What is the author's style in Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi?

The story is written in the first-person point of view from the perspective of the author. The reader should be aware that some people call this a work of non-fiction and that the stories presented truly are memories of Fatima Mernissi's childhood living within a harem in Morocco. Others take the stand that the stories are made up. Biographical information about Fatima indicates that she was born in Morocco in the 1940s and that she grew up there. There are many footnotes included in the book and one refers to "the harem which inspired the tales of this book," which seems to indicate that the stories are only based on Fatima's life but are not a true depiction of it. In either case, the stories seem historically correct and Fatima's first-hand knowledge of the subject matter makes the stories believable. Fatima is taught from early childhood that her goal in life should be happiness and independence with the two vying for importance in her mother's instructions. Due to this, Fatima might have over-emphasized the lack of these things in the lives of the women living within the harems of Morocco. Fatima seems to have shared a close bond with her mother which could have altered her perspective of the roles of women. The reader should also keep in mind that Fatima emphasizes her actions as a child playing quietly in the doorway until her mother wakes up and her thought processes. If the reader believes the stories are based on Fatima's actual childhood, these may be over-emphasized as the author looks back to a time that is, at least in her memory, somewhat idyllic.