Mother without a Mask

When Patricia Holton welcomed two young Arab boys into her home for the summer to oblige their father, a Gulf Sheikh, little did she realize how intertwined their lives would become. She became fascinated by the boys, and an invitation to visit their mother and the women of her family - the harem - was quickly accepted. Between Patricia and the masked women of the desert there developed an extraordinary relationship, and as "the English mother" of the Sheikh's sons she came to understand something of the traditions which govern their lives. This is her story.