Rating: 
Short Summary:
Dreams of Trespass is Fatima Mernissi’s account of her life growing up in a harem in Morocco in the 1940s.
Throughout the book, Fatima tries to figure out exactly what a harem is and what it is not. It is a coming of age story and also an exploration of the frontiers or boundaries in our lives set by our culture, our religion, our families, and even ourselves.
My Review:
I had always thought of a harem as a large collection of women who were basically sex slaves to a king. However, after reading this book, I realized that my notion of a harem was actually quite archaic compared to the harem that Fatima grew up in.
Fatima’s harem was more like living quarters for the females in the family with definite restrictions about leaving unless accompanied by a male companion.
Although, her grandmother’s harem seemed similar to a polygamous marriage made up of multiple wives, so the word “harem” can have multiple interpretations.
One of most remarkable and lovable things about Dreams of Trespass is how some of the women of the harem pushed back and rebelled in small but important ways.
From using the men’s radio to climbing up onto forbidden terraces to creating nontraditional embroideries of birds flying away, the women found their own unique ways to push back. It was these small rebellions that kept them sane and feeling as if they had some power over their lives.
Some of my favorite quotes came from Fatima’s mother:
“Covering your head and hiding will not help. Hiding does not solve a woman’s problems. It just identifies her as an easy victim.”
“A woman who chews gum is in fact making a revolutionary gesture. Not because she chews gum per se, but because gum chewing is not prescribed by the code.”
This is a lovely book filled with insight about life and the seemingly endless struggle for power between men and women. I already want to reread it, so I can pick up on all of the little things I may have missed the first time.
The most important thing I have taken from this book is that harems can be found anywhere where women are made powerless, and women can push back and have a say, even if it is only in the simplest and smallest of ways.
Book: Dreams of Trespass
Author: Fatima Mernissi
ISBN: 978-0201489378
Publisher: Basic Books
Source: Purchased