The Beauty Salon Of Kabul

Most Western aid workers in Afghanistan stay within the safety of a military camp. Deborah Rodriguez, however, chooses to throw herself into the overwhelming hustle and bustle of Kabul. She leaves for Afghanistan with only a beautician's diploma and the determination to help rebuild the country. In Afghanistan, she discovers that the once famous tradition of beauty salons has been completely eradicated by the Taliban. She decides to open a salon and offer local women the opportunity to train as beauticians.

In the salon, Deborah not only teaches her students the tricks of the trade, she also tries to make them aware of their position in the male-dominated culture. This book records the stories of Deborah's students, such as the bride who had to feign her virginity and the twelve-year-old girl who was sold as a bride to pay off her family's debts. In addition, Deborah Rodriguez describes her own experiences in an idiosyncratic way: 'I don't wear a headscarf on the street. Boys, it's just hair.'

'Bombs and grenades on the doorstep, escalating tribal conflicts on the work floor, offended macho men who take up arms against their overly outspoken wives: Debbie has experienced it all in the four years that she has been training to become a beautician and running a salon in Kabul.' – de Volkskrant