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From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. A terrific opening chapter—colorful, suspenseful, funny—ushers readers into the curious closed world of Afghan women. A wedding is about to take place, arranged, of course, but there is a potentially dire secret—the bride is not technically a virgin. How Rodriguez, an admirably resourceful and dynamic woman, set to marry a nice Afghan man, solves this problem makes a great story, embellished as it is with all the traditional wedding preparations. Rodriguez went to Afghanistan in 2002, just after the fall of the Taliban, volunteering as a nurse's aide, but soon found that her skills as a trained hairdresser were far more in demand, both for the Western workers and, as word got out, Afghans. On a trip back to the U.S., she persuaded companies in the beauty industry to donate 10,000 boxes of products and supplies to ship to Kabul, and instantly she started a training school. Political problems ensued ("too much laughing within the school"), financial problems, cultural misunderstandings and finally the government closed the school and salon—though the reader will suspect that the endlessly ingenious Rodriguez, using her book as a wedge against authority, will triumph in the end. This witty and insightful (if light) memoir will be perfect for women's reading groups and daytime talk shows. (Apr. 10)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–In 2002, just months after the Taliban had been driven out of Afghanistan, Rodriguez, a hairdresser from Holland, MI, joined a small nongovernmental aid organization on a mission to the war-torn nation. That visit changed her life. In Kabul, she chronicles her efforts to help establish the country's first modern beauty school and training salon; along with music and kite-flying, hairdressing had been banned under the previous regime. This memoir offers a glimpse into a world Westerners seldom see–life behind the veil. Rodriguez was entranced with the delightful personalities that emerged when her students removed their burqas behind closed doors, but her book is also a tale of empowerment–both for her and the women. In a city with no mail service, she went door-to-door to recruit students from clandestine beauty shops, and there were constant efforts to shut her down. She had to convince Afghan men to work side by side with her to unpack cartons of supplies donated from the U.S. The students, however, are the heroines of this memoir. Women denied education and seldom allowed to leave their homes found they were able to support themselves and their families. Rodriguez's experiences will delight readers as she recounts such tales as two friends acting as parents and negotiating a dowry for her marriage to an Afghan man or her students puzzling over a donation of a carton of thongs. Most of all, they will share her admiration for Afghan women's survival and triumph in chaotic times.–Pat Bangs, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A WORTHY LISTEN,
By
This review is from: Kabul Beauty School: Beneath the Veil of Afghan Women (Audio CD)
Few books have created as great a furor as did the Kabul School of Beauty. Penned by a Michigan hairdresser then living in Afghanistan with her Afghan husband it is the story of how she opened the first modern beauty school and training salon in a country that would surely not welcome her efforts. Although the Taliban had fallen, dictates of this severe regime remained.However, more than politics the book hinges on the individual lives of those who come to the school, women who have been oppressed, are uneducated, and virtual prisoners in their own homes. Ms. Rodriguez's story is filled with pathos and humor, it's a look at a world Western women surely cannot understand and find difficult to imagine, a fascinating account. Ms. Rodriguez writes with verve and color. Few will be able to stop listening after hearing the story of Roshanna who has come to the beauty school before eight in the morning to prepare for her wedding. We hear, "She has left her parents' house under cover of burqa and will emerge six hours later wearing her body weight in eye shadow, false eyelashes the size of sparrows, monumentally big hair, and clothes with more bling than a Ferris wheel. In America, most people would associate this look with drag queens sashaying off to a party with a 1950s prom theme. Here in Afghanistan, for reasons I still don't understand, this look conveys the mystique of the virgin." And, there are others - a girl not yet in her teens who is sold by her debt ridden family, a naif who must be taught how to fake virginity on her wedding night, and a woman dreadfully physically abused. Since penning her book Ms. Rodriguez has returned to the States, and sold rights for a film which will star Sandra Bullock. A June NPR program notes that publication of the book has placed the lives of women mentioned in jeopardy. Hence the question for many is whether Ms. Rodriquez is a true friend to these women or an entrepeneur. Questions of ethics aside the audio edition it is a penetrating insight into the lives these women endure and ably performed by actress Bernadette Dunne. The winner of six AudieFile Earphones Awards and twice nominated for an Audie, Ms. Dunne studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and The Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. She easily captures the author's self-confident voice as well as the diffident, sometimes frightened tones of the women. A worthy listen! - Gail Cooke
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kabul Beauty School,
By
This review is from: Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil (Paperback)
Deborah Rodriguez was a hairdresser from Michigan with a degree in cosmetology who decided to move to Afghanistan and teach the women of Kabul how to be beauticians. As she was working out the details of how her hairdressing school would be run, she heard of Mary MacMakin who had already dedicated herself to the women of Afghanistan and was in the process of working on the Kabul Beauty School. Debbie quickly joined forces with Mary and became the first teacher of the first class in 2003.During her years in Kabul she befriended a lot of women from her classes who themselves went on to teach as well. Her friendships with these women meant a lot as the majority were victims of terrible beatings and rapes by their husbands and were frightened and lacking in self-confidence. By educating them Debbie had empowered these women and given them the knowledge and courage to begin working and they often made more money than their spouses. Kabul Beauty School was a book I couldn't put down and it will provide you with an immensely pleasurable read and a longing to have Debbie as your friend.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hard To Put Down AND Weird at times(the Author)!,
By Kathleen J. Leonhardt "History,Geography Buff" (Kamloops, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil (Hardcover)
Could not put this book down and found the writer to be incredibly refreshing in her descriptions of day-to-day life/observations of Afghan culture. At the same time, I was surprised at the way she navigated(or should I say drifted?) into a marriage with an Afghan man--sort of like a tourist deciding on a whim to immerse into an 'experience'--as well as her somewhat cavelier attitude about her own kids at home. But hey--she DID write about her stay and work in such a relaxed and vivid way that at times I felt like I was just sitting across from her as a 'best friend' and getting the real dish. Very conflicting read due to the cultural norms that the women endure in Afghanistan, funny at times, and I did walk away unsettled--but enlightened. Great read.
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