Patricia Bonis - Jeddah Bride episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 12, 2025 · 56 MIN

Patricia Bonis - Jeddah Bride

from Tell Me Your Story · host Richard Dugan

https://www.patriciabonisauthor.com/ A Life of Luxury, Love, and Sacrifice: Jeddah Bride Reveals the High-Stakes Drama Behind the Veil of Saudi Arabia’s Wealthiest Families JEDDAH BRIDE A memoir by Patricia Bonis How far would you go for love? Would you sacrifice everything—your freedom, your identity, even your children? Patricia Bonis, the author of JEDDAH BRIDE (Conservatarian Press), faced that exact question when she married Rahman Abbar, the heir to one of Saudi Arabia’s richest families. The answers she found may shock you. From the glittering world of Saudi Arabia’s elite—private jets, palatial estates, and global high society—Patricia soon found herself in a fierce battle for her children’s safety, realizing that her new life came at a devastating price. JEDDAH BRIDE pulls back the curtain on a life few have seen—and fewer can understand. Once a free-spirited student at Wellesley College, Bonis struggled to reconcile the deep love she had for her husband with the suffocating cultural restrictions demanded by life in Saudi Arabia. She wasn’t prepared for a life confined behind curtains and veils, a world with little freedom and dominated by a toxic patriarchal system. After years of feeling isolated, Patricia and Rahman returned to the United States, where she hoped to raise their two children in a land of freedom and security. But when Rahman began talking about returning to the jet-set lifestyle, her dreams of a stable family life shattered. What followed was a bitter divorce and fight for custody and safety of her children. JEDDAH BRIDE is a testament to the lengths a mother will go to protect her children—and an unflinching look of how love, in all its forms, can push us to our breaking point. Patricia’s intimate narrative offers an unprecedented look into the isolated and often misunderstood world of Saudi Arabia, while delivering a powerful message about the power of self-discovery, survival, and the enduring love of a mother. PATRICIA BONIS is a renowned interior designer who has spent more than three decades designing the homes, offices, and embassies of some of the world’s most influential leaders, including top CEOs, ambassadors, and international financiers. In addition to her design career, Patricia is a competitive equestrian, actively participating in prestigious events like the World Equestrian Festival and the Hampton Classic. She splits her time between Palm Beach Florida, and Millbrook, New York, with her husband and their beloved poodle, Harley. Jeddah Bride is Patricia’s first book, and it marks a deeply personal exploration of her life’s most defining challenges and triumphs. JEDDAH BRIDE By Patricia Bonis Conservatarian Press $29.99; 270 pages ISBN-10: ‎ 1957586389 ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1957586380

https://www.patriciabonisauthor.com/ A Life of Luxury, Love, and Sacrifice: Jeddah Bride Reveals the High-Stakes Drama Behind the Veil of Saudi Arabia’s Wealthiest Families JEDDAH BRIDE A memoir by Patricia Bonis How far would you go for love? Would you sacrifice everything—your freedom, your identity, even your children? Patricia Bonis, the author of JEDDAH BRIDE (Conservatarian Press), faced that exact question when she married Rahman Abbar, the heir to one of Saudi Arabia’s richest families. The answers she found may shock you. From the glittering world of Saudi Arabia’s elite—private jets, palatial estates, and global high society—Patricia soon found herself in a fierce battle for her children’s safety, realizing that her new life came at a devastating price. JEDDAH BRIDE pulls back the curtain on a life few have seen—and fewer can understand. Once a free-spirited student at Wellesley College, Bonis struggled to reconcile the deep love she had for her husband with the suffocating cultural restrictions demanded by life in Saudi Arabia. She wasn’t prepared for a life confined behind curtains and veils, a world with little freedom and dominated by a toxic patriarchal system. After years of feeling isolated, Patricia and Rahman returned to the United States, where she hoped to raise their two children in a land of freedom and security. But when Rahman began talking about returning to the jet-set lifestyle, her dreams of a stable family life shattered. What followed was a bitter divorce and fight for custody and safety of her children. JEDDAH BRIDE is a testament to the lengths a mother will go to protect her children—and an unflinching look of how love, in all its forms, can push us to our breaking point. Patricia’s intimate narrative offers an unprecedented look into the isolated and often misunderstood world of Saudi Arabia, while delivering a powerful message about the power of self-discovery, survival, and the enduring love of a mother. PATRICIA BONIS is a renowned interior designer who has spent more than three decades designing the homes, offices, and embassies of some of the world’s most influential leaders, including top CEOs, ambassadors, and international financiers. In addition to her design career, Patricia is a competitive equestrian, actively participating in prestigious events like the World Equestrian Festival and the Hampton Classic. She splits her time between Palm Beach Florida, and Millbrook, New York, with her husband and their beloved poodle, Harley. Jeddah Bride is Patricia’s first book, and it marks a deeply personal exploration of her life’s most defining challenges and triumphs. JEDDAH BRIDE By Patricia Bonis Conservatarian Press $29.99; 270 pages ISBN-10: ‎ 1957586389 ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1957586380

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This episode was published on February 12, 2025.

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https://www.patriciabonisauthor.com/ A Life of Luxury, Love, and Sacrifice: Jeddah Bride Reveals the High-Stakes Drama Behind the Veil of Saudi Arabia’s Wealthiest Families JEDDAH BRIDE A memoir by Patricia Bonis How far would you go for love?...

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