Product Description

Born into a distinguished Arab-American family, Lisa Halaby was a strongly independent young woman. After studying architecture at Princeton, her work on projects in the Middle East gave her a profound understanding both of the links between the environment and social problems, and also of the tumultuous history of the Arab nations. Then, in 1974, her life took a very different turn, when her father introduced her to the world's most eligible bachelor, King Hussein of Jordan. After a whirlwind romance, she became Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan. With eloquence and honesty, Queen Noor speaks of the obstacles she faced as a young bride and of her successful struggle to create a role for herself as a humanitarian activist. She tells of her heartbreaking miscarriage and the births of her four children, along with her continuing support for King Hussein's campaign to bring peace to the Arab nations. But most of all this is a love story - an honest and engaging portrait of a truly remarkable woman and the man she married.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #109787 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 496 pages

Review
"Here she tells the story of her life as a young royal bride, her humanitarian work, her miscarriage and the births of her four children. Above all she describes her abiding love for her husband who died in 1999." (SUNDAY TRIBUNE )

From the Inside Flap
Leap of Faith is the dramatic and inspiring story of a western woman's incredible journey into the heart of a man and his nation. Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised amid privilege, Lisa Halaby joined the first freshman class at Princeton to accept women, graduating in 1974 with a degree in architecture and urban planning. Two years later, while visiting her father in Jordan, she was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein. Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic death of his wife. The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime friend. After a whirlwind, secret courtship Lisa Halaby became Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan. With eloquence and candour, Queen Noor speaks of the obstacles she faced as a naive young bride in the royal court, of rebelling against the smothering embrace of security guards and palace life, and of her own successful struggle to create a working role as a humanitarian activist in a court that simply expected Noor to keep her husband happy. As she gradually took on the mantle of a queen, Noor's joys and challenges grew. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, she gave birth to four children. Meshing the demands of motherhood with the commitments of her position often proved difficult, but she tried to keep her young children by her side, even (continued on back flap) Illustrated Price in UK 20.00 while flying the world with her husband in his relentless quest for peace. This mission would reap satisfying rewards, including greater Arab unity and a peace treaty with Israel, and suffer such terrible setbacks as the Gulf War and the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. Leap of Faith is a remarkable document. It is the story of a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab monarch. It provides a compelling portrait of the late King Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his war-torn region, and an insider's view of the growing gulf between the United States and the Arab nations. It is also the refreshingly candid story of a mother coming to terms with the demands the king's role as a world statesman placed on her family's private life. But most of all it is a love story - the intimate account of a woman who lost her heart to a king, and to his people. Weidenfeld & Nicolson Orion Publishing Group Orion House 5 Upper Saint Martin's Lane London, WC2H

About the Author
Queen Noor was born in the USA, living in New York, California and Washington before going to university at Princeton, where she joined the first freshman class to accept women. She majored in architecture and urban planning. After graduating she worked in Australia, Iran and Jordan before meeting King Hussein. With sons educated in England (one trained as a soldier at Sandhurst), Queen Noor now divides her time between the UK, Jordan and New York.

Customer Reviews

"I will not fail you, my love."
Lisa Halaby was born in 1951 to a privileged and influential Arab-American family. Upon graduation from Princeton, she worked in several countries, including Jordan, as an architect and urban planner. Through her father, she met King Hussein of Jordan, and after a brief courtship, married him in 1978 and became Queen Noor. She converted to Islam, learned Arabic, had four children, and worked tirelessly for the betterment of her new country. Though she disliked having her life described as a fairy tale, outwardly it certainly seemed to be one.

In her autobiography, the Queen alternates between describing the turbulent and frightening political times of the seventies and eighties, with very personal stories of her family life. She is protective and respectful of her husband, family, and country, and still paints a realistic picture of the challenges she faced becoming a queen. Her marriage lasted 21 years, until her beloved husband's death from cancer. She describes him as a loving and dedicated ruler and father. She comes across as an intelligent, hard-working, and articulate lady. Her story is so well-written, I could not put it down. A unique look into a fascinating "unexpected life."

Leap of faith
As a young American woman I lived and worked in the Middle East for several years and can relate to many of her stories of the culture and living conditions. I traveled to Jordan on several occasions and found the life for women there much easier than for women in other Middle Eastern countries, but still harsh. Her humanitarian work for the people of her country is very commendable, as well as her work to better the lives of all Jordanian's. For another perspective on life in the Middle East, I also recommend another new book called "Single in Saudi" by Genia (witch or she-devil in Arabic). It is a story of the rollicking misadventures of a young woman breaking all of the rules in this most oppressive of all Middle Eastern countires.

the other perspective
I read A Leap of Faith by Queen Noor with great interest. It is written with maturity and simplicity, and it gives us a very valuable view of the development in the Middle East through the eyes of two intelligent and moderate human beings. For years now we have been flooded with anti Arab propaganda and it takes us nowhere. Although I myself am from jewish descent, I feel more like a relative of Rabin than of Sharon and I feel people like King Hussein and also Queen Noor are essential for the process of peace in the Middle East with their humility, generosity and capacity of forgiving. I hope many people read this book. It makes you feel better about our world and the potential of peace and love winning over silly little political boy's quarrels that end in big wars and tragedy. After reading her book, Queen Noor seems like a real friend to me with whom I would love to talk and work.