Miramax Books, 467pp., $25.95.
Leap of Faith, sub-titled "Memoirs of an Unexpected Life," by Queen Noor, widow of King Hussein of Jordan, flew to the top of the best-seller list shortly after its recent publication. It well deserves its place on that list and this reviewer suspects that it will become a classic in the genre of autobiography. Lisa Halaby was the Princeton-educated daughter of Najeeb Halaby and his wife, whose family background was Swedish and European. Halaby had a distinguished career in the aeronautical field, notably as president of Pan-American Airlines. Lisa met King Hussein while visiting her father, who was setting up Arab Air Services which provided aviation design, engineering and technical support to countries throughout the Middle East. The king's wife, Queen Alia, had recently been killed in a helicopter crash. Queen Noor explains her growing attachment to the king and his to her over the next two years, but still the idea of marriage to royalty was intimidating to the American young woman. Her book is a well-written, natural account of an extraordinary life. From an American college graduate comfortable in jeans and leather jackets, she had to transform herself into a royal personage expected to appear at formal functions in a tiara and elaborate jewelry. What Queen Noor does especially well is describe the contrasts of her life with Hussein-on the one hand the care of her children (she had five pregnancies in her first six years of marriage) and on the other hand the entertaining and meeting with heads of state from all over the world. King Hussein shared every facet of his life with his wife and she became well-versed in the Arab world in all its complex relationships. She also came to know American presidents and their wives and is not reluctant to give her opinions about them. Not raised as a religious person, she became a convert to Islam and takes her religion with the utmost seriousness. Her book is a genuine and convincing love story and the story of the 20-year journey of a woman who came to love Jordan, her adopted country, and dedicate her life to making the lives of its people better.
