Looking for a good read?
Try Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez with Kristin Ohlson
For many American women it can be hard to imagine anyone more culturally different than the women of Kabul, Afghanistan. It’s tempting to ask questions along the lines of, “Do women even need hairstyling or makeup in Kabul? I’m pretty sure they just wear full-length robes and veils every day.”
But in 2002, Deborah Rodriguez, an American hairstylist from Michigan, learned much more about what Afghanistan has to offer when she moved to Kabul, the nation’s capital. Her original mission was to help out with humanitarian and war-relief efforts in the country (this was just after the Taliban was forced to leave Afghanistan). But she soon learned that just like doctors, teachers and other respected professionals, she had her own unique talents to offer the citizens of Kabul—her cosmetology talents!
Deborah worked for years with women in Kabul to establish the country’s first modern beauty school, and she documents her journey and her time spent there in Kabul Beauty School (Random House 2007). In the book, readers will be introduced to some of the most culturally important traditions in Afghanistan, and will probably be surprised at how much some of these traditions rely on hairstyling and makeup!
Deborah’s true account of her experience in Afghanistan is a great read for anyone interested in cosmetology practices and their traditions. It turns out, women in Afghanistan may not be that different after all. Maybe you’ll even learn how to begin your own career path of a humanitarian-cosmetologist-extraordinaire!
