Product Description

Kabul Beauty School is a remarkable tale of an extraordinary community of women, all of whom have stories to tell, who come together and learn the arts of perms, friendship, and freedom. Arriving in Afghanistan in 2002 with nothing more than a beauty degree and a desire to help, Deborah Rodriguez set out on a course of action that would change her life and those of many Afghan women. The once proud tradition of beauty schools had been all but destroyed and with it Afghani womens ability to support themselves. As one of the founders of the Kabul Beauty School she set about training women and helping them rebuild their lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21784 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
'A remarkable story' -- The Sunday Times 'A quirky and supremely uplifting read' -- Glamour 'Terrifically readable, and rich in personal stories.' -- Kirkus Reviews 'A terrific opening chapter--colorful, suspenseful, funny--ushers readers into the curious closed world of Afghan women...This witty and insightful (if light) memoir will be perfect for women's reading groups and daytime talk shows.' -- Publishers' Weekly starred review 'Rodriguez has written a very gutsy, real-life adventure story for women... Her courage in tackling gigantic cultural barriers is also remarkable.' -- Publishing News 'This lively memoir is full of darkly funny moments...and the humor leavens the horror stories about life in this war-torn land. A dishy but substantial read.' -- People A fascinating account of the friendships she has made and her love affair with the country, its culture and its people a thought-provoking read of one woman determined to make a difference. -- My Weekly 20080221

A lively narrative of the author's experiences reacquainting Afghan women with skills the mullahs had denied them.Michigan-born Rodriguez arrived in Kabul in May 2002 with the Care for All Foundation, a Christian humanitarian organization. She'd had emergency and disaster-relief training, but as soon as her group leader mentioned at a meeting that she was a hairdresser, she was mobbed by foreign-aid workers desperate for a decent haircut. The Taliban had banned beauty parlors, and the ones that had opened since its fall suffered from years of inactivity. When her young protegee Roshanna took her to a secret salon in Kabul, Rodriguez was shocked by the meager supplies and the staff's rudimentary skills. She embarked on a mission to start a beauty school in Kabul. She worked on getting product donations from hair-care companies like Paul Mitchell. She enlisted help from Mary MacMakin, the American head of a nonprofit organization geared toward helping Afghan widows. Living on and off in Kabul, Rodriguez found a suitable building and opened her school to about 30 students, whose hard-luck stories fill these pages. Often uneducated, married in their teens, locked away to languish at home or beaten into submission, these women were eager to gain self-sufficiency and self-worth. The vast cultural gap between them and their teacher could make instruction difficult. Struggling to explain that sometimes when coloring hair, the beautician had to neutralize an underlying pigment to get the desired shade, for example, Rodriguez just wasn't getting through until she had the inspiration to declare, "Think of it as Satan! It's this evil thing in the hair that you have to fight." She became so comfortable in her new country that she agreed to an arranged marriage with an enlightened Afghan businessman. Today, she writes, "I've been renewed by the spirit of this place and roused by its challenges."Terrifically readable, and rich in personal stories. (Kirkus Reviews)

Review
'A remarkable story' (The Sunday Times )

'A quirky and supremely uplifting read' (Glamour )

'Terrifically readable, and rich in personal stories.' (Kirkus Reviews )

'A terrific opening chapter—colorful, suspenseful, funny—ushers readers into the curious closed world of Afghan women....This witty and insightful (if light) memoir will be perfect for women’s reading groups and daytime talk shows.' (Publishers' Weekly starred review )

'Rodriguez has written a very gutsy, real-life adventure story for women... Her courage in tackling gigantic cultural barriers is also remarkable.' (Publishing News )

'This lively memoir is full of darkly funny moments...and the humor leavens the horror stories about life in this war-torn land. A dishy but substantial read.' (People )

A fascinating account of the friendships she has made and her love affair with the country, its culture and its people a thought-provoking read of one woman determined to make a difference.

Publishers' Weekly, starred review
'colorful, suspenseful, funny'

Customer Reviews

Brave beyond prudence
I have read a number of books on Afghanistan and have visited Kabul. This is the most amazing book I have read concerning that troubled country. The author went there after 9/11 to work with a medical NGO. She found her hairdressing and beautician's skills much in demand and a way to help Afghan women eventually starting her own school. Her commitment to the Afghan women is outstanding. She is brave to the point of folly in battles with all and sundry from muggers to ministries.She becomes the second wife of an Afghan and in the end has to leave the country for her own safety. This is one very feisty female. Her book is all the more remarkable as despite her bad experiences with men, home and abroad, her book is devoid of any feministic reaction.

Very disappointing
Great subject - I read a lot of books on the Middle East/Asia/India but after reading the Kiterunner I found the prose very weak. I didn't feel myself getting absorbed in the same way as I did when I read the Kiterunner or Purple Hibiscus - which were so well written. I think some of the American terms spoilt it and it didn't have the depth that I like in a book.

Excellent read!!
I thought that this was an excellent book. I really couldnt put this down. I highly recommend it.