Inside look at the struggles many women face in countries like Afghanistan. It is a heartwarming story about a woman trying to make a difference.

I listened to half the book and read the other half.

It is always fun to learn about other cultures and Afghanistan is one country that we Americans generally know so little about. Deborah Rodriguez started a beauty school in Kabul, which has taken off and helped its graduates become more independent and gain a voice in their society.

A member of "my" book club suggested this book for the coming year. I have been interested in this and so I figured this was a good reason for trying it. I am one book ahead if we do choose it or I have had the opportunity to read a fascinating story. I win no matter what.

Rodriguez took an opportunity and used it to make a difference in some women's lives, including her own. She found a way to help some women in Kabul make some money for themselves and their families. Who would have guessed that a Midwestern hairdresser could actually come up with a successful training program any where in the Middle East, let alone Kabul, Afghanistan.

This is not my favorite book about women in the Middle East. That would be Paradise Beneath Her Feet by Isobel Coleman. Coleman's book is more of an overview and more specifically feminist in tone. However, this was a good read because of Rodriguez' personal story.

I recommend this to folks who like to read memoirs; to readers who are interested in strong women or feminism and to those who want to know more about the Middle East. If you liked Three Cups of Tea or Nine Parts of Desire.

Interesting story, but rather poorly and informally written. Sounded like writing I'd expect to hear from a blog, not a published book. It was interesting to hear a western perspective from someone more "inside" of Afghanistan though.

I picked this up on a whim at the library (think I, er, got the book confused with the Kabul Book Seller) but it turned out to be fairly readable and not that bad.

A little preachy at points, but it seemed like the author had a really good editor who managed to keep the pace going and allow for judicious skimming.

this book was great. it was very interesting to read about life in afghanistan in present times. she was both brave and crazy and that's what made the book really interesting.

Honestly absolutely Loved this book and totally shocked by the reviews!
I Loved the conversational tone of the book as well as the story of an ordinary person leading a seemingly ordinary life in the States, who sees a need in another country and does everything she can to fulfill said need. Yes, she makes some mistakes and bad judgments, but that is exactly the point of the story! This story is not a horror story of life in Afganistan, nor is it an idealized story of a Mother Theresa Idealist. It is merely the story of a hair dresser, who sets herself out to help women in the best way she knows how.

Really interesting story. The stories about the personal lives of Afghan women are intriguing and depressing at the same time. The beauty school was a tremendous way to give some degree of independence to these women.

“I’ve never loved a woman before,” he said. “This love thing is very bad. It gives me a pain in the chest.”

I've had this on my Goodreads to-read list longer than any other book. I found the individual stories insightful, raw and often beautiful.

Rodriguez, hairdresser and beautician, leaves her life in America to go to Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban to set up a beauty school, and thereby offer a career path and possible independence to Afghani women with few outlets outside the home. This is an interesting and unlikely story, but somewhat spoilt for me by Rodriguez herself, who comes over as a somewhat self-centred woman who neglects her family back home and ignores the cultural expectations of her new one. Still, this rather badly-written book paints an interesting picture of the reality of day-to-day life in Kabul, and inspired me to find out more. Two and a half stars then.