A US Feminist in Saudi Arabia: 1980-1982

About the Book

The book describes the experiences of a single American woman teaching in a university in Saudi Arabia between 1980 and 1982, just as the Islamic world was experiencing a reversal of previously achieved steps toward women’s rights. The loosening of restrictions on women which had occurred during the 1970s was overturned when the fear of the rulers was heightened after the attempted take-over of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The author takes us there with her while the Epilogue brings us up to today in Saudi Arabia.

About the Author

Margaret Drake is a retired occupational therapist, and art therapist. Born and raised in Iowa, attaining higher education in California, she was able to observe the transitions from the beat generation to the hippies to women’s liberation. The early part of her career was spent as an elementary teacher in California & Hawaii. After two marriages and two divorces and no children, she retrained as an occupational therapist. She lived and worked in Saudi Arabia in 1980-1982 teaching in a university. This life-changing experience influenced much of the rest of her life, both personal and professional. After finishing her doctorate, she taught in four other universities, one of which was in Taiwan. Currently, she lives in Hawaii and writes historical novels.