Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar

#468
Title: Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar
Author: Emily Ruete [Sayyida Salme]
Publisher: Dover
Year: 1907/2009
Country: Zanzibar (semi-autonomous region of Tanzania)
298 pages

Though you wouldn't know it from this memoir, Ruete left Zanzibar not because of political machinations but because she became pregnant. This missing fact goes a long way toward explaining the otherwise rather inexplicable internecine strife that followed her flight to Europe. Politics do play a role before and after this event, but because she is explicit about the relationships between people and states, these intrigues make much more sense.

Ruete describes her childhood and early life in Zanzibar. This is generally clear, thorough, and visually evocative. These sections are particularly interesting, though the entire book is engaging.