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

This is an extreme tale of human survival within pages of extreme inhuman behaviour which was inflicted upon a Middle Eastern woman who became trapped in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion of 1990. Yasmeena was kidnapped and subsequently raped and tortured by invading soldiers within a secret prison which housed 15 women- one woman for each sadistic soldier’s gratification under the Iraqi regime of Saddam Huieseen in the attempted taking of Kuwait as Iraq’s province 19. Yasmeena speaks her truth about the awful circumstances of that time when she was taken. A 23 year old innocent Lebanese woman who was forced to submit to months of tortuous rape and sexual assaults along with the other woman of the prison, including the beautiful 16 year old Lana, a woman with such an amazingly courageous spirit that an entire book could be created and dedicated to her strength and spirit alone. Both women posesss extreme intelligence and courage in a world where women are treated as inferior and risk humiliation,blame and even family disownership and honor killings for bringing upon them any sexual advances-EVEN abuse. Sasson not only pays tribute to Yasmeena and these women who were captured, but details the lead up to and history of the invasion and the war itself. Explaining the invasion made me feel closer to what was happening and able to relate with the women and captors of the prison. It’s as if 1990 happened just yesterday.. or today even. It truly not only educated me but allowed me to connect to the FULL story of the situation Yasmeena and the country of Kuwait was in. God bless Yasmeena and Lana. Truly corageous women.

While I do not particularly like Jean Sasson (her forewords and post story comments are very self congratulatory) - she does write well and this story is horrifying and well told. My heart goes out to the poor woman at the heart of it, not only for what she had to live through, but for the fact that in her society there is no subsequent assistance and sympathy for her plight, just more blame. This book will stay with me a long long time. What happened to Yasmeena in this story was terrible, what happened to her friend Lana was unbelievable, beyond what a human being should have to live through, especially a near child. How can a group of men be so depraved to let each other do this? How can a society exist where this is ok? I was unaware of exactly what happened during this conflict and this book brought it to life very clearly as well as giving some valuable background to the area, to rape as a tool of war and to Muslim culture and belief. it is harrowing but definitely worth reading

I Just finished reading Jean Sasson's 'Yasmeena's Choice' and I feel that this is a watershed book that deserves top Journalistic awards. It's not just a well-written book. It's hard to think of a word that's strong enough to express my opinion of how incredible it is. Like others, once I began reading it, I couldn't put the book down. Though it is necessarily quite graphic, that is necessary to convey the depth of this story. However, the author handled it as discreetly as possible and yet convey the horror of the situation. There are writers and then there are writers. Jean Sasson was the right writer for this book as she is so knowledgeable of the middle east and so aware of the mores of people. Great book!

Jean Sasson you are an unsung hero. A woman exposing so much brutality and ugliness in the world and yet you are still unknown. You are the voice for the women silenced. You are the eyes of the women behind the veil witnessing atrocities the world is blind to. You are the courage other women draw from while they share their stories with you. You are inspiring and brave most of all a comfort to those you have encountered all over the world who have made known of their suffering and oppression. Yasmeena is a painful story to read. I can only imagine the courage Yasmeena gathered to tell of her ordeal. Difficult to imagine a woman being brutalized and unmercifully mistreated as she suffered. The strength she demonstrated is amazing and humbling. War is ugly and the atrocities suffered by many is appalling. I thank goodness Jean you shared Yasmeena's story so the world knows of the barbarity suffered by Yasmeena and so many other innocent women in the hopes of ending this horrific behavior and abuse. This is a must read for all concerned with women's rights, a story all should hear from the innocent and the forgotten. Long after war, the voices battle to be heard. Jean Sasson is a woman on a mission to bring awareness to our sisters suffering the unspeakable world wide.

This was a heartbreaking story and something that absolutely should be shared. I had a few issues with it though. While reading it I though it had been translated from another language because of the repetition and the wording but it hadn't. My second issue was that they author is writing about Yasmeena's story - but YEARS later and from memory as she states she didn't take notes. The story is horrific and no doubt stuck in the authors mind but because the lapse in time between hearing the story and writing the book was so great I started to doubt some of the smaller details which, for me, took away from the whole of the story.

An incredible story of survival amidst suffering. I challenge you to read it and realize that this is no tale of fiction. This tale of horror happened to real women. Women who bore the fallout effects of war. Women from whom everything was taken, including their very essence, dignity, and humanity. Yet, it is also the story of one woman who dared to defy the Arab world and speak the truth. I commend you, "Yasmeena" for the voice you gave to so many who never had the chance to tell their story. The voice for so many who never went home, to include yourself, for you live in a world that blames you and makes you carry the shame of survival. What bravery!

Reading this book was a stark reminder how cruel war is. It brings out the worst but also the best in people. One wonders how our own response would be living through such horrible unbearable realities .My forefathers lived through the Second World War. Those stories that we're told to me; I will never forget.What really impressed me was the strong faith these women in the book demonstrated through the ordeal.One must reflect and reexamine our own commitment to our belief system and possible get ready to make some changes.This book is not for the faint of heart. A lot of graphic details are found throughout which the author pointed out in the beginning of the book.But if one is ready to think about our future and all the uprising around the world; this book might serve as a reminder how good we still have it today, but also that history has a way of repeating itself.

Once again I am taken in and educated by a Jean Sasson novel. I had no idea the torture that went on for women during the Gulf War. I was about 12 when it happened and all I remember is that celebrity song for the troops, Voices that Care, and the whole thing being over in a few weeks with almost no loss of life for our soldiers. This book is a horror, but such an important read. It was written in a very comprehensive style and I finished it very quickly. It was short and to the point, just written in a very clear way to display the injustice against innocent victims of war.

There was nothing I disliked about this book. It was a page turner. A story to be read by every woman and man ! Heart rending details of what men can inflict on women. I have read other books by Ms. Sassoon. The Author's note here caps it all. A courageous woman in her right. Thank you for letting the World know of what our other halves are capable of and our courage to take it all and still smile while living our daily lives.

A book that should be read by adults in order to understand not only general Arab culture but also how men often become beasts in times of War.

I loved this book like all of Jean Sassoon books it puts u right there with her. Fantastic writer. I have read a lot of her books all brilliantly written..

Lovely book

This book was extremely vivid in what many woman endured at war time and how many men showed no heart or compassion to innocent young brave women. It was a hard book to put down as you just hoped that they all would survive. It also showed how Uncaring the government was not allowing the rape victims to abort the babies making them go to full term give birth to a child whose life was bound for an orphanage as they were unwanted. Yasmeena was a brave women and should be known as a hero