Q&A
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i Aziza! How would you describe The L.A. Girl Goes to Saudi to someone who has not read the book yet? It’s a mix of culture clash and a diversion of the mind and subconscious, a cathartic ramp of defiance and nonconformity, repressed emotions, rebelliousness, and then ultimately spiritual awakening, acceptance, and embracement of something different, exotic and richer. A cross cultural, fun, and adventuruous ride through Saudi society from the perspective of an L.A girl.
when she’s unnerved she means it, when she’s confused she says this is confusing. She’s resistant to change, but she finds something richer and deeper than what she expected. But she’s not a follower and she’s not a people pleaser.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book and how did you overcome these? The challenges were to not get in the way of the ebb and flow of my writing style. I feel that God inspires me to write, that he puts the ideas in my head. My late father Ibrahim Al-Baloushi, God rest his soul and enter him into paradise, told me I could do anything I wanted, and that I was capable of anything I set my mind to. My father exemplified courage, and he influenced me to be courageous, in both my writing styles and in my personal life. He always taught me to take the plunge and to be bold. That courage allowed me to overcome any challenges in the process of writing. That is why 50 per cent of the proceeds of my book which are sold on Amazon.com will go to the Ibrahim & Fatema Al-Baloushi foundation, towards aiding disabled children worldwide and funding literacy and Islamic education worldwide.
Authors that influenced you... My mother Fatema Al-Balooshi is a writer, Baluchi cinema actor, and singer. She is the author that influenced me the most. She had all the master’s around our house while we were growing up; Steinbeck, Tolstoy, Mahfooz, Kafka; she read everybody. Our house was a library, and she would sit me down as a kid and read to me her writings. I was too young to understand the depth of her emotions or the characters and plot lines and I wasn’t that interested in writing. Later in Santa Monica College I read Nobokov’s Lolita and wrote an essay on the book. My professor was impressed with my writing and offered me a writing scholarship, I didn’t take it and again writing or literature was not my interest , but as fate would have it, a book was written.
Where did you find the inspiration for writing this book? It’s based on real life when I left L.A. after college to go to Saudi Arabia and be with my father and family. The book was inspired by life in America, and written in Bahrain. The shops and the streets, this island is a haven for writers - you can get easily lost in yourself and your imagination. Tell us more about the main character, Dina Ahmed, what makes her interesting? She’s interesting because she speaks her mind. She’s not politically correct when she hates something she expresses;
What sort of feedback have you received? There is a lot of positive feedback, I must say that the book’s character is interesting and most of the female readers want to see if she marries the prince.
How much did society in both the western world and the Middle East influence the story lines? They influenced the book completely; the whole book’s essence is about culture clash and resistance to change, and the fears that come with feeling vulnerable in any society. And then finally acceptance to change, like cooking and enjoying Arabic food, and wearing abbayas. The heroine starts embracing her Arab side and has a lot of fun doing it. But it also states that no society is perfect, and that you have to deal with those imperfections as well, and hope for improvement. ✤ GO: Buy The L.A. Girl Goes to Saudi on www.amazon.com today. Follow Aziza on Instagram: @LAgirlgoessaudi Twitter: @LAgirlgoessaudi and Facebook: The L.A Girl Goes To Saudi for more information. fact magazine
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