maclsj
12th June 2007, 06:50
Title: The Kabul Beauty School
Author: Deborah Rodriguez
Synopsis: In 2002 Deborah Rodriguez joins a group of American aid workers to help in Afghanistan. When she arrives she wonder what she can actually do to help. She is a trained hairdresser, not a doctor, an electrician or a plumber. She begins to realise though that she has a role to play afterall. Not only are the westerners missing their visits to the hairdressers but also the ordinary Afghans on the street. Not only that but in a country where jobs for women are limited Debbie realises that a beauty school will enable the women of Afghanistan to earn money, and good money at that. Follow Debbie as she tries to integrate into Afghan life and listen to the stories of her students over the years she spends teaching at the Kabul Beauty school.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I really couldn't put it down. I normally read historical crime fiction so this was very different for me. I've been trying to expand my reading and this has been a perfect book for that. It really tested what I thought about Afghanistan and tried to make me understand why it is the way it is. At the same time though it was never pained as a perfect place and thats where Rodriguez's skill lies. This is not a book that endlessly harps on about how wonderful Afghanistan is and how wonderful all the work they're doing is. She tells the story as it is, the trials, the tribulations and the funny moments. I didn't feel as if she was holding back or patronising me. I felt I was with her on her journey.
One criticism I do have is that sometimes the action jumps from things going on in her life to another story about one of her students and the leap is not a smooth transition. Instead it jars slightly and you're very aware she's moved the action. Some of these rough edges could have been smoothed.
On the whole though I found the subject matter fascinating, the writing style for the most part was easy to read and the characters had depth. The ending was not what I was expecting but I really hope in another 5 years Debbie will write a follow up book.
Author: Deborah Rodriguez
Synopsis: In 2002 Deborah Rodriguez joins a group of American aid workers to help in Afghanistan. When she arrives she wonder what she can actually do to help. She is a trained hairdresser, not a doctor, an electrician or a plumber. She begins to realise though that she has a role to play afterall. Not only are the westerners missing their visits to the hairdressers but also the ordinary Afghans on the street. Not only that but in a country where jobs for women are limited Debbie realises that a beauty school will enable the women of Afghanistan to earn money, and good money at that. Follow Debbie as she tries to integrate into Afghan life and listen to the stories of her students over the years she spends teaching at the Kabul Beauty school.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I really couldn't put it down. I normally read historical crime fiction so this was very different for me. I've been trying to expand my reading and this has been a perfect book for that. It really tested what I thought about Afghanistan and tried to make me understand why it is the way it is. At the same time though it was never pained as a perfect place and thats where Rodriguez's skill lies. This is not a book that endlessly harps on about how wonderful Afghanistan is and how wonderful all the work they're doing is. She tells the story as it is, the trials, the tribulations and the funny moments. I didn't feel as if she was holding back or patronising me. I felt I was with her on her journey.
One criticism I do have is that sometimes the action jumps from things going on in her life to another story about one of her students and the leap is not a smooth transition. Instead it jars slightly and you're very aware she's moved the action. Some of these rough edges could have been smoothed.
On the whole though I found the subject matter fascinating, the writing style for the most part was easy to read and the characters had depth. The ending was not what I was expecting but I really hope in another 5 years Debbie will write a follow up book.