Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
by Deborah Rodriguez, Kristin Ohlson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Deborah Rodriguez, Kristin OhlsonEdition: Paperback
Published: 2007-12-18
ISBN: 0812976738
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
Book Review: Decent story but consider buying used or getting from library
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a decent book, despite uninspiring prose. The author/protagonist does a good job taking us to the far away land of Afghanistan and relaying the plight of many Afghani women. She's inspiring as she throws herself into helping distressed people around the world; however, I was disappointed that I couldn't like the author/protagonist. By the end of the book, I found it troubling that she could travel thousands of miles to live and help others, while neglecting her own children. This dichotomy was all I could think of towards the end of the book and after finishing. Recognizing "no one's perfect," I think she could have been more likeable and the book more satisfying if she would have addressed this dichotomy.
Summary of Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
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