Leap of Faith is the dramatic and
inspiring story of an American woman's remarkable journey into
the heart of a man and his nation.
Born into a distinguished Arab-American family and raised
amid privilege, Lisa Halaby joined the first freshman class at
Princeton to accept women, graduating in 1974 with a degree in
architecture and urban planning.
Two years later, while visiting her father in Jordan, she
was casually introduced on the airport runway to King Hussein.
Widely admired in the Arab world as a voice of moderation, and
for his direct lineage to the prophet Muhammad, Hussein would
soon become the world's most eligible bachelor after the tragic
death of his wife.
The next time they met, Hussein would fall headlong in
love with the athletic, outspoken daughter of his longtime
friend. After a whirlwind, secret courtship Lisa Halaby became
Noor Al Hussein, Queen of Jordan.
With eloquence and candor, Queen Noor speaks of the
obstacles she faced as a naive young bride in the royal court,
of rebelling against the smothering embrace of security guards
and palace life, and of her own successful struggle to create a
working role as a humanitarian activist In a court that simply
expected Noor to keep her husband happy.
As she gradually took on the mantle of a queen, Noor's
joys and challenges grew. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, she
gave birth to four children. Meshing the demands of motherhood
with the commitments of her position often proved difficult, but
she tried to keep her young children by her side, even while
flying the world with her husband in his relentless quest for
peace.
This mission would reap satisfying rewards, including
greater Arab unity and a peace treaty with Israel, and suffer
such terrible setbacks as the Gulf War and the assassination of
Prime Minister Rabin.
Leap of Faith is a remarkable document. It is the story of
a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab
monarch. It provides a compelling portrait of the late King
Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his wartorn
region, and an insider's view of the growing gulf between the
United States and the Arab nations.
It is also the refreshingly candid story of a mother
coming to terms with the demands the king's role as a world
statesman placed on her family's private life. But most of all
it is a love story—the intimate account of a woman who lost
her heart to a king, and to his people.
