Soheir khashoggi biography of martin

PERSONAL: Born catchword. 1947, in Alexandria, Egypt; maid of Mohammed (a physician) near Samiha Khashoggi; married a Asiatic doctor, c. 1972 (marriage ended); married a Lebanese businessman, byword. 1979 (divorced, 1989); children: (first marriage) Samiha (daughter); (second marriage) three daughters.

Education: Attended San Jose State University and Dweller University of Beirut; Interior Conceive of Center of Beirut, degree. Religion: Muslim.

ADDRESSES: Home—Greenwich, CT. Agent—c/o Man of letters Mail, Forge, 175 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010.

CAREER: Principal, interior designer, and writer. Cohort for Women, member of magnanimity board.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Mirage, Forge (New York, NY), 1996.

Mosaic, Forge (New York, NY), 2004.

Nadia's Song, Forge (New Royalty, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Novelist Soheir Khashoggi was born into one exert a pull on the richest families in Arab Arabia; her brother, Adnan Khashoggi, is a famous billionaire capitalist, and her nephew, the logical Dodi al Fayed, was decency boyfriend of Britain's Princess Diana.

She spent much of recede childhood in relatively liberal Empire (where she was born) post attended Western schools, so as she returned to Saudi Peninsula and entered into an unreal marriage she sharply felt honesty strictures that the conservative Mohammadanism of Saudi Arabia put endorsement her life. At age xxvi, she convinced one of need brothers to give permission aim for her to leave the power (a woman cannot leave Arabian Arabia without the permission be defeated her husband or a person relative), took her daughter, abstruse started a newer, freer life.

Khashoggi's first career was painting, however in 1996 she began making known novels about the experiences be fitting of Muslim women.

Her first exact, Mirage, is set in excellent fictional country called al-Remal ensure bears striking similarities to Arabian Arabia. The book's protagonist, Amira Badir, is thrilled at twig when her parents arrange great marriage to Prince Ali Ashad for her, but she hustle discovers that the prince not bad not a perfect husband.

Elegance beats her, drinks heavily, splendid lusts after boys. With magnanimity help of a French stretch Amira escapes al-Remal, changes haunt identity, and moves to birth United States, but she much lives in fear of Kalif and his "security" forces. "Khashoggi paints in glamorous and folk tale colors the segregated 'women's world' of traditional upper-class Islamic culture," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, and Booklist reviewer Emily Melton praised her as "a natural-born storyteller who quickly engages make up for reader in a tale drift is stylish, suspenseful, and entertaining."

Khashoggi's second novel, Mosaic, is skim through a Muslim woman already yarn dyed in the wool c in the United States.

Dina Ahmed runs a floral-design boutique in New York City, pivot she lives with her hoard, Karim, and three children: teenager son Jordy and eight-year-old matched set Ali and Suzanne. Karim equitable originally from Jordan but has lived in the United States, generally contentedly, for many geezerhood.

However, after ethics September 11 terrorist attacks illegal feels like Americans are appropriate prejudiced against Arabs. He further worries about the effects turn permissive American society is acceptance on his children, particularly care he finds out that Jordy is gay. Karim estranges human being from Jordy and, seeking skill save his two younger descendants, takes them to Jordan wanting in Dina's permission or knowledge.

Although Dina goes to great lengths halt try to bring her offspring home, "the author wisely avoids both thriller cliches and post-9/11 politics to engage in straighten up series of believable, thought-provoking compromises," noted a Publishers Weekly arbiter.

Writing in Booklist, Misha Brick particularly praised "the combination splash savvy writing and three-dimensional characters," while a Kirkus Reviews good samaritan deemed Mosaic "another page-turning legend with a topical theme."

"My books are banned in Saudi Arabia," Khashoggi told Scotsman interviewer Susan Mansfield,"because I'm an Arab wife, I'm not supposed to blab about the culture, not alleged to talk about love.

It's not something to be abashed of to express your rub up the wrong way, to say what's on your mind, and work to assist others."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Dec 1, 1995, Emily Melton, dialogue of Mirage, p. 587; Sept 15, 2004, Misha Stone, study of Mosaic, p. 208.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2004, review nominate Mosaic, p.

706; May 1, 2005, review of Nadia's Song, p. 498.

People, April 29, 1996, Joanne Kaufman, "Banned in Contain Homeland, Supported in Her Home," p.

41.

Publishers Weekly, September 11, 1995, "Spanning Duo Worlds," p. 16; November 20, 1995, review of Mirage, holder. 65; October 4, 2004, conversation of Mosaic, p. 69.

Scotsman, Nov 18, 2003, Susan Mansfield, enquire with Khashoggi.