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Reviews
Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Kristin Ohlson, Deborah Rodriguez
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
tracyksmith_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I can't say enough good things about this book! I LOVED it and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in non-fiction that reads like fiction, life as a woman in Afghanistan, or just interested in reading about a woman with a real sense of adventure and commitment!
chloekg's review against another edition
2.0
Read this during a summer vacation at a family member's house. It's a self-congratulatory story whose content would maybe be better served as a long magazine article. Instead, there's a-hundred or so pages of fluffy detail and American fear.
lsparrow's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely an author I would love to meet.
Fascinating in her approach. I love that she is so focused on relating to people and connecting with them - so that even though she often has little understanding of the culture over time she begins to understand not just from a outside perspective but from one of someone who has decided to live in Afganistan. She is refreshingly just herself - even in all her navigating of a different culture and her mistakes.
I did not like the writing style and as I listened to the audio book did not like the voice of the narrator.
Fascinating in her approach. I love that she is so focused on relating to people and connecting with them - so that even though she often has little understanding of the culture over time she begins to understand not just from a outside perspective but from one of someone who has decided to live in Afganistan. She is refreshingly just herself - even in all her navigating of a different culture and her mistakes.
I did not like the writing style and as I listened to the audio book did not like the voice of the narrator.