Excellent concept, but like most readers I had a really hard time following the disjointed way of writing where it's like 40 short stories, but not quite. The first chapter, however, is great and worthy of at least 4 stars.

Dr. Ahmed was in serious need of an editor. Every woman was gorgeous, every religious experience breathtaking....it got a little exhausting. But I do think she showed the complexity and duality of Saudi society as well as any outsider could.

Markovits diary is an interesting way of presenting the legal changes in East Germany during the Wende and post-reunification. I liked that she included up to 1991 to truly see the effect reunification had on German law - because reunification did not end on October 3, 1990 when the two countries officially became one.