FREEA LEAP OF FAITH: MEMOIR OF AN UNEXPECTED LIFE EBOOK Queen Noor | 480 pages | 04 Mar 2004 | Orion Publishing Co | 9780753817568 | English | London, United Kingdom A light in the desert | Books | The Guardian Born in America in as Lisa Halaby, Noor came from a wealthy, well-connected family and was part of Princeton's first co-ed class. Her father's aviation business produced a chance meeting with King Hussein inand a year or two later Noor realized the king was courting her. He was 41, she was The rumor mills buzzed: was she the next Grace Kelly? Before long, the king renamed her Noor "light" in Arabicand she converted to Islam. They were married A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life the summer of From this point on, her story is mostly his, mainly covering his attempts to broker peace in the Middle East. There are meetings with Arafat, Saddam Hussein, American presidents and other leaders. Noor details Hussein's struggles to create Arab unity and his vision of peaceful coexistence with Israel. Her own activities—developing village-based economic self-sufficiency projects and improving Jordan's medical, educational and cultural facilities—take second place to her husband's struggles on the world stage. And while she occasionally acknowledges her domestic difficulties, Noor is careful not to allow personal problems to become any more than asides. Her pleasing memoir ends with the king's death after his struggle with cancer, although readers may suspect that this smart, courageous woman will remain a world presence for years to come. On sale Mar. Forecast: The legions of royalty fans will clamor for this long-awaited memoir, and with the queen's appearances on Good Morning America and Larry King Livean excerpt in this month's Vogue and ubiquitous reviews, it should draw readers. Our apologies to Sontag and Marcus. View Full Version of PW. Buy this book. Show other formats. Discover what to read next. PW Picks: Books of the Week. The Big Indie A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life of Fall Black-Owned Bookstores to Support Now. Children's Announcements. [Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life] | Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Leap of Faith by Queen Noor. Leap of Faith is the dramatic and inspiring story of an American woman's remarkable journey into the heart of a man and his nation. Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised amid privilege, Lisa Halaby joined the first freshman class at Princeton to accept women, graduating in with a degree in architecture and urban planning. Two years later, while vis Leap of Faith is the dramatic and inspiring story of an American woman's remarkable journey into the heart of a man and his nation. Two years later, while visiting her father in Jordan, she was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein. Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic death of his wife. The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime friend. With eloquence and candor, Queen Noor speaks of the obstacles she faced as a naive young bride in the royal court, of rebelling against the smothering embrace of security guards and palace life, and of her own successful struggle to create a working role as a humanitarian activist in a court that simply expected Noor to keep her husband happy. As she gradually took on the mantle of a queen, Noor's joys and challenges grew. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, she gave birth to four children. Meshing the demands of motherhood with the commitments of her position often proved difficult, but she tried to keep her young children by her side, even while flying the world with her husband in his relentless quest for peace. This mission would reap satisfying rewards, including greater Arab unity and a peace treaty with Israel, and suffer such terrible setbacks as the Gulf War and the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin. Leap of Faith is a remarkable document. It is the story of a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab monarch. It provides a compelling portrait of the late King Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his war-torn region, and an insider's view of the growing gulf between the United States and the Arab nations. It is also the refreshingly candid story of a mother coming to terms with the demands the king's role as a world statesman placed on her family's private life. But most of all it is a love story — the intimate account of a woman who lost her heart to a king, and to his people. Get A Copy. Paperbackpages. Published March 9th by Miramax Books first published November 1st A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life Details Original Title. Noor of Jordan. Other Editions Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Leap of Faithplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Nov 25, W rated it really liked it Shelves: biography. King Hussein of Jordan married four times. After the death of his third wife in an air crash,his fourth wife was the former Lisa Hallaby,an American woman with an Arab father. She changed her name and her religion and became Queen Noor of Jordan. This is a highly readable account of her years with King Hussein,palace intrigues, politics and war in the turbulent Middle East. King Hussein travelled the world frequently,in his quest for Middle East peace. She describes her encounters with plenty of worl King Hussein of Jordan A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life four times. She describes her encounters with plenty of world leaders. Jordan would find itself under a lot of pressure during the First Gulf War in A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life she describes those days. King Hussein died in Life A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life change for Queen Noor. Prince Hasan,the king's brother was the designated crown prince but shortly before his death,King Hussein appointed his son Prince Abdullah, the current king to succeed him. A good deal of the later part of the book is taken up with Queen Noor voicing her displeasure at Princess Sarvath,Prince Hasan's Pakistani wife who she says was already preparing to become queen. Queen Noor's son Prince Hamza was named crown prince at the last moment by his father. In an ironic postscript,King Abdullah would reverse that decision and appoint his own son Prince Hussein to succeed him! View all 4 comments. Sep 09, Joanne rated it it was amazing. Psychologists assert that conflict resolution involves "perspective taking", that is, seeing the word through another's eyes. I was fascinated to read Queen Noor Al Hussein's whose name was given to her by her husband King Hussein of Jordan when they married - it means "light of Hussein" account of her 20 year marriage, which spanned two decades of turmoil in the Middle East. Her heritage is both Arab and European. Her vantage Psychologists assert that conflict resolution involves "perspective taking", that is, seeing the word through another's eyes. Her vantage point for events in the region was Amman, Jordan and Aqaba - also in Jordan and bordering Israel. Her memoir weaves together history, political commentary, and the richness of family life. While I won't assert that her perspective on politcal and social A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life in the region is the "right" one indeed, there can be no single "right" perspective, in my viewher unique experience is told with objectivity and compassion. Her account of Hussein's monarchy is also a story of a dedicated peacemaker, who became King when he was just 17 years old. Their influence A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life the globe, and Queen Noor's devotion to her adopted country's culture, education, A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life care and children is inspiring. Oct 14, Jane rated it really liked it. Reading this book forced me to reconsider my opinion of the Camp David accords and the participants there. I have come to think of Carter, Begin, and Sadat as heroes Sadat going on to sacrifice his life for his decision and to consider the Jordanian position made me sadly aware of how superficially I understand the complexities of the whole mideast situation. She presents a strong argument for a balanced approach in the mideast and shows that the US often favors Israel unfairly over Arab state Reading this book forced me to reconsider my opinion of the Camp David accords and the participants there. She presents a strong argument for a balanced approach in the A Leap of Faith: Memoir of an Unexpected Life and shows that the US often favors Israel unfairly over Arab states. Her husband's struggles on behalf of peace are well documented.