Name: Kabul Beauty School
Rating: 3.666666666666667 (6 reviews)
ISBN: 9781400065592

Deborah Rodriguez

Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a humanitarian aid group. Surrounded by people whose skills--as doctors, nurses, and therapists--seemed eminently more practical than her own, Rodriguez, a haird

An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil

Kabul Beauty School

Ryan Mateyk

Interesting stories of strong Afghan women but poorly written by a woman who comes across as rather ignorant and obnoxious.

Kristin Ohlson

Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a group offering humanitarian aid to this war-torn nation. Surrounded by men and women whose skills–as doctors, nurses, and therapists–seemed eminently more practical than her own, Rodriguez, a hairdresser and mother of two from Michigan, despaired of being of any real use. Yet she soon found she had a gift for befriending Afghans, and once her profession became known she was eagerly sought out by Westerners desperate for a good haircut and by Afghan women, who have a long and proud tradition of running their own beauty salons. Thus an idea was born. With the help of corporate and international sponsors, the Kabul Beauty School welcomed its first class in 2003. Well meaning but sometimes brazen, Rodriguez stumbled through language barriers, overstepped cultural customs, and constantly juggled the challenges of a postwar nation even as she learned how to empower her students to become their families’ breadwinners by learning the fundamentals of coloring techniques, haircutting, and makeup. Yet within the small haven of the beauty school, the line between teacher and student quickly blurred as these vibrant women shared with Rodriguez their stories and their hearts: the newlywed who faked her virginity on her wedding night, the twelve-year-old bride sold into marriage to pay her family’s debts, the Taliban member’s wife who pursued her training despite her husband’s constant beatings. Through these and other stories, Rodriguez found the strength to leave her own unhealthy marriage and allow herself to love again, Afghan style. With warmth and humor, Rodriguez details the lushness of a seemingly desolate region and reveals the magnificence behind the burqa. Kabul Beauty School is a remarkable tale of an extraordinary community of women who come together and learn the arts of perms, friendship, and freedom.

Sarah Escorsa

I have to say I didn't enjoy reading this book at all, mostly because I found the author very annoying and overly naive. Despite having lived in Afghanistan for quite a few years, she appears to have a very limited understanding of the country and its people, and comes across as the perfect illustration of the "clueless American abroad" stereotype. It really is a shame. Added to the fact that the book is poorly written and that the author's style is simplistic, this makes Kabul Beauty School one of the worst books I've read in recent years.

Stephanie Honour

In a little beauty school in the war zone of Kabul, a community of women comes together, all with stories to tell. DEBBIE, the American hairdresser who co-founds the training salon. As the burqas are removed in class, curls are coiffed and make-up is applied, Debbie's students share with her their stories - and their hearts. MINA, forcibly married to a man in repayment of a family debt and threatened with having her child taken away. ROSHANNA, a tearful young bride terrified her in-laws will discover she's not a virgin. And NAHIDA, the prize pupil who bears the scars of her Taliban husband's approval. In the Kabul Beauty School, these women and many others find a safe haven and the seeds of their future independence. From the bestselling author of THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL, this is an eye-opening, inspiring and enthralling story.

Kabul Beauty School An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil

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