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stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
4.0
What an amazing vision Debbie Rodriguez had for the women of Kabul. Their stories are heartbreaking and yet her story is so inspiring, powerful and uplifting.
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
I was really impressed with this book. When I first picked it up I was a little leery of reading it at all. I was of the thought process that I would either hate it with a passion or love it... no in between. I guess I was extra paranoid after reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran", which I hated because the author was so self-involved and self-aggrandizing that it made me sick. I ended up being pleasantly surprised and impressed by Deborah Rodriguez's memoir. I felt that it really provided a level headed view of the world she lives in, both the hardships and the more positive experiences. You pick up the book and you may scoff at the fact that it is a beauty school... what kind of empowerment can that provide for the women, right? But then you start to read and you see how this one place ended up being an outlet for all these women. A place where they could go and be themselves. A place where they were safe from what was more traditionally a mans world. Not only that, but you see how these women also helped to enrich and heal Deborah's life. How they made a positive and significant impact on her life. I really enjoyed reading this memoir and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a memoir about an American woman in Afghanistan. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
kcoleman's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great story. It points out the differences in culture and custom as Debbie trys to teach the Afgan women about hair and make-up! fun to read.
ggiavv's review against another edition
ended up doing my school assignment without needing to finish it, if i ever get bored and wanna finish it then ill update this
goodem9199's review against another edition
4.0
If it weren't for the abrupt ending, I would have given this book 5 stars. It was a captivating story about life for Afghan women, but the ending came out of nowhere. This book was eye-opening, to say the least. I was in the grocery store looking at magazines in line and seeing the stories about Paris Hilton buying her $700 shoes and these stars who pay ridiculous amounts of money on superficial things when people are actually living this way.
ktswings's review against another edition
3.0
I am excited to read a book given from a woman that I think is so intelligent!
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Audio book read by Bernadette Dunne
2.5**
Rodriguez impulsively went to Afghanistan while escaping a bad marriage and looking for meaning to her life. Willing and eager to work, she came up with the idea of teaching the oppressed women of Afghanistan skills they could use to support themselves and their families. So, she started a beauty school with a combination of product donations, grants and private funding.
The atrocities to which Afghani women are subject are infuriating to most Westerners, but this isn’t new information any longer. I’m sympathetic to the cause and applaud anyone’s efforts to make a difference. Debbie’s continued inability to understand the cultural differences, however, really irritated me. It’s no surprise that the “authorities” eventually shut her down, though it is definitely a great pity. I certainly hope that the women she encountered have been able to continue using the skills she taught them, for their own sense of self-worth and to engage with other women.
Bernadette Dunne does a pretty good job of the audio. It’s not her fault that the material she has to work with isn’t stellar.
2.5**
Rodriguez impulsively went to Afghanistan while escaping a bad marriage and looking for meaning to her life. Willing and eager to work, she came up with the idea of teaching the oppressed women of Afghanistan skills they could use to support themselves and their families. So, she started a beauty school with a combination of product donations, grants and private funding.
The atrocities to which Afghani women are subject are infuriating to most Westerners, but this isn’t new information any longer. I’m sympathetic to the cause and applaud anyone’s efforts to make a difference. Debbie’s continued inability to understand the cultural differences, however, really irritated me. It’s no surprise that the “authorities” eventually shut her down, though it is definitely a great pity. I certainly hope that the women she encountered have been able to continue using the skills she taught them, for their own sense of self-worth and to engage with other women.
Bernadette Dunne does a pretty good job of the audio. It’s not her fault that the material she has to work with isn’t stellar.
saycheeze37's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.0