I tried to journal this book a little while ago and couldn't find it on my bookshelf-- it seems that although I bought it quite some time ago (probably 2018, maybe 2017) I neglected to register it back then.

I started this book a few days ago and I finished reading it today (it's 7 Jan. 2021 here, even though bookcrossing says it's the 8th) and I had mixed feelings about it.

I hate politics, and that was an issue for me throughout this book. I think I was expecting it to be more of a personal memoir-- like, more personal stuff and less political stuff. I do understand that Queen Noor was queen of a nation in which political turmoil was sort of a constant thing and obviously that would have big impact on her day-to-day life, but it just wasn't the balance I was expecting, I guess. I found that large portions of the book were more of an account of the Middle Eastern political situation from the 60s through the 90s, an explanation of her husband's stances/actions, and sometimes it even seemed like she was trying to defend/justify them. Kind of an attitude of "Everyone said ______, but here's what REALLY happened" and that made it feel more like a he said/she said political thing. I'm probably not explaining it very well.

All that being said, I did enjoy the more personal, less political parts of the book sometimes, even though parts were so hard to read-- I read about King Hussein's death today, which was difficult for me personally because today was the 25th anniversary of the last time I saw my mother (she died of cancer on 10 Jan. 1996) and because my own husband has been very sick for a very long time and it's terrifying... Anyway, it's clear throughout this book that King Hussein and Queen Noor loved each other very much and it seems like they had genuine good intentions in all that they did. I'm not sure I agree with all their decisions/standpoints, but I can very much get on board with the desires for peace, tolerance, etc that seem to have dominated their life and work together.

I was hoping to find a place with a Jordanian connection to leave this book written by Jordan's dowager queen, but I eventually expanded my search to places with a general Middle Eastern connection. Paramount in Hamilton (my husband's hometown) looked nice, so I left this book there while we were in town tonight. I left it on the low pillar right by the edge of the patio.

f you've found this book, thanks for picking it up and checking out its journal! If you're new to bookcrossing, welcome. We'd love it if you'd stick around with us a while. I really hope that you enjoy both this book and the whole bookcrossing experience!