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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