This book is about how we meet our "new inhabitants". It tell us the story of what has happend to the people who came to our country (Norway), and the incompetence of the government. I think this is an important book, beacause it make us see that we have to open up our eyes and really think of the policy in questions of integration of new citizens.

This book was well researched and well written, but the author's opinions are strongly felt throughout the entire book. The author's voice is also somewhat condescending. While I did learn a little bit about Arab women in general and women in Oman in particular, a much broader sample of women's lives in Arab countries is found in "Price of Honor" by Jan Goodwin. Also the information in Ms. Goodwin's book was researched for several years in the 90's, whereas Ms. Wikan's book is based upon only 9 months of living in Oman during the 1970's.

I don't think that all Omani woman are far behind like what is shown in this picture. It is just a small category of people.

This book focuses on the women of Sohar so it should be entitled Behind the Veil: Women of Sohar because I know personally of Omanis and not all women are dressed nor act in this manner. It is interesting reading but needed more pictures, especially in color.

This is one of the weakest anthropology books I have ever read. The book starts out fairly strong in the first chapter, describing misconceptions of the the West in viewing Balinese society and explaining the importance of Bright Face for the both the individual and all of society. Wikan should have stopped there. However, she felt the need to repeat herself for several hundred pages in a meandering discussion. My advice: go to the library, read the first 30 pages, then put it back on the shelf.