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    Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival
    Unavailable
    Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival
    Unavailable
    Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival
    Ebook287 pages4 hours

    Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival

    By Jean Sasson

    4.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    This is the true story of Yasmeena, a bright and beautiful young Lebanese woman who was imprisoned in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Yasmeena's shocking journey is a tale of the madness of war, of the sexual brutality unleashed by chaos, and of one woman’s courage to stand in danger’s way to aid her fellow sufferers. This is an explicit, graphic, and honest book. It is for mature audiences only.

    Jean Sasson has spent her career sharing the personal stories of courageous Middle Eastern women. PRINCESS: Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia was an international bestseller. It has become a classic, taught in colleges and high schools and devoured by anyone who aspires to understand the Middle East.

    Yasmeena was quite literally an innocent abroad. She was a college educated, English-speaking flight attendant graced with an unusual amount of confidence. She was also a virgin, a conservative Muslim daughter and sister.

    When Yasmeena's flight out of Kuwait was delayed, it was because Saddam Hussein had just invaded Kuwait. Iraqi soldiers threw her into a woman's prison where the guards committed ghastly sexual attacks and tortured the women.

    After Yasmeena was brutalized by the captain of the prison, she thought she was the most unfortunate woman on earth. But that was before she befriended Lana, whose rapist took glee in inflicting hurt. Yasmeena used her position as the captain's favorite to protect her friend, though she also was forced into a wrenching decision.

    As Americans and other allies march into Kuwait, the Iraqis flee and Yasmeena escapes. Eventually she finds a safe harbor where Sasson interviews her and records every horrific experience.

    Sasson has wanted to write this story for many years. But she knew that the sexual explicitness and violence would make it difficult to publish. A year ago, Yasmeena's story and the choices she was forced to make invaded Sasson’s dreams. She realized that now was the right time to share the story. And so here it is, Sasson's testament to an articulate, angry, brave young woman who not only survived but who was eager to share her story with the world.

    PRAISE FOR JEAN SASSON’S WORK:

    "Absolutely riveting and profoundly sad..." --People magazine

    "Must-reading for anyone interested in human rights." --USA Today
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLiza Dawson Associates
    Release dateAug 1, 2013
    ISBN9781939481092
    Unavailable
    Yasmeena's Choice: A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival

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    Reviews for Yasmeena's Choice

    4.5/5

    18 ratings5 reviews

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    • 5/5
      "Yasmeena's Choice" is the biographical true story of Yasmeena, written by the preeminent Middle East authority or women's rights and issues, the bestselling author, Ms. Jean Sasson. The story takes place during the Gulf War in Kuwait in 1990. It is unlike any other book I have ever read (and I have literally read hundreds of books on the Middle East) because it is so multi-faceted and inspirational. Yasmeena was a lovely stewardess that flew into Kuwait from her home country of Lebanon. It was during this routine stopover that the savage Saddam Hussein first targeted the small country of Kuwait. What was expected to be only a couple of weeks or even days turned into a living hell for Yasmeena when she was viciously taken prisoner by an Iraqi soldier. Yasmeena's story is incredibly sad and shocking and it is also one that has never been told before as it is truly unlike anything in print. No other author has ever gained such riveting and firsthand knowledge of what it was like to be a prisoner of war and a victim of war-rape like Jean Sasson. There are also no other books in the English language (or otherwise) that have ever dared discuss this from the point of view of a Middle Eastern lady. The author describes these horrific and tragic events in great detail. This is truly a book that must be read and must be studied so we will all know what really happened, and so that it will never be repeated again. During her time in the "prison circus" as Yasmeena called it, she was witness to innumerable atrocities of the other prisoners (all innocent ladies that were taken hostage). During her time in this living nightmare she also met a lady named Lana whose own story of strength and survival is just as touching as Yasmeena’s. We have to remember that the book is titled "Yasmeena's Choice" for a reason. Yasmeena had to make the most difficult choice of her life, to save her life. Jean Sasson wrote this book the way an artist would paint an elaborate painting because it is richly detailed. And, like the entire collection of the author's other books it is also highly educational (the author includes a lot of historical information about Kuwait and Iraq). Jean Sasson was granted special access that no other writer was ever given when she wrote her first book about the Gulf War, "The Rape of Kuwait". I would highly recommend reading "Yasmeena's Choice", as well as "The Rape of Kuwait" as a companion. Thank you, Ms. Sasson for having the courage and the temerity to tell this truly gripping story. Readers will weep tears of sorrow and even tears of joy as they follow the compelling true story of Yasmeena.
    • 5/5
      "Yasmeena's Choice" is one of Jean Sasson's very best books. I enjoyed it because it was so inspirational and it included such a unique story. I can tell that the author, Jean Sasson went to great lengths to write to wonderful book. I highly recommend it to anyone that is studying the Middle East as well as to anyone that has enjoys any of the other books that Jean Sasson has written.
    • 3/5
      Readers should be warned that Yasmeena's Choice relates a tale of unmitigated brutality that stretches credulity. Assuming this story is in fact true, I read this choice of presentation as a call to action in analogous international events. The horror of this story compels the reader to recognize the horror of rape and other war crimes. While a harrowing read, the book serves a valuable purpose in forcefully awakening the reader's sympathy...and outrage.

      Please be advised I read an electronic copy of this book made available on NetGalley through gracious permission of the publisher.
    • 5/5
      Couldn't stop reading it.
    • 5/5
      so sad and disturbing