In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor’s Journey in the Saudi Kingdom
by Qanta A. Ahmed, M.D.
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark (September release)
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Reviewed by Beth Cummings
Dr. Qanta Ahmed is a Muslin British citizen of Pakistani descent. She grew up in London and then attended medical school in New York City–obtaining certifications in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and sleep disorder medicine. Then in 2000 her visa renewal was denied. While rectifying this problem, she needed to live and work outside the U.S., so she took a two-year position at the top hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This memoir details her time there.
Before going to Riyadh, Qanta had been warned about the many ways that the Saudi Kingdom represses women–both Saudi nationals and expatriates working there. She initially felt that being a Muslim with Pakistani coloring would give her a leg up. This was not to be the case. Her Muslin upbringing in a liberal, educated British home and then her experiences in American medical schools barely scratched the surface of what she was expected to know and how she was expected to behave in the different circumstances of Saudi society.
Qanta extremely carefully depicts Saudi life. She covers the mundane as well as a thorough description of her trip to Mecca to complete the Hajj (the religious pilgrimage that all Muslims are required to make during their lifetime). While there she feels a strong religious uplifting that changed many of her previous views about being a Muslim–and being a Muslim woman in a Muslim society that is ruled by theocratic conservatives. The Quran (Koran) teaches that all humans are to be treated with respect, but she becomes more and more aware of the discrepancies between the written teachings and the actions of the religious police (Mutawaeen).
Qanta Ahmed tells about her friendships with Saudi nationals, both women and men, and the difficulties involved with simple gatherings of friends. Like Azar Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran does with Iran, this book provides a realistic picture of life in the Saudi Kingdom.
It is a substantial book and should be savored by readers who feel as I do, that the more we know about the inner workings of countries the more understanding we have of their policies and their view of us.
Armchair Interview says: Just shy of 450 pages, the Reading Group guide makes this an excellent book group choice.