“The Last Sandstorm: A Memoir is a captivating non-fiction book written by Jasmin Faulk-Dickerson, focusing on her life growing up in Saudi Arabia and her brave escape as a young woman seeking self-determination. The readers are taken on a journey through Jasmin’s childhood, romantic endeavors, and her escape that will leave them holding their breaths. The memoir is a page-turner that is difficult to put down, thanks to Jasmin’s writing style and storytelling skills. The readers are invited into Jasmin’s world, which is both tender and bold.

Pros
- Engaging, captivating, and page-turning story
- Wonderful and relatable writing style
- Informative and eye-opening about life in Saudi Arabia
- Inspirational courage and bravery shown by the author
- Heartfelt conclusion with powerful statements about global communities

—Global Editorial Review


“My business partner and I had the privilege of working with author Jasmin Faulk-Dickerson on an early version of The Last Sandstorm. Born in the 1970’s in Saudi Arabia to an Italian mother and a Saudi father, her memoir about growing up while juggling two different cultures is told with gripping intensity, emotion, and humor. During her childhood in Saudi Arabia in a patriarchal, conservative Muslim regime, Faulk-Dickerson lived for the family’s occasional trips to less-restrictive Italy to visit her maternal relatives. She also yearned for the sort of life epitomized in the European and American pop culture videos she watched in the privacy of her bedroom – a brave act in itself as the Saudi censors forbade them. In her twenties, she finally found the courage to plan and execute her escape to freedom, which the author portrays so vividly it had me on the edge of my seat. Faulk-Dickerson paints an intricate picture of a place and way of life I have not experienced, yet she managed to make me feel both the familial love and the anxiety of forced conformity that she experienced during her upbringing. The Last Sandstorm is a must-read story about one young woman’s brave struggle to overcome oppression, find her voice, and live the full, rich life she imagined for herself. Highly recommended!”

“While this is a self-published book, it has received promotion in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s surprising not to see more reviews here for what is a superb memoir. The story definitely deserves a wider readership.

Jasmin grew up in the 70s and 80s in Saudi Arabia, the daughter of a Saudi man and his Italian wife. Hers was a life of privilege, with a large home, and private school attendance alongside the offspring of royalty, but she also suffered from many restrictions due to the conservative and misogynistic culture.

The author inwardly, and sometimes openly, rebels as she becomes a teen and young adult. Those frustrations combine with never quite feeling fully Saudi or European, and she ultimately plans her escape to the United States.

The book is mostly episodic in structure, while following the chronology of Jasmin’s life. There is a lot of humor, along with struggles and sorrow during her teens, and I’d love to read a YA or graphic novel focusing on those years.

Book clubs will find plenty to discuss on Saudi customs and way of life, and it’s affect on the author. Some of the sentence structure throughout is on the academic side, (maybe the book started out as a thesis paper?) but overall is still a very approachable and inspiring read. Highly recommended.“

— Corene


“The author was born to a Saudi father and Italian mother in Saudi Arabia in the 1970’s. A bright, imaginative, ambitious dreamer, this memoir describes her struggles as she moves from some limited freedoms as a young girl to the suffocating restrictions that Saudi culture places on girls and women. Western pop culture connects her with the outside world, driving to seek her freedom as a woman and as a human being. Excellent writing. Exciting and inspiring. She is able to describe the inside of Saudi, Italian and American cultures insightfully, yet non-judgmentally. I couldn’t put it down.”

“Jasmin is a natural born storyteller and her life is one that is made to be a story. Her experiences growing up as a woman in Saudi Arabia juxtaposed to her vacations in Italy and her development into a young adult wanting more than traditional life would give her is one that takes your breath away. I mean it when I say I couldn’t put it down, eating up every page over the course of 9hrs. Combining the story of childhood tales, romantic endeavors, and harrowing escape…. This story is one that will stay with you long after you put it down. Breathtakingly unbelievable in an amazing way, this book is worth every second of the read!”

“I really enjoyed this enthralling story. The courage and bravery the author displayed throughout her life growing up as a progressive female in Saudi Arabia was truly inspirational. She is a wonderful storyteller and brings her story vividly to life. When describing her escape from her country of birth, I was nervously on the edge of my seat wondering how it would transpire, since her writing made me feel as if I were right there beside her. I cried tears of joy for her escape as well as tears of sorrow at her heartache of having to leave loved ones behind. It’s a story that will stay with you for a long time. I highly recommend it.”

“Jasmin in her conclusion writes “Because we are now a global community, we can no longer pretend that what happens in one part of the world does not concern us.” Jasmin knows this well and shares her escape story with an intimate view behind the façade of Saudi Arabia Westerners see. Morality police, racism, family values, misogyny, humans as property, her truth is an active page turner. Seeing America through her eyes left a tear in mine, for the promise she saw and the pain of gains still to attain.”

“This is a book that promotes, righteousness, Gender equality, uniformity, unbiasedness and most importantly women empowerment. The author Faulk Dickerson, herselfs plays the protagonist in this book, The Last Sandstorm, which ideally relates to the last moment of her life after which she chose to move on from her orthodox family, culture, country in quest for answers which she has been longing for since childhood.
Starting from the title, design theme, book cover, and lucid language, everything is appropriately blended to give you an interesting and intriguing read till the last paragraph. After reading this book, one would realise that the title of the book relates to the last final mental battle that one has to conquer to ensure his/her freedom is not confined to a particular religion, race, clan, culture etc. A sure inspiring read for many who have broken barriers and boundaries to ensure righteousness, gender equality, uniformity for themselves. ”

“Jasmin Faulk-Dickerson takes her readers on a vivid and engaging adventure of her life growing up in Saudi Arabia and her daring escape to freedom as a young adult. As a woman who has grown up in the United States, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like to grow up in a Middle Eastern country like Saudi Arabia. Jasmin’s book opened my eyes and invited me into her world. I found her story tender, bold, and relatable. I read it all in two sittings! Highly recommend!”

“This is not a dry memoir and reads like a good novel. It will have you asking a lot of questions about how cultures support or impede the search for an authentic self.”

“This memoir takes the reader on a journey to a time in Saudi Arabia that is long gone. The description of daily life during those years is very well written. It paints a picture in the reader‘s mind that will linger long after reading the book. The unique perspective of a third culture child who happens to be a female growing up in a patriarchal society, juggling two worlds that are so far apart is described in such a poetic yet realistic way, that involves inner struggle, self realization and eventually finding one’s true calling in life. I found that inspiring.
Although the author is telling her story, the human aspect of these emotions are universal, it’s something we can all relate to. I highly recommend this book!”

“I read the book in one day because it was so starkly real. I have not travelled the world yet, but I will do so with my eyes opened to much more than a tourists vision.”