Her only friend there: an Arab tribal leader - review of The Bride Price by Karen Jones Delk

VERY good book. Sold as a romance novel but is in fact an old fashioned adventure story. Some reviews complain there is not enough "love" in it The author did some extensive research (Thesinger and such).

It is the story of an American girl who is sold as a slave in Tanger Morocco and then transported over land and sea to Arabia where she and her British friend are sold as "wives to be" to some nasty brad. She befriends a girl of 9 who is that husband-to-be's niece. As a result of that friendship she also becomes more or less the friend of the girls father a twice as old tribal leader who tries to help her with the nasty brad but honour and culture prevent him to openly interfere. iIs two wives however are nasty old crones. 

So the main character tries to make sure she and her friend survive. In the meantime her father tries to find his daughter to rescue her. Following her to Arabia posing as a Muslim from Morocco.

The good thing about this book is that through the eyes of the main character you discover the culture there. For instance that a big tent in the desert can be erected in 5 minutes what is done by the wives of the owner and not his servants.

 

(Amazond.com) "Sheltered Creole beauty Bryna O’Toole was raised in a convent in Louisiana, until the day her father sends for her to join him in Morocco. She's just arrived at his Tangier mansion when his enemies kidnap her and sell her to a "marriage broker." Against her will, she is now bound for the glaring white sands of Arabia and the harem of lecherous wastrel Nassar bin Hamza.

Bryna’s only hope of escape lies with the powerful uncle of Nassar bin Hamza, Sheik Sharif Al Selim, noble lion of the desert. But Sharif’s honor keeps him far away from Bryna, his nephew’s woman, despite their incredible attraction. As the caravan journeys on, love clashes with honor, ecstasy with terror, as the handsome Sheik and the Creole beauty will discover if they're meant to be together, forever."


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