Kabul Beauty School

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez

Rodriguez went to Afghanistan to offer humanitarian aid in 2001. Attempting to assist utilizing her personal talents, she later returned to help develop a beauty school.

There were things I liked and didn't like.

I liked the strength of determination in these women who are overcoming unimaginable barriers to become independent. To have even the tiniest bit of freedom is a major win for them. I like the message the author portrays in doing whatever you can to assist other people in their quest for a life free from oppression.

Whenever I hear women complain, I think of women in countries like Afghanistan, who have monumental obstacles to even basic rights. This book was another reminder of how truly blessed I am.

On the flip side...I found it hard to truly like Rodriguez. Her account felt very self-centered and, in my opinion, she was careless about the larger impact of her actions. She pats herself on the back for "helping" these women. Research after the book shows that she may have done them more harm than good.

Helping these women should not have included writing a book that profits from their misery. Who gave her the right to put their personal stories to paper? She could have written a book about awareness, but that isn't what this is. I felt it was written as a self-justification.

Overall, this memoir seemed promising, but I was left with a bitter taste.

If you've read it, let me know if you had similar thoughts!