KEY POINTS:
When a country is war-torn, the women are locked away in their homes and the buildings are riddled with bullet-holes, what does it need? Beauty salons, apparently. Or at least, that's what American hairdresser Deborah Rodriguez decided Afghanistan needed, so she set about creating the Kabul Beauty School.
Rodriguez recounts her real-life experiences in the masculine and often-terrifying world of Afghanistan after the Taliban were overthrown. She saw a need for women to be able to run businesses and have a place to celebrate being women. Along the way, Rodriguez marries an Afghan and learns the heartbreaking stories of the women she meets and teaches.
The book is a strange mix of foreign impressions and personal self-talk. Rodriguez constantly reflects on the importance of what she is doing, which becomes a little exhausting after a while. More intriguing are the stories of the Afghan women. It is the glimpse into their world that makes the book a fascinating read.
*Hachette, $39.99
- Detours, HoS
