"A lively narrative of the author's experiences reacquainting Afghan women with
skills the mullahs had denied them.Terrifically readable, and rich in personal stories."
Kirkus Reviews

"A terrific opening chaptercolorful, suspenseful, funnyushers readers into the curious
closed world of Afghan women."Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Most Westerners working in Afghanistan spend their time tucked inside a military compound
or embassy. Not Deborah Rodriguez. Now, she tells the story of the beauty school she
founded in the middle of Kabul and the vibrant women who were her students.

When Rodriguez opened the Kabul Beauty School, she not only empowered her students
with a new sense of autonomy but also made some of the closest friends of her life. Woven
through the book are the stories of her students: the newlywed who must fake her virginity;
the twelve-year-old sold into marriage to pay her family's debts; and a woman who pursues
her training despite her Taliban husband's constant beatings. They all bring their stories to
the beauty school, where, along with Rodriguez herself, they learn the art of perms, friendship,
and freedom.