Editorial Reviews
“It’s Not What You Think is truly a tale of surprises, as our assumptions about Saudi Arabia, its culture, and the lives of its women are turned upside-down. Rehman takes us deep inside spaces that are tightly closed to non-Muslims and/or non-females—not only the hajj but the women’s-only lingerie department of a Saudi department store! The one thing that is not a surprise here, for those of us who know Rehman’s previous work, is her writing: intimate, warm, often funny, and always irresistible.”—Susan Choi, National Book Award–winning author of Trust Exercise
"Painfully funny, genuinely touching, culturally confounding, unexpectedly unnerving, and just plain unexpected, Sabeeha's adventure drops us into the dynamic heartland of her faith, confronting the stereotypes that keep countries, cultures, and the people in them so lonely. This warm and wild journey changes her. And if you let her, it'll change you too."—Haroon Moghul, author of Two Billion Caliphs
“In this engrossing and compelling read, Sabeeha Rehman takes us inside Saudi Arabia, globally the most closed and secretive country. . . . A brilliant, insightful, and fascinating tour of a state where freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, and freedom of expression are limited.”—Jan Goodwin, award-winning author, journalist, Soros and Kiplinger fellow and former senior fellow at Brandeis University’s Schuster Institute of Investigative Journalism
“Illuminating, informative, and deeply personal, It's Not What You Think is a refreshing and complex antidote to the harmful and outdated stereotypes of Muslim women and the Middle East that still dominate America's media and political landscape. Sabeeha Rehman weaves a complex and empowering narrative of Muslim women reclaiming their identity, gender, and religion from men who seek to hijack all to ensure control and power.”—Wajahat Ali, author of Go Back to Where You Came From and contributing New York Times op-ed writer
"Easy to read, engaging, and informative, It’s Not What You Think will be a great help to all who aspire to visit/work in Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. For folks navigating different cultures/traditions/faiths, it provides a great introduction from an author who successfully navigated these challenges. I was privileged to consult for the ailing King Fahd in June 2005 and attest to the high standards of health care and the great medical institution at KFMRC where the author held a very senior administrative position.”—Prof. Faroque Ahmad Khan, MB MACP. Chairman, Interfaith Institute of Long Island
“In this charming book, Sabeeha shows how even a devout Muslim who had previously visited Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage can have her stereotypical views of the Kingdom continually shattered for the better. She reveals how Saudi women both exercise their power and irreversibly expand the boundaries of their power within the confines of a patriarchal society subject to the unavoidable winds of societal change.”—Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of Cordoba House, author of Defining Islamic Statehood and What’s Right with Islam
“Sabeeha Rehman’s travelogue memoir invites as well as entertains, inspiring the reader with personal adventures and insight into Saudi Arabia—a modest masterpiece.”—Sidney Offit, former president of the Authors Guild Foundation and Authors League Fund and author of Memoirs of a Bookie’s Son
