.D

Catfights, mad cash, priceless jewels -- what's a young girl from Jersey to do? Welcome to the sultan's harem, a secret world filled with artful seduction and parties that never end. What starts out juicy quickly turns soulful in this elegantly crafted, multi-layered stunner of a memoir. Lauren strikes the perfect balance between light and shadow in her spellbinding tale of one woman's exotic search for identity and true love."
-Rachel Resnick, author of Love Junkie

"Lauren is a gifted and lyrical writer whose coming-of-age tale has the reader firmly under its spell by the end of the first paragraph. Her emotional insight is deeply penetrating, allowing us to feel kinship with her even as we marvel at her rarefied adventures. Lauren generously brings us along for an amazing ride as she seeks, and then finds, meaning and connection in her life. I couldn't put it down."
-Nina Hartley, author of Nina Hartley's Guide to Total Sex

"Jillian Lauren's Some Girls takes readers into a world so dramatic, it seems almost too far out to be true. But the bracing realism that infuses her storytelling lifts the veil of harem life and shows us the gritty truth of life in fantasy-land. Her transformation from dream girl-for-hire to rock-n-roll mama proves that resilience and reinvention, more than diamonds, are a girl's best friend.
-Lily Burana, author of Strip City

"Some Girls reads like a swiftly-paced novel, but gets under your skin in a way fiction can't. This is a striptease of a book, sexy and mesmerizing at first, but at the end a very real woman stands in front of you, exposed and vulnerable. I couldn't put it down, and when I was done, I couldn't stop thinking about it."
-Claire LaZebnik, author of Knitting Under the Influence

About the Author

Jillian Lauren is a writer, storyteller, mom, and rock-wife. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Everything You Ever Wanted and Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, and the novel Pretty. Some Girls has been translated into 18 different languages and is currently being adapted for TV. She has written for The New York Times, The Paris Review, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Magazine, Elle, The Daily Beast and Salon, among others.

She lives with her husband, musician Scott Shriner, and their two sons in Los Angeles.
www.jillianlauren.com

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Shah’s wife was unfaithful to him, so he cut off her head and summarily declared all women to be evil and thereby deserving of punishment. Every night the Shah’s grand vizier brought him a new virgin to marry and every morning the Shah had the woman executed. After too many of these bloody sunrises, the vizier’s eldest and favorite daughter asked to be brought to the Shah as that night’s offering. The grand vizier protested, but his daughter insisted, and this daughter was known through¬out the kingdom for her powers of persuasion. At the end of the day, the Shah married the vizier’s daughter while the vizier wept in his chambers, unable to watch.

At first, the daughter’s wedding night was indistinguishable from the wedding nights of the other ill-fated virgins who had married the Shah before her, but as morning approached, the Shah’s newest wife began to tell him a story. The story had not yet reached its conclusion when the pink light of dawn crept around the edges of the curtains. The Shah agreed to let the woman live for just one more day, because he couldn’t bear to kill her before he learned the story’s end.

The next night the woman finished that story, but before the sun rose over the dome of the palace mosque, she began another, equally as compelling as the last. The following one thousand and one nights each concluded with an unfinished story. By the end of this time, the Shah had fallen in love with the woman, and he spared her life, his heart mended and his faith in women restored.

This is, of course, the story of Scheherazade. It’s the story of the storyteller. We lay our heads on the block and hope that you’ll spare us, that you’ll want another tale, that you’ll love us in the end. We’re looking for the story that will save our lives.

One thousand and one nights—nearly three years. That’s about the span of this story. Will you listen? It’s almost morning.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Plume; 1rst Printing edition (April 27, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0452296315
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0452296312
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.1 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.32 x 0.82 x 7.9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #424,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,888 in Ethnic Studies (Books)
- #4,931 in Women's Biographies
- #13,213 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
3.9 1,163 ratings

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Jillian Lauren

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Jillian Lauren is a writer, storyteller, adoption advocate, rock-wife, and lousy kickboxer. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED, and SOME GIRLS: My Life in a Harem, and the novel PRETTY. SOME GIRLS, which recounts her time spent in the harem of the Prince of Brunei, has been translated into eighteen languages.

She was the only journalist to extensively interview Samuel Little, the most prolific serial killer in American history. This experience is chronicled in Joe Berlinger’s hit STARZ documentary series, CONFRONTING A SERIAL KILLER, and in Michael Connelly’s podcast MURDER BOOK: The Women Who Brought Down Samuel Little.

Her latest book, a USA Today bestseller, BEHOLD THE MONSTER: Confronting a Killer, depicts a harrowing report of Jillain’s unusual relationship with a psychopath. But this is more than a deep dive into the actions of Samuel Little. Lauren's riveting and emotional accounts reveal the women who were lost to cold files, giving Little's victims a chance to have their stories heard for the first time.

Jillian has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University. Her writing has appeared in New York Magazine, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Paris Review, The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Elle, Flaunt Magazine, The Daily Beast, Salon, and many others. Her work has been widely anthologized, including in The Moth Anthology, and True Tales of Lust and Love.

Jillian is a regular storyteller with The Moth and performs at spoken word and storytelling events across the country. She did a Tedx talk about adoption and identity at Chapman University in 2014. She has been interviewed on The View, Good Morning America and Howard Stern, to name a few.

Jillian is married to Weezer bass player Scott Shriner. They live in Los Angeles with their two sons.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

1,163 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the writing style well-written, honest, and simple. They also describe the content as interesting, easy-going, enjoyable, and tawdry. However, some find the storyline boring, uninteresting, disjointed, and hard to follow.

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Content Writing style Humor Storyline

104 customers mention "Content"97 positive7 negative

Customers find the book interesting, amazing, and fun. They also say it holds their attention the whole time, and the details about the harem life are fascinating. Readers describe the book as easy-going, enjoyable, and tawdry. They appreciate the author's unique and creative way of using words.

"This was a great read. I was expecting it to be a typical, trashy "tell all" about exploits as a prince's mistress, but it was SO much more...." Read more

"...While there is no closure, the book is a fast read, providing at least some measure of satisfaction to more reluctant readers." Read more

"Titillating, tawdry and touching -- what a vivid combination...." Read more

"...If you have never heard a harem story, read this one. It is very typical harem story...." Read more

55 customers mention "Writing style"43 positive12 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, honest, and raw. They also say the book is well-put together, simple, and clear.

"...Jillian's book however is incredibly candid and self analytical (you can tell she's VERY intelligent), while still giving juicy details about life..." Read more

"...I find her writing easy to read. It is simple and clear...." Read more

"...Your humble honesty, so raw and real, about the jagged-edged struggles of finding yourself, making your own way against the harsh backdrop of regret..." Read more

"...and sophisticated, yet when I began reading, I found the writing style almost juvenile and simplistic--telling, not showing...." Read more

5 customers mention "Humor"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the humor in the book funny, witty, and smart.

"...Jillian Lauren's writing is funny and descriptive and she takes the reader right along with her to the other end of the earth..." Read more

"...The topic of the book was not so great, but the writing was great.I did something I've never done before...." Read more

"...This gal is a good writer. Witty,smart and funny...." Read more

"It is written quite well and while it is a book you can put down, it does leave you wanting to know what happens." Read more

30 customers mention "Storyline"0 positive30 negative

Customers find the storyline boring, unrealistic, and disjointed. They also say the book is choppy and hard to follow. Readers also mention that the book has too much about the author's life and not enough about the actual title.

"...It was somewhat choppy, with undeveloped characters (including her own) and timing that didn't quite make sense...." Read more

"...She did a great job selling her memoir, but the book itself was a disappointment. In retrospect, this is true to her form...." Read more

"...Too long, to much about her life, and not enough about the actual title of the book." Read more

"...; I'm giving it 3 stars because yes, I felt it was "okay" - unimpressive, but okay." Read more

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Katie Leigh

Candid Look Into the Not-So-Glamorous Life as a Royal Mistress- Deeper Than the Typical "Tell All". Very Detailed & Interesting!

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2016

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This was a great read. I was expecting it to be a typical, trashy "tell all" about exploits as a prince's mistress, but it was SO much more. I've read many books by former Playmates and celeb call girls which, while interesting, generally seem to be heavy on name dropping and victim mentality. Jillian's book however is incredibly candid and self analytical (you can tell she's VERY intelligent), while still giving juicy details about life behind the scenes as a royal sex worker we are all here for. She talks about her upbringing, adoption, quest to find out who she is, and what lead her to many of her decisions. You can definitely connect the dots, psychologically speaking, as to why she made many of the risky choices she did, while trying to find herself. She talks in depth about her time at the palace; from daily life, interaction and stories of the other girls in the harem (which included American playmates, beauty queens, famous international actresses and pop stars...all of whom were out to get each other in a race to become the Sultan's favorite), to details of her many encounters with the prince-- his personality, narcissistic tendencies, and what it's like to be one of the wealthiest men in the world. She doesn't glamorize what she did or life at the palace, and talks about despite the fact it seemed like a dream life from the outside, her days were spent locked inside a pre-internet world (even going to the mall was a rarity), monitored at all times (there were even cameras in the BATHROOM), and being passed from prince, to sultan, to royal friend or head of state. Jill is completely open about her "activities" and emotions, holding nothing back. I found this book to be well written and interesting from start to finish. It definitely goes deeper than your typical tell all, and I appreciated that. After reading I did some research into Jill's life now, and was so happy everything is going well for her- she's now an accomplished writer, mom of an ADORABLE little boy, adoption advocate, and married to a member of the band "Weezer".

27 people found this helpful

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Danny W. Pettry

Easy-to-read. Interesting story.

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2010

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Read half of Jillian Lauren's memoir at this time.

I find her writing easy to read. It is simple and clear.

She is smart woman who was able to attend college while her peers were still in high school. In my own bias opinion, she is pretty, based on the picture of her on the back of the book.

Jillian drops out of college. She works as a stripper and later a call-girl. She is offered $20,000 to go to the small country of Brunei to party for a few weeks. This sounds dangerous, which adds excitement to her story. She realizes that she is part of a harem for the prince. There are groups of women from several countries there.

I'm at the middle-point in the book. I want to find out what happens. She gets out of the country alive because she has written this book.

I wonder what type of wisdom she has to share about her experience. The back of the book says she "emerges from the secret Xanadu both richer and wiser."

Glad I haven't read all of the book prior to writing this review so I don't give away the secrets and the ending.

Review by Danny Pettry
Author of: Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom.
Discover Hidden Secret Wisdom: A Recreational Therapist's System on How You Can Become Great at Anything (Volume 1)

2 people found this helpful

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Michelle Pinsky

Interesting Premise, Poor Execution

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2010

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The back cover claims that the story held within the pages is about a suburban-born, adopted "good-girl" who comes to a path of self-discovery while living in a modern-day harem owned by the Prince of Brunei. To this extent, this description is true, but not entirely accurate.

Written in the style of most-modern day memoirs, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, opens on the scene of the author's troubled childhood and ill relations with her father. After feeling she has failed as an actress and living with limited resources after being cut off from her finances due to her dropping out of college, she follows a lead from a friend after working with an "escort service" which in turn swallows her up into the life of a "harem girl", even though in no way is the harem officially reported.

Reading like a mid-day soap opera, the story continues as the author finds herself in the prince's favor, only later to escape back to the states into a world of abortions, drugs, and experimental theater. After finding her funds are running short once again, she returns to Brunei, only to realize she has fallen out of her position of power and replaced by the ever increasing flow of newcomers. However, the Lauren only describes this piece of history rather briefly, almost as if something important has been removed.

The book closes on the Lauren's realization of what is normal and how history yet repeats itself--as seen with the adoption of her Ethiopian son. However, the continuous "fallout" of her time in the prince's harem that the author alludes to throughout--embezzlement of funds, evening gossip news exposure, etc.--are hardly discussed, instead quickly cutting to the epilogue of the life she currently lives now.

I had originally picked this book up through a recommendation in Marie Claire as the author interview sounded savvy and sophisticated, yet when I began reading, I found the writing style almost juvenile and simplistic--telling, not showing. The author continuously portrays herself as a victim to her circumstances, alternating between blaming herself using a cliched woe-is-me-technique and her mental instabilities.

While the book preaches self-redemption and coming of age, I found very little of such in the author's experience. Lauren constantly puts herself down and emphasizes her worthlessness as a woman instead of embracing her femininity. Even at the book's completion, I was left with the sense that the author still has many unresolved issues to see through to the end, leaving a horribly bitter taste in my mouth. There is no closure.

The redeeming feature of this book shines deep in the narrative technique, using almost a rough, "bad-girl" leather and studs slang, which comes off as a refreshing change from most feminine narratives, if at times a little a crude and overused.

While this book was not for me, I do recommend it as a lazy summer day, throw-away read--though nothing more than that. While there is no closure, the book is a fast read, providing at least some measure of satisfaction to more reluctant readers.

8 people found this helpful

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Prince

Three Stars

Reviewed in India on September 23, 2017

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Thanks

Irene Ewing

Very catchy read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 6, 2018

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Really fascinating read. A New Jersey teen ends up in the (boring, really) harem of a brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Well-written and bathetic in its way. I think many a woman will resonate.

Michele

interessante

Reviewed in Italy on February 5, 2018

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ho cercato molto questo testo in italiano ma ho dovuto ripiegare sul testo inglese comunque ne è valsa la pena... jillian viene scelta per stare con altre ragazze come lei in un superlussuoso hare.... del brunei quindi nn certo un posto qualunque . ma più passano i mesi più poco a poco emerge la rivalità tra tutte per essere le piuttosto desirate dal principe e quindi moltissimi colpi bassi. jillian vivrà nel lusso più sfrenato ma una volta tornata a casa matura e prende altre decisioni importanti per la sua vita.

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Carol F.

Uncomfortable reading

Reviewed in Australia on July 18, 2021

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I bought this book after seeing a documentary series on Stan with the author. “Confronting a Serial Killer.” It was a fabulous series which I thoroughly enjoyed. After researching the author, I found the book and was really looking forward to reading about her life.
I have to say I was very disappointed in it......and found myself disliking the author and the life she led, which was weird as I liked her in the documentary, so I like the woman she has become. This book is not very well written, and that awful hedonistic life in Brunei - UGH!

One person found this helpful

Joanna Bodrug

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2017

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I loved this book!!!! It was so interesting I would recommend it to anyone!!!

One person found this helpful

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Some Girls: My Life in a Harem Paperback – April 27, 2010

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