Dive Thailand

…touches on a sore point found all over the globe and among people of all socioeconomic classes. Written in the first person, she intersperses her story with reports on the laws and customs in Islam and in Saudi society that shed light on the events in her life. … Through her personal story we learn how Arabs perceive relations between the sexes, Saudi women’s place in society and the home, women’s absolute submission to their husbands and their desires, and the Qur’anic law concerning such crimes as murder and the physical abuse of women. The book is eminently readable … and can be enjoyed by all, whatever their nationality, religion, gender, or age.”“This book is a delight to read. Rania has a clear voice and firm convictions. … She has courage too … At the end I knew a lot more about Saudi Arabia and had a deep respect for Rania al-Baz.”Disfigured reminded me of the biographical film Erin Brockovich. In both memoirs, the women endure great struggles and push through tough obstacles to arrive at and live in their truths. They do so by focusing on their strengths rather than pointing fingers, dwelling in resentment, or pursuing revenge. Rania al-Baz was a beautiful young Saudi TV news anchor- the first woman to have such a job- when her abusive husband beat her into a coma and left her for dead. She later underwent 13 operations to reconstruct her face. A month after she agreed to make the pictures of her ravaged face public, the first Saudi research into domestic violence began at King Saud University Riyadh. Rania eventually liberated herself from the traumatic experience as she campaigned against domestic violence. Readers of Disfigured are left with the sense that regardless of whether she is from the western or eastern world, the woman who maintains her faith and focus in the midst of tragedy is the one who not only attains a sense of freedom, but also becomes an inspiration and role model to other women.

Paul Lees is a highly experienced diving instructor who has managed several of Thailand’s top diving schools. An accomplished writer and photographer, he regularly contributes to diving magazines worldwide. Paul is based on the island of Koh Phuket, where he lives with his family.