Release Date : Dec. 17, 2007
This novel is a true-to-life adventure of a certified hairdresser from Michigan, Deborah Rodriguez who "in 2002, helped form the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty school and training salon in Afghanistan" (About the Author page __The Kabul Beauty School). In a country that has mixed feelings on the moralities of beauty salons (unbelievable but true), Deborah's achievement is all about overcoming cultural barriers and giving hope.
With a germ of an idea and a "can-do" attitude, she raises sponsorships from U.S. cosmetic companies, sometimes personally funding her classes, and practically doing everything she could think of to get the school up and running___even marrying an Afghan so she could stay protected in a country so hostile to women.
Deborah is one person I would like to meet. Through her book, she strikes me as a bohemian character, energetic, gutsy, quirky, self confident, uninhibited and above all, a woman with a big heart. I think I will like her if only for the fact that like me, she enjoys a good book with a margarita or two. 
The Kabul Beauty School is an easy, enjoyable read with a down-to-earth writing style and lots of humor to balance genuine, heart-breaking accounts of the women the author has gotten to know. Surprisingly, there isn't a whiff of condescension; just sadness at the fact that women in Afghanistan are going through unbelievable oppression. But the author's natural optimism still sees hope through the indomitable spirit of Afghan women. Amidst the pain of cultural subjugation , these women could still find something to laugh about and to hope for , enough to fight for their own personal betterment. In the author's unique way, she saw their salvation in perms, hair color, and make-up!
I started reading this book in a cafe where I spent two hours sipping my glasses of soda and giggling my way through the pages. One of the many hilarious paragraphs that gave me the giggles:
"Then I pointed my scissors at Daud. He had a haircut that was pretty typical of the Afghan men I had seen so far--a sort of pompadour trimmed short in the back with a wad of hair puffed up on top. It was like the hairdo Elvis had sported in his most hideous days, when he was wearing those tight leather pants and awful capes made by the Ice Capades people. I hated it. ....."
"...We begin with the parts of Roshanna that no one will see tonight except her husband. Traditional Afghans consider body hair to be both ugly and unclean, so she must be stripped of all of it except for the long, silky brown hair on her head and her eyebrows. There can be no hair left on her arms, underarms, face or privates...We lead Roshanna down the corridor to the waxing room--the only one in Afghanistan, I might add...Many brides are either too modest or too fearful to have their pubic hair removed by others, so they do it at home--they either pull it out by hand or rip it out with chewing gum. Either way, the process is brutally painful. Besides, it's hard to achieve the full Brazilian--every pubic hair plucked, front and back--when you do it on your own, even if you're one of the few women in this country to own a large mirror, as Roshanna does."
You will find this book, funny, sad, outrageous, and candid all at the same time. It may pique your curiosity to learn more about Afghan culture after this book. It most certainly did for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute reading it.
I pray Deborah will be able to return to Kabul in the years to come, without fear of reprisals for her book or for simply empowering some women to learn a trade. Her commitment to open opportunities to Afghan women for making a decent living should be an inspiration to all those who wish to make a difference in this world.
My Mark : Excellent
]]>