tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19640000.post-68122528786787328852007-03-27T17:00:00.000-07:002007-03-29T10:02:11.556-07:00<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kabul-Beauty-School-American-Behind/dp/1400065593/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2704287-7452142?ie=UTF8&s=books&amp;qid=1175041081&sr=1-1"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046762911019436418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DNo3I3J1hqE/Rgm0IPDuCYI/AAAAAAAAABQ/XUpjiM39NGo/s320/KabulBeautySchool_300_450_100.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kabul-Beauty-School-American-Behind/dp/1400065593/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2704287-7452142?ie=UTF8&s=books&amp;qid=1175040102&sr=1-1"></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">I am so grateful that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kabul-Beauty-School-American-Behind/dp/1400065593/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-2704287-7452142?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&qid=1175040102&amp;sr=1-1">Kabul Beauty School </a>was one of the non-fiction books sent to me by <a href="http://www.elle.com/">Elle Magazine</a> for my June Juror reviews. The following is the book description that can be found on the <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781588366078">Random House website</a>:</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><em>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 the idea for the Kabul Beauty School was born. With the help of corporate and international sponsors, Rodriguez founded the Kabul Beauty School and welcomed the first class in 2003. Well meaning but sometimes brazen, she 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.</em> </span><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">Here are my thoughts:</span></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">At first glance, I made the very poor assumption that this was probably a self-congratulatory memoir, one that was focused on a woman humbled by her surroundings and whom thereby becomes the heroine of the group. What an ill assumption on my part. </span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">Ms. Deborah Rodriguez, an American woman, finds herself in Afghanistan after reaching a crossroad in her life, built by the demands of a domineering husband and her need for fulfillment beyond what her present life could never provide. We the readers follow Ms. Rodriguez as she works to open a beauty school in Kabul, which will allow the women to make money, to learn and practice new and safe beauty techniques as well as how to successfully run a beauty shop. Alongside Ms. Rodriguez, we learn about the culture, the lifestyle, the emotions, the mindset, and the beauty of the heart-warming women of Kabul. While Ms. Rodriguez finds her inner peace and accomplishes her main objective of meaningfulness and therefore fulfillment and happiness, she also learns valuable lessons in the women’s struggle to maintain a good life amidst the turmoil of a feuding nation. Ms. Rodriguez never comes across as self-congratulatory but rather as the woman one wishes she/he had as a friend, a confidante of great strength and hope through good times and through bad. </span></span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">I only wish that the memoir was longer so that I could learn what became of the beauty school at present time as well as the women who made it happen. I hope that Ms. Rodriguez continues sharing her stories and particularly those of the women of Kabul. And I do hope that there is the intention to follow-up with the women of Kabul who shared their stories for this memoir. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#330000;">Overall, this was a fantastic read! I am so grateful that this was sent to me. I definitely recommend it! </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;"></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330000;">To learn more about the Kabul Beauty School, please click <a href="http://oasisrescue.org/">here</a>.</span></span></div><div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19640000-6812252878678732885?l=ameliaspassion.blogspot.com'/></div>Ameliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05105214470972651791noreply@blogger.com11