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The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite History & Biography (2011)The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war—a rare achievement for any Afghan woman—Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. Former ABC Newsreporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years on the ground reporting Kamila's story, and the result is an unusually intimate and unsanitized look at the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. These women are not victims; they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation.
Afghanistan's future remains uncertain as debates over withdrawal timelines dominate the news. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana moves beyond the headlines to transport you to an Afghanistan you have never seen before. This is a story of war, but it is also a story of sisterhood and resilience in the face of despair. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarianissues of our time.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. Former ABC Newsreporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years on the ground reporting Kamila's story, and the result is an unusually intimate and unsanitized look at the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. These women are not victims; they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation.
Afghanistan's future remains uncertain as debates over withdrawal timelines dominate the news. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana moves beyond the headlines to transport you to an Afghanistan you have never seen before. This is a story of war, but it is also a story of sisterhood and resilience in the face of despair. Kamila Sidiqi's journey will inspire you, but it will also change the way you think about one of the most important political and humanitarianissues of our time.
258 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2011
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17466 people want to read
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February 11, 2021
Gale Tzemach Lemmon offers us a profile in courage about a young woman who defied the daunting odds in Taliban-controlled Kabul to established a business that offered employment, income and hope to her family and neighbors, at a time when all three were in very short supply.
One of the many awful aspects of the extreme form of Islam practiced by the Afghan Taliban is their complete subjugation of women. Women are not allowed to leave their homes unless accompanied by a male relative. They are not allowed to work outside the home. When in public, women must at all times wear the head-to-toe-covering burkah, also known as a chadri. The list of forbiddens goes on like a list of biblical begats, and shifts with the moods of local commanders. When the Taliban took over control of most of Afghanistan in 1996, they made their version of Sharia the law of the land, and a dark age (or a darker age, anyway, as it had not been a frolicsome garden spot before) fell over the land. However, even in the darkest of times, there are always some points of light. Kamela Sediqi was one shining example.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - image from M.M. Lafleur
Sediqi and her family were Tajiks, the second largest ethnic group in the country. The Taliban are Pashtun, the largest. Remaining resistance to Taliban rule was centered north of Kabul among groups of largely Tajik ethnicity. Believing that all ethnic Tajiks were thus suspect, the Taliban engaged in a widespread campaign of oppression, particularly against Tajik males. Sediqi’s father, even with over thirty years in the Afghanistan military, knew that his service was of less significance to the Taliban than his Tajik ancestry. He fled to the north, placing leadership of the family in the hands of the young Kamela, a recent graduate of the Kabul Teacher Training academy. As new head of her family, Kamela struggled to find some way for the family to earn income. The education system was in tatters, particularly for women, so teaching was not an option. Although she had no experience with tailoring, she recognized that there was an unmet need and, with the assistance of her expert-seamstress sister, Malekheh, and her many other sisters, she began a small business sewing clothing for sale by local tailors.
Soon demand for her family’s products exceeded the family’s ability to produce them, so Kamela began taking on trustworthy neighbors. Everyone who worked at her home was thrilled to have any work at all, given how difficult it was for women to work in this males-only world. Still, Kamela had to contend with the ever-present threat of beating and/or arrest by roaming groups of sharia enforcers. Lemmon tells how the business thrived and kept growing during the trying time of Taliban control. After their removal from power in 2001, her business boomed, branching off into various other directions. Kamela’s little sewing shop had become a considerable concern. She was also recruited by the NGOs that had returned to Kabul, to try to find ways to use her expertise to educate a new generation of entrepreneurial women.
Lemmon does an excellent job of keeping herself out of the story, recreating Kamela’s tale from 1996 to the present, but mostly until the 2001 US retaliation for 9/11. It reads very quickly. She communicates quite well the sense of ubiquitous danger and fear that permeated the country. One of the great concerns present today is that the Taliban will return to some measure of power, and women’s hard-fought gains will be lost. It is not an idle concern.
There are many stories to be told about Afghanistan and the Taliban. Lemmon’s tale is very revealing, about what is possible with intelligence, craft and determination, even when faced with overwhelming opposition. Kamela’s small business triumph is a pretty big deal, showing one way in which elements of the devastated Afghan economy can rebuild.
However, it is not the only deal. I found that Lemmon’s business-centric view of the world may have caused her to overlook some things. Lest one believe that this is a story of a poor girl making good, Kamela did not come from a poor family. In the very beginning we are introduced to her as a teaching institute graduate, which speaks of the availability of resources beyond the norm in this poor country. That the family had a spare apartment that they rented to a doctor for income indicates more of the same. Surely, her father’s decades of service in the national army contributed to that. While the family may not have been wealthy by American standards, they were pretty well off by Kabul standards. This takes nothing away from Kamela’s bravery or accomplishment. We work with what we have. But the significance is in what one extrapolates from the experience.
I get the impression that Lemmon sees entrepreneurship in almost religious terms. If only we would let people make businesses everything would be fabulous. The educational and financial opportunities Kamela enjoyed were not available to many women. She had a leg up. Which is ok, unless one seeks to use the example of Kamela as the sole model for how to rebuild. Then it becomes dishonest. Kamela is a remarkable individual. Well if she could do it, why can’t you? And that is how I fear this book might be used, as a means of promoting a particular ideology. Entrepreneurship can be hugely creative and productive but it is not the only tool in the toolbox. Public and NGO programs have a significant place in economic reconstruction, whether the scarred surface is Kabul or Brownsville.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a readable, interesting look at one aspect of life under Taliban tyranny, and any such effort that fuels hope for a better future is most welcome.
============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
One of the many awful aspects of the extreme form of Islam practiced by the Afghan Taliban is their complete subjugation of women. Women are not allowed to leave their homes unless accompanied by a male relative. They are not allowed to work outside the home. When in public, women must at all times wear the head-to-toe-covering burkah, also known as a chadri. The list of forbiddens goes on like a list of biblical begats, and shifts with the moods of local commanders. When the Taliban took over control of most of Afghanistan in 1996, they made their version of Sharia the law of the land, and a dark age (or a darker age, anyway, as it had not been a frolicsome garden spot before) fell over the land. However, even in the darkest of times, there are always some points of light. Kamela Sediqi was one shining example.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - image from M.M. Lafleur
Sediqi and her family were Tajiks, the second largest ethnic group in the country. The Taliban are Pashtun, the largest. Remaining resistance to Taliban rule was centered north of Kabul among groups of largely Tajik ethnicity. Believing that all ethnic Tajiks were thus suspect, the Taliban engaged in a widespread campaign of oppression, particularly against Tajik males. Sediqi’s father, even with over thirty years in the Afghanistan military, knew that his service was of less significance to the Taliban than his Tajik ancestry. He fled to the north, placing leadership of the family in the hands of the young Kamela, a recent graduate of the Kabul Teacher Training academy. As new head of her family, Kamela struggled to find some way for the family to earn income. The education system was in tatters, particularly for women, so teaching was not an option. Although she had no experience with tailoring, she recognized that there was an unmet need and, with the assistance of her expert-seamstress sister, Malekheh, and her many other sisters, she began a small business sewing clothing for sale by local tailors.
Soon demand for her family’s products exceeded the family’s ability to produce them, so Kamela began taking on trustworthy neighbors. Everyone who worked at her home was thrilled to have any work at all, given how difficult it was for women to work in this males-only world. Still, Kamela had to contend with the ever-present threat of beating and/or arrest by roaming groups of sharia enforcers. Lemmon tells how the business thrived and kept growing during the trying time of Taliban control. After their removal from power in 2001, her business boomed, branching off into various other directions. Kamela’s little sewing shop had become a considerable concern. She was also recruited by the NGOs that had returned to Kabul, to try to find ways to use her expertise to educate a new generation of entrepreneurial women.
Lemmon does an excellent job of keeping herself out of the story, recreating Kamela’s tale from 1996 to the present, but mostly until the 2001 US retaliation for 9/11. It reads very quickly. She communicates quite well the sense of ubiquitous danger and fear that permeated the country. One of the great concerns present today is that the Taliban will return to some measure of power, and women’s hard-fought gains will be lost. It is not an idle concern.
There are many stories to be told about Afghanistan and the Taliban. Lemmon’s tale is very revealing, about what is possible with intelligence, craft and determination, even when faced with overwhelming opposition. Kamela’s small business triumph is a pretty big deal, showing one way in which elements of the devastated Afghan economy can rebuild.
However, it is not the only deal. I found that Lemmon’s business-centric view of the world may have caused her to overlook some things. Lest one believe that this is a story of a poor girl making good, Kamela did not come from a poor family. In the very beginning we are introduced to her as a teaching institute graduate, which speaks of the availability of resources beyond the norm in this poor country. That the family had a spare apartment that they rented to a doctor for income indicates more of the same. Surely, her father’s decades of service in the national army contributed to that. While the family may not have been wealthy by American standards, they were pretty well off by Kabul standards. This takes nothing away from Kamela’s bravery or accomplishment. We work with what we have. But the significance is in what one extrapolates from the experience.
I get the impression that Lemmon sees entrepreneurship in almost religious terms. If only we would let people make businesses everything would be fabulous. The educational and financial opportunities Kamela enjoyed were not available to many women. She had a leg up. Which is ok, unless one seeks to use the example of Kamela as the sole model for how to rebuild. Then it becomes dishonest. Kamela is a remarkable individual. Well if she could do it, why can’t you? And that is how I fear this book might be used, as a means of promoting a particular ideology. Entrepreneurship can be hugely creative and productive but it is not the only tool in the toolbox. Public and NGO programs have a significant place in economic reconstruction, whether the scarred surface is Kabul or Brownsville.
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a readable, interesting look at one aspect of life under Taliban tyranny, and any such effort that fuels hope for a better future is most welcome.
============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, Twitter and FB pages
February 5, 2021
2014 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.
August 28, 2024
Why I chose to listen to this audiobook:
1. a GR friend's rating influenced me to add it to my WTR list; and,
2. August 2024 is my "Biographical Fiction" Month.
Praise:
An interesting look at how five sisters survived under Taliban rule by secretly making dresses and selling them to various shopkeepers. There were a couple tense incidents involving Taliban encounters; however, it was nice to hear how the sisters involved neighbors and friends in their business venture.
Niggle:
Although listed as "nonfiction" and "biography", the writing lends itself more towards "biographical fiction". Unfortunately, we don't get to delve into these women's feelings and personalities, so I never really got a sense of urgency one would expect living under terrorist rule. Because of that, I don't think this book will be that memorable for me.
Overall Thoughts:
I'm always interested to learn about how women survive under misogynistic rule, and this book does shine a small light over one particular family trying to make ends meet when the Taliban take over Afghanistan. Published in 2011, we get a sense of empowerment for these women, but I wonder how they are coping now?
For a deeper look into the lives of Afghan women throughout history (and still a memorable read for me), check out Veiled Threat: The Hidden Power of the Women of Afghanistan by Canadian journalist Sally Armstrong.
1. a GR friend's rating influenced me to add it to my WTR list; and,
2. August 2024 is my "Biographical Fiction" Month.
Praise:
An interesting look at how five sisters survived under Taliban rule by secretly making dresses and selling them to various shopkeepers. There were a couple tense incidents involving Taliban encounters; however, it was nice to hear how the sisters involved neighbors and friends in their business venture.
Niggle:
Although listed as "nonfiction" and "biography", the writing lends itself more towards "biographical fiction". Unfortunately, we don't get to delve into these women's feelings and personalities, so I never really got a sense of urgency one would expect living under terrorist rule. Because of that, I don't think this book will be that memorable for me.
Overall Thoughts:
I'm always interested to learn about how women survive under misogynistic rule, and this book does shine a small light over one particular family trying to make ends meet when the Taliban take over Afghanistan. Published in 2011, we get a sense of empowerment for these women, but I wonder how they are coping now?
For a deeper look into the lives of Afghan women throughout history (and still a memorable read for me), check out Veiled Threat: The Hidden Power of the Women of Afghanistan by Canadian journalist Sally Armstrong.
April 18, 2011
I felt this book, although well-intended, was trite, shallow and implausible. The main character, Kamila, takes it upon herself to start a home-based business designing and sewing custom dresses for women in Kabul during the time of a civil war when the Taliban essentially ruled Kabul and surrounding areas. I simply do not find it feasible that women living under the Taliban would need such garments when it was a struggle to even get food on the table for their families. I would not even recommend it for reading by young students in middle school or high school. The New York Times placed the book in the non-fiction category on their expanded best seller list. To me it was more of a novel and belongs in "fiction". There was no emotional depth whatsoever. The book was also quite lacking in the details of daily life in Kabul during this period. There was also no follow-up or analysis of what is going on there today even though the book was published only recently. Anyone who merely glances at the news each day knows that Afghanistan, including Kabul, is a very dangerous place with increased bombings, corruption, political and economic insecurity.
I have read many books dealing with both other cultures and current events. Other books that were much more meaningful include "Half The Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. The subject is the oppression of women world-wide and measures being taken to alleviate their suffering. Also, "The Blue Sweater" by Jacqueline Novogratz, was thoughtfully and carefully written and provided deep insights into the issues, success stories and limitations of the microfinance enterprises available to assist women world-wide.
I have read many books dealing with both other cultures and current events. Other books that were much more meaningful include "Half The Sky" by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn. The subject is the oppression of women world-wide and measures being taken to alleviate their suffering. Also, "The Blue Sweater" by Jacqueline Novogratz, was thoughtfully and carefully written and provided deep insights into the issues, success stories and limitations of the microfinance enterprises available to assist women world-wide.
August 23, 2011
A flawed book with the best of intentions
The Taliban arrived in Kabul the day Kamila Sidiqi received her teaching certificate. Shortly thereafter, the teenager became the unofficial head of a large household of younger siblings (mostly female) after her parents and teenage brother fled to safety in the countryside and Pakistan, respectively. The young women quickly adapted to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on movements (leaving the house only at certain times of day, always accompanied by a male relative escort, covered by a head to toe veil) and women's working (not allowed except for small domestic industry within the home). But Kamila soon realised that she would need to think up something to support the family, so she started a dressmaking business with her siblings, soon putting many young women in the neighbourhood to work as well.
Although the story is compelling, the book suffers from being poorly written and edited. We get a series of vignettes, painted with detail, but not well. I would rather have had some transitional passages than to read about how someone reclined on a red floor cushion or tossed a thick braid over her shoulder. Some details are contradictory or don't seem realistic (she learned to make a dress in one afternoon, the dress was able to be marketed, and she was able to instantly teach her sisters). The younger sisters are nearly interchangeable except for their job descriptions: we only really get a personality for Kamila and Malika. The mother arrives back in Kabul, supposedly to stay, and quickly leaves again with no explanation. Months or years pass and the reader is left confused about how old the sisters are now... and so forth. While I find the character of Kamila compelling I felt this book had a bit of a Polyanna attitude. No one in the family had any apparent flaws, there were no arguments (except for one time when Malika breathes deeply for a few minutes), and every decision made by Kamila, no matter how rash, turns out to be a good one. The explanation of the fall of Kabul to American occupation is rushed through, and certain phrases are repeated over and over ("the men from Kandahar"). I suspect the author was a little bit too in love with the family to write objectively. Also, this book could have been edited with a much heavier hand to delineate the timeline, clear up inconsistent detail, and eliminate some of the tired prose.
It is only because the story of Kamila and her sisters is so compelling that I finished the book at all. They deserved a better book than this one.
The Taliban arrived in Kabul the day Kamila Sidiqi received her teaching certificate. Shortly thereafter, the teenager became the unofficial head of a large household of younger siblings (mostly female) after her parents and teenage brother fled to safety in the countryside and Pakistan, respectively. The young women quickly adapted to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on movements (leaving the house only at certain times of day, always accompanied by a male relative escort, covered by a head to toe veil) and women's working (not allowed except for small domestic industry within the home). But Kamila soon realised that she would need to think up something to support the family, so she started a dressmaking business with her siblings, soon putting many young women in the neighbourhood to work as well.
Although the story is compelling, the book suffers from being poorly written and edited. We get a series of vignettes, painted with detail, but not well. I would rather have had some transitional passages than to read about how someone reclined on a red floor cushion or tossed a thick braid over her shoulder. Some details are contradictory or don't seem realistic (she learned to make a dress in one afternoon, the dress was able to be marketed, and she was able to instantly teach her sisters). The younger sisters are nearly interchangeable except for their job descriptions: we only really get a personality for Kamila and Malika. The mother arrives back in Kabul, supposedly to stay, and quickly leaves again with no explanation. Months or years pass and the reader is left confused about how old the sisters are now... and so forth. While I find the character of Kamila compelling I felt this book had a bit of a Polyanna attitude. No one in the family had any apparent flaws, there were no arguments (except for one time when Malika breathes deeply for a few minutes), and every decision made by Kamila, no matter how rash, turns out to be a good one. The explanation of the fall of Kabul to American occupation is rushed through, and certain phrases are repeated over and over ("the men from Kandahar"). I suspect the author was a little bit too in love with the family to write objectively. Also, this book could have been edited with a much heavier hand to delineate the timeline, clear up inconsistent detail, and eliminate some of the tired prose.
It is only because the story of Kamila and her sisters is so compelling that I finished the book at all. They deserved a better book than this one.
July 28, 2014
I was given this book as required reading at University of Florida, as a part of our "common reading" program where every Freshman receives the same book so that we share a common "intellectual experience". Let me say two things:
1) There was nothing intellectual whatsoever going on with this book.
2) Thank GOD I didn't pay for it.
This book was well intended and cut a good message: sympathize with and appreciate the women who stay behind to make things work while the men are at war.
The writing itself was trite. There was no character development whatsoever--the author never delved much into any emotional thoughts besides "Oh god, I'm scared to work because of the Taliban, but I must feed my family!!", which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing to write about; it's just that it was overworked ad nauseum.
Some of the phrases that she employed in the novel were literally laughable, stuff along the lines of (going from memory here), 'Kamila was so glad that her sister had made it back okay from the market. She wanted desperately for her to be safe, and she was. The power of prayer and optimism had helped her through these tough times.'
I'm upset that this book passed as literature, and that a relatively prestigious university provided this to me and demanded that I read it for a mandatory freshman-year class called "what is the good life", which is intended to help freshman achieve a broader perspective of life and its successes, failures, wants, needs, and things of that sort.
I can only hope that things improve from here.
Edit, a year later: I met the author of the book as well as the woman it was written about. Great women. Nauseatingly trite book.
1) There was nothing intellectual whatsoever going on with this book.
2) Thank GOD I didn't pay for it.
This book was well intended and cut a good message: sympathize with and appreciate the women who stay behind to make things work while the men are at war.
The writing itself was trite. There was no character development whatsoever--the author never delved much into any emotional thoughts besides "Oh god, I'm scared to work because of the Taliban, but I must feed my family!!", which in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing to write about; it's just that it was overworked ad nauseum.
Some of the phrases that she employed in the novel were literally laughable, stuff along the lines of (going from memory here), 'Kamila was so glad that her sister had made it back okay from the market. She wanted desperately for her to be safe, and she was. The power of prayer and optimism had helped her through these tough times.'
I'm upset that this book passed as literature, and that a relatively prestigious university provided this to me and demanded that I read it for a mandatory freshman-year class called "what is the good life", which is intended to help freshman achieve a broader perspective of life and its successes, failures, wants, needs, and things of that sort.
I can only hope that things improve from here.
Edit, a year later: I met the author of the book as well as the woman it was written about. Great women. Nauseatingly trite book.
December 19, 2021
"Brave young women complete heroic acts every day, with no one bearing witness. This was a chance to even the ledger, to share one small story that made the difference between starvation and survival for the families whose lives it changed."
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, many men had to flee from Kabul since they had supported a previous government. The women left behind were subjugated and forced to wear a chadri (burkah) when they were out in public. They could not go outside their homes without the company of a male relative. Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon interviewed Kamila Sediqi who was confined to her home with her younger brother and sisters after her parents fled for safety.
Kamila was a 19-year-old woman who had trained as a teacher, but the schools for girls were shuttered by the Taliban. When her father's savings ran low, Kamila looked for a way to support her siblings. She asked her older married sister to teach her to sew. Risking her personal safety, Kamila and her younger brother visited tailors and got orders for dresses to be made in their home. As the business expanded, Kamila employed the needy neighborhood women and opened a sewing school in their home. Kamila went on to work with international groups promoting women's cottage industries and entrepreneurship.
This is an inspiring story written in a journalistic manner. Both adults and older teens would enjoy this non-fiction work about a resourceful woman in Taliban-controlled Kabul.
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, many men had to flee from Kabul since they had supported a previous government. The women left behind were subjugated and forced to wear a chadri (burkah) when they were out in public. They could not go outside their homes without the company of a male relative. Author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon interviewed Kamila Sediqi who was confined to her home with her younger brother and sisters after her parents fled for safety.
Kamila was a 19-year-old woman who had trained as a teacher, but the schools for girls were shuttered by the Taliban. When her father's savings ran low, Kamila looked for a way to support her siblings. She asked her older married sister to teach her to sew. Risking her personal safety, Kamila and her younger brother visited tailors and got orders for dresses to be made in their home. As the business expanded, Kamila employed the needy neighborhood women and opened a sewing school in their home. Kamila went on to work with international groups promoting women's cottage industries and entrepreneurship.
This is an inspiring story written in a journalistic manner. Both adults and older teens would enjoy this non-fiction work about a resourceful woman in Taliban-controlled Kabul.
August 20, 2011
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe","Gayle Tzemach Lemmon"
"An account of how a teen aged girl made a big difference for her family and community during the time of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She had just graduated from teacher training when the law was enforced that women could not work outside the home, must wear a burqa if it was necessary to leave the home and must be accompanied by a male relative outside. Her parents and older brother had to leave their village as the father was in danger due to his past politics and the older brother might be imprisoned or forced into Taliban army. No one was permitted to indulge in books, music, drawing, board games or kite flying. Young men roamed the streets and market place with the job to beat anyone they felt were breaking the rules.
As a sewing impaired reader, I found it hard to believe that after one day taking sewing lessons from an older married sister who lived elsewhere, this young girl became so accomplished as a dressmaker that she took her dress she finished in her first lesson to the market and got an order to sell them more garments. To fulfill the order she goes home and teaches her 4 younger sisters immediately how to make beautiful garments much in demand at local tailors. There was still a very young brother at home who accompanied her to the dressmaking shops in the market place, but she had to carry out her business in secret. She soon was able to recruit neighboring girls and women and teach them the business. All the time they work in fear of discovery by the Taliban, but eventually they have a large order to make gorgeous beaded dresses for a wedding, and when the order is completed they discover it is for a Taliban wedding.
Due to her skill and industry she is able to support her large family during the absence of her parents and becomes a local hero for enterprising women during a time of extreme hardship.
If you liked inspiring stories about people making a difference during times of hardship, such as Western people in Three Cups of Tea, or Little Princes, or local people in such books as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and Such a Long Journey, you should find this account interesting. I did not find it as well written but still gives you an idea of what people had to endure under the Taliban.
"An account of how a teen aged girl made a big difference for her family and community during the time of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She had just graduated from teacher training when the law was enforced that women could not work outside the home, must wear a burqa if it was necessary to leave the home and must be accompanied by a male relative outside. Her parents and older brother had to leave their village as the father was in danger due to his past politics and the older brother might be imprisoned or forced into Taliban army. No one was permitted to indulge in books, music, drawing, board games or kite flying. Young men roamed the streets and market place with the job to beat anyone they felt were breaking the rules.
As a sewing impaired reader, I found it hard to believe that after one day taking sewing lessons from an older married sister who lived elsewhere, this young girl became so accomplished as a dressmaker that she took her dress she finished in her first lesson to the market and got an order to sell them more garments. To fulfill the order she goes home and teaches her 4 younger sisters immediately how to make beautiful garments much in demand at local tailors. There was still a very young brother at home who accompanied her to the dressmaking shops in the market place, but she had to carry out her business in secret. She soon was able to recruit neighboring girls and women and teach them the business. All the time they work in fear of discovery by the Taliban, but eventually they have a large order to make gorgeous beaded dresses for a wedding, and when the order is completed they discover it is for a Taliban wedding.
Due to her skill and industry she is able to support her large family during the absence of her parents and becomes a local hero for enterprising women during a time of extreme hardship.
If you liked inspiring stories about people making a difference during times of hardship, such as Western people in Three Cups of Tea, or Little Princes, or local people in such books as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and Such a Long Journey, you should find this account interesting. I did not find it as well written but still gives you an idea of what people had to endure under the Taliban.
April 13, 2013
My reaction to this book was, "I should feel an emotional connection to these women and their situation, but I feel nothing." I was trying to figure out if that was my fault or the fault of the author.
This book is the true story of women in Kabul during the Taliban terror. Their lives were drastically changed as they were forced from their jobs, their schooling, and the streets, to live lives of house arrest. One woman risks a lot--her own life, her family's safety, to put together a dressmaking business in her home and teach other women skills that will help them to support their families.
I did enjoy the audible version; the narrator was great, and it was so nice to know how to pronounce all of those names and places I had been reading about.
I decided that while the true story is a good one, that this journalist didn't do it justice. There were huge gaps in the story--lots of detail in a chapter, and then huge pieces mentioned as an afterthought.It would be like your roommate telling you everything that happened to her for a semester, but neglecting to mention except in passing that she got married.
Our bookgroup discussion was nearly unanimous on this--the author didn't do what she needed to to bring any emotive quality to the story.
This book is the true story of women in Kabul during the Taliban terror. Their lives were drastically changed as they were forced from their jobs, their schooling, and the streets, to live lives of house arrest. One woman risks a lot--her own life, her family's safety, to put together a dressmaking business in her home and teach other women skills that will help them to support their families.
I did enjoy the audible version; the narrator was great, and it was so nice to know how to pronounce all of those names and places I had been reading about.
I decided that while the true story is a good one, that this journalist didn't do it justice. There were huge gaps in the story--lots of detail in a chapter, and then huge pieces mentioned as an afterthought.It would be like your roommate telling you everything that happened to her for a semester, but neglecting to mention except in passing that she got married.
Our bookgroup discussion was nearly unanimous on this--the author didn't do what she needed to to bring any emotive quality to the story.
August 15, 2020
NO SPOILERS!!!
On completion: It didn't take me very long to read this book, that is simply because I found it very interesting. In fact it won over browsing GR! When a book doesn't draw me, I usually find something else to do; I find all sorts of other things that have to be done. I do this unconsciously. This book I read in three days!
What I liked about the book was that it provided a chance to experience life in Kabul under the Muzahideen, the Taliban and the bombing of Kabul after al Quaeda's terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in September 2001. Kamila lived through this all. You are there with her. Reading this book inspires hope for Aghanistan. It shows, through one woman's experiences, the ingenuity and fighting spirit of the people. If she can suceed as she has, so can others.
The prose style is clear and straightforward. This well serves the purpose of the book. Hopefully the excerpts below are adequate for you to judge for yourself.
The questions posed in the prologue are clearly answered. Kamila's life experiences, how she was raised by her father with his strong belief in the value of education, the trust he placed upon her, the hardship endured during these years and her inborn entrepreneurial talents shaped Kamila. All of these factors together made her the strong woman portrayed in this book, a woman fighting for her country. It is very important this book was written. Kamila deserves to be known and admired. What she has done inspires hope.
**********************************************************
Through 57% of the book:
Typical, the minute I say that the focus of the book is upon the business aspect of Kamila's enterprise, the focus changes. We are know learning about the different girls sewing or attending the sewing school initiated by Kamila. I like learning about their individual circumstances.
When Mahnaz heard through a cousin's friend about Kamila and the girls her age who were sewing together just a block away, she had jumped at the opportunity to join them. Two of her sisters, one of whom was determined to become a doctor when school was allowed again, quickly decided to come along once they heard how Mahnaz was enjoying herself. "It's not even like being in Kabul City," she told her siblings after her first day at Kamila's house. "It feels like a place where there is no Taliban at all, and no fighting. There are just all these women working together and talking and sharing stories. It's wonderful." '57%)
These teenagers who had been free to go out and associate with their friends, go to school and read books were suffocating under the Taliban regime. Wearing chadri was the least of their problems. Kamila's enterprise and school was heaven to them. The Afghan youngsters, both the boys and the girls, were forced into adulthood over night. Their maturity is praiseworthy. You miust read about Kamila's thirteen year-old brother Rahim! He was the sole male left in the house.
**************************************************
56% through the book:
This book begins with a prolgue explaining why the book was written. What questions did it aim to answer. This is in fact very important in that these intentions guide the path the book is to follow. The author went to Afghanistan to write a report for the Financial Times to study the new generation of businesswomen who had emerged in the wake of Taliban takeover and to find for the Harvard School of Business a case study focused upn women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. Kamila Sidigi was a women who through her own business saved her own sisters, helped many other Afghan women and helped her country. What motivated Kamila to passionately fight for her country? This question too was to be answered. It is very important to keep the purpose of the book in mind when reading the book. The challenges Kamila faced to achieve her goals are revealing. The book is about how Kamila achieved these goals and what actually motivated her. I will again provide an excerpt from the book. These lines are found at the 55-56% marking:
"While we are sitting here, I think we need to talk about space." Saaman said, "I mean the fact that we are running out of it."
Already the work had expanded from the living room to the dining room, and it was threatening to spread further still into the last remaing family room. Dresses now hung from all sorts of unusual spaces, from doorframes and table corners to the backs of chairs. The front rooms of the family home had been transformed into a workshop that regularly ran fifteen hours a day at full capacity. Chairs forming a U filled the living room so that classes could be taught in the center and the girls could see their classmates' work, though some young women still preferred to sew sitting cross-legged on the floor. Hurricane lamps lit the rectangular room from each corner, since sunlight faded out of the sitting area in the late morning. When the dusk arrived, the girls....... I've been thinking about buying a generator from Lycée Myriam.
Sometimes the focus on matters of business are made at the expense of getting to know the trials and tribulations of the girls. I still do not know all the names of Kamila's four sister who live and work with her in the tailoring business. One name has yet to be mentioned! At the same time the book shows both how war intimately shapes women's lives and the resoucefullnes of which they are capable.
ETA: I was wrong, confused or whatever. I DO know the four sisters' names. I didn't think I should count in the older sister Malika! My error, not an omission from the book. There are however nine sisters. The four who do not live at home are not spoken of. I am a nut for keeping all the family members straight. The four unnamed sisters do NOT play a role in the story, so they need not be mentioned. I am just curious where they are and what they are doing..... How do they fit in?
*********************************************
24% through the book:This is intersting, absorbing and at the moment I judge it much, much better than Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, which by the way I gave 5 stars. Afghan history before and during the Taliban takeover in 1996 is more clearly presented, and yet the story about Kamila Sidiqi and her family is equally engaging. It reads like a story but it is a biography! You learn about different cultural groups predominant in differnt areas of the country, customes, clothing and foods specific to Afghan life. You come to understand how the Taliban arose. After the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, masses of children were left orphans. They were raised under the doctrine of the most strict Islamists. Sharia and purdah was the life they knew. They knew of nothing else. To understand where we stand today with Afghanistan you have to understand its past. You must also know that once in the 1960s and 1970s life was cosmopolitan. Under Mohammad Daoud Khan, Afghanistan was a republic, the king had been overthrown. Soon thereafter came the Soviets, then the Mujahideen, the civil war, the Taliban...... This history is well told. Clearly, precisely and engagingly - with relevance to the Sidigi family. The book is about this family and the women who survived under the Taliban. They were educated women. Several were teachers with diplomas in hand. The book strives to show how they survived and from where they drew their strength to fight for a modern, free Afghanistan. Free for women as well as men. An Afghanistan whers women may go to school, get the jobs they choose and wear the clothes of their choice. The last was actually the least important. Under the Taliban the women were left to their own resources. The men had to leave. Leave or die. I have only read 24% of this egalley. It is fascinating and engaging and it is all true.
Here follows a quote so you can judge for yourself if the subject matter and prose style fits you as much as it does me. This following concerns the women of the Sidigi family. There were nine girls in this family, only two boys. The following excerpt is found 12% through the egalley:
They had grown up in the capital long after Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud Khan had embraced the voluntary unveiling of his countrywomaen in the 1950s. King Amanullah Khan had attempted this reform unsuccessfully thirty years earlier, but it wasn't until 1959, when the prime minister's own wife appeared at a national independence day celebration wearing a headscarf rather than the full chadri, that the change finally took hold. That one gesture stunded the crowd and marked a cultural turning point in the capital. Kabul's next generation of women had gone on to become teachers, factory workers, doctors and civil servants; they went to work with their heads loosely covered and their faces exposed. Before today many had never had reason to wear or even own the full veils of their grandmothers' generation.
Suddenly the tide had rturned again......
Now this is reading. I am not struggling at all. I am so glad I quit Mistress of the Art of Death. I tried to like that, but I couldn't.
On completion: It didn't take me very long to read this book, that is simply because I found it very interesting. In fact it won over browsing GR! When a book doesn't draw me, I usually find something else to do; I find all sorts of other things that have to be done. I do this unconsciously. This book I read in three days!
What I liked about the book was that it provided a chance to experience life in Kabul under the Muzahideen, the Taliban and the bombing of Kabul after al Quaeda's terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in September 2001. Kamila lived through this all. You are there with her. Reading this book inspires hope for Aghanistan. It shows, through one woman's experiences, the ingenuity and fighting spirit of the people. If she can suceed as she has, so can others.
The prose style is clear and straightforward. This well serves the purpose of the book. Hopefully the excerpts below are adequate for you to judge for yourself.
The questions posed in the prologue are clearly answered. Kamila's life experiences, how she was raised by her father with his strong belief in the value of education, the trust he placed upon her, the hardship endured during these years and her inborn entrepreneurial talents shaped Kamila. All of these factors together made her the strong woman portrayed in this book, a woman fighting for her country. It is very important this book was written. Kamila deserves to be known and admired. What she has done inspires hope.
**********************************************************
Through 57% of the book:
Typical, the minute I say that the focus of the book is upon the business aspect of Kamila's enterprise, the focus changes. We are know learning about the different girls sewing or attending the sewing school initiated by Kamila. I like learning about their individual circumstances.
When Mahnaz heard through a cousin's friend about Kamila and the girls her age who were sewing together just a block away, she had jumped at the opportunity to join them. Two of her sisters, one of whom was determined to become a doctor when school was allowed again, quickly decided to come along once they heard how Mahnaz was enjoying herself. "It's not even like being in Kabul City," she told her siblings after her first day at Kamila's house. "It feels like a place where there is no Taliban at all, and no fighting. There are just all these women working together and talking and sharing stories. It's wonderful." '57%)
These teenagers who had been free to go out and associate with their friends, go to school and read books were suffocating under the Taliban regime. Wearing chadri was the least of their problems. Kamila's enterprise and school was heaven to them. The Afghan youngsters, both the boys and the girls, were forced into adulthood over night. Their maturity is praiseworthy. You miust read about Kamila's thirteen year-old brother Rahim! He was the sole male left in the house.
**************************************************
56% through the book:
This book begins with a prolgue explaining why the book was written. What questions did it aim to answer. This is in fact very important in that these intentions guide the path the book is to follow. The author went to Afghanistan to write a report for the Financial Times to study the new generation of businesswomen who had emerged in the wake of Taliban takeover and to find for the Harvard School of Business a case study focused upn women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan. Kamila Sidigi was a women who through her own business saved her own sisters, helped many other Afghan women and helped her country. What motivated Kamila to passionately fight for her country? This question too was to be answered. It is very important to keep the purpose of the book in mind when reading the book. The challenges Kamila faced to achieve her goals are revealing. The book is about how Kamila achieved these goals and what actually motivated her. I will again provide an excerpt from the book. These lines are found at the 55-56% marking:
"While we are sitting here, I think we need to talk about space." Saaman said, "I mean the fact that we are running out of it."
Already the work had expanded from the living room to the dining room, and it was threatening to spread further still into the last remaing family room. Dresses now hung from all sorts of unusual spaces, from doorframes and table corners to the backs of chairs. The front rooms of the family home had been transformed into a workshop that regularly ran fifteen hours a day at full capacity. Chairs forming a U filled the living room so that classes could be taught in the center and the girls could see their classmates' work, though some young women still preferred to sew sitting cross-legged on the floor. Hurricane lamps lit the rectangular room from each corner, since sunlight faded out of the sitting area in the late morning. When the dusk arrived, the girls....... I've been thinking about buying a generator from Lycée Myriam.
Sometimes the focus on matters of business are made at the expense of getting to know the trials and tribulations of the girls. I still do not know all the names of Kamila's four sister who live and work with her in the tailoring business. One name has yet to be mentioned! At the same time the book shows both how war intimately shapes women's lives and the resoucefullnes of which they are capable.
ETA: I was wrong, confused or whatever. I DO know the four sisters' names. I didn't think I should count in the older sister Malika! My error, not an omission from the book. There are however nine sisters. The four who do not live at home are not spoken of. I am a nut for keeping all the family members straight. The four unnamed sisters do NOT play a role in the story, so they need not be mentioned. I am just curious where they are and what they are doing..... How do they fit in?
*********************************************
24% through the book:This is intersting, absorbing and at the moment I judge it much, much better than Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, which by the way I gave 5 stars. Afghan history before and during the Taliban takeover in 1996 is more clearly presented, and yet the story about Kamila Sidiqi and her family is equally engaging. It reads like a story but it is a biography! You learn about different cultural groups predominant in differnt areas of the country, customes, clothing and foods specific to Afghan life. You come to understand how the Taliban arose. After the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, masses of children were left orphans. They were raised under the doctrine of the most strict Islamists. Sharia and purdah was the life they knew. They knew of nothing else. To understand where we stand today with Afghanistan you have to understand its past. You must also know that once in the 1960s and 1970s life was cosmopolitan. Under Mohammad Daoud Khan, Afghanistan was a republic, the king had been overthrown. Soon thereafter came the Soviets, then the Mujahideen, the civil war, the Taliban...... This history is well told. Clearly, precisely and engagingly - with relevance to the Sidigi family. The book is about this family and the women who survived under the Taliban. They were educated women. Several were teachers with diplomas in hand. The book strives to show how they survived and from where they drew their strength to fight for a modern, free Afghanistan. Free for women as well as men. An Afghanistan whers women may go to school, get the jobs they choose and wear the clothes of their choice. The last was actually the least important. Under the Taliban the women were left to their own resources. The men had to leave. Leave or die. I have only read 24% of this egalley. It is fascinating and engaging and it is all true.
Here follows a quote so you can judge for yourself if the subject matter and prose style fits you as much as it does me. This following concerns the women of the Sidigi family. There were nine girls in this family, only two boys. The following excerpt is found 12% through the egalley:
They had grown up in the capital long after Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud Khan had embraced the voluntary unveiling of his countrywomaen in the 1950s. King Amanullah Khan had attempted this reform unsuccessfully thirty years earlier, but it wasn't until 1959, when the prime minister's own wife appeared at a national independence day celebration wearing a headscarf rather than the full chadri, that the change finally took hold. That one gesture stunded the crowd and marked a cultural turning point in the capital. Kabul's next generation of women had gone on to become teachers, factory workers, doctors and civil servants; they went to work with their heads loosely covered and their faces exposed. Before today many had never had reason to wear or even own the full veils of their grandmothers' generation.
Suddenly the tide had rturned again......
Now this is reading. I am not struggling at all. I am so glad I quit Mistress of the Art of Death. I tried to like that, but I couldn't.
February 11, 2017
A poorly told yet interesting story about a family in Afghanistan after the Taliban came in. The best part was the afterward. I still don't understand/agree with the father and mother for leaving their children to fend for themselves during tumultuous times.
August 6, 2016
So after spending hours searching for a free copy of this online, eventually having to pay 10 bucks to buy the e-book, and reading this in somewhat of a hurry for college -- turns out I didn't have to read it after all.
Nice. Going. Me.
This book really wasn't my cup of tea. And don't get me wrong; it's definitely not because of the subject matter. A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner are two of my most favourite books ever and they were also set around the same period of time and place.
And the fact that this book is actually semi-biographical should make it more appealing to me, right?
Wrong.
Because really, nothing much happened at all! It is literally -
A bunch of women take up dressmaking. The End.
And I don't know, I guess I should have felt at least something for these women. Maybe it was the way it was written, but I really didn't.
Meaning that this book felt a lot less real to me than the fiction books by Khaled Hosseini.
Nice. Going. Me.
This book really wasn't my cup of tea. And don't get me wrong; it's definitely not because of the subject matter. A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner are two of my most favourite books ever and they were also set around the same period of time and place.
And the fact that this book is actually semi-biographical should make it more appealing to me, right?
Wrong.
Because really, nothing much happened at all! It is literally -
A bunch of women take up dressmaking. The End.
And I don't know, I guess I should have felt at least something for these women. Maybe it was the way it was written, but I really didn't.
Meaning that this book felt a lot less real to me than the fiction books by Khaled Hosseini.
September 11, 2013
Though it seemed to advertise itself as a serious work of journalism, this book raised more questions than it answered and weaved a story that, while potentially important and inspiring, was made up of unbelievable, disjointed, and shallow scenes. Who was this book for? It seemed that it either insulted readers who wanted a real picture of women-led entrepreneurial endeavors in Afghanistan under the Taliban or it was written for an audience that only wanted to say it had read about such situations.
The book painted a serendipitous picture of Kamila's business, which contradicts logic, given that she created and grew it during an oppressive, dangerous time in war-torn Afghanistan. In short, the book was missing important details that might have made it a realistic read despite the unsophisticated writing style. If the main characters are anywhere near as heroic, dedicated, and conscientious as the author implies, this book failed to do them justice. While this story was probably one worth telling, the execution lacked respect for Kamila and co.'s likely difficulties and an acknowledgment of the reader's desire to understand the many factors that influenced the daily lives of the characters and the course of the development of the business/Kamila's eventual calling as a community leader.
Some questions that were never answered through the course of this very short book included: How did Kamila learn to sew in only one lesson? What was the floorplan of the house the women worked out of when sisters had to "find" each other and tell about events that happened within the house when all were present? Why did Kamila's older sister only begin to help the supposed family business after being asked when she lived in the same house? Who was wearing the dresses produced, and who was buying them? (Were women allowed to wear what they wished during family celebrations? How did they afford them/were only wealthy women buying them when jobs were so scarce?) How were materials so effortlessly obtained? Did no snags in the execution of the business ever occur--did the workers never make mistakes, have to be fired, or botch an order? What happened to the business after Kamila moved on (did it disintegrate, was it carried on by the other employees, or something else?)
The book painted a serendipitous picture of Kamila's business, which contradicts logic, given that she created and grew it during an oppressive, dangerous time in war-torn Afghanistan. In short, the book was missing important details that might have made it a realistic read despite the unsophisticated writing style. If the main characters are anywhere near as heroic, dedicated, and conscientious as the author implies, this book failed to do them justice. While this story was probably one worth telling, the execution lacked respect for Kamila and co.'s likely difficulties and an acknowledgment of the reader's desire to understand the many factors that influenced the daily lives of the characters and the course of the development of the business/Kamila's eventual calling as a community leader.
Some questions that were never answered through the course of this very short book included: How did Kamila learn to sew in only one lesson? What was the floorplan of the house the women worked out of when sisters had to "find" each other and tell about events that happened within the house when all were present? Why did Kamila's older sister only begin to help the supposed family business after being asked when she lived in the same house? Who was wearing the dresses produced, and who was buying them? (Were women allowed to wear what they wished during family celebrations? How did they afford them/were only wealthy women buying them when jobs were so scarce?) How were materials so effortlessly obtained? Did no snags in the execution of the business ever occur--did the workers never make mistakes, have to be fired, or botch an order? What happened to the business after Kamila moved on (did it disintegrate, was it carried on by the other employees, or something else?)
July 17, 2016
I just could not get interested in this book or connect with the characters, but appreciate the initiative of the Afghanistan women who began a sewing business in their home to survive the Taliban rule. This non-fiction work came across as emotionless for me, and I am still confused as to who was purchasing all these clothes since everyone was so poor. (I began skimming about mid-way so I may have missed something)
Perhaps my questions will be answered as the book is discussed next month at my local book club meeting.
July 11, 2016
Wow. Just finished this book and am still processing the tale, the truths, the atrocities and their implications. A true story of a family of (mostly) women, and the changes they faced when the Taliban came into power in Afghanistan.
This story is extremely powerful and eye-opening ...giving the reader a glimpse into life for women in this turbulent and brutal time. A government change that forced women into near house-arrest, took away personal liberties and education, and the ability to earn a living.
I did feel at times that the book "glossed" over the events, realities and hardships experienced by these women and their families. I felt like we were only hearing how much this family accomplished and how much good they did in their community rather than how difficult and perilous this journey was for them. And in saying that I'm not suggesting this book or the family were bragging - more that the author focused primarily on the positives rather than delving into the Taliban underbelly. And that's not a bad thing.
It was also refreshing to read a book about women and their achievements. It was lovely to hear about success and joy in a place where all we seem to see and hear in the media is hardship and brutality.
The style of writing is simplistic, an easy read, not too deep or confusing. I liked the way this book forced you to think about the issues, and put yourself in their shoes - imagine how I would react if the Taliban (or other) came to my home and changed everything about the way I lived, worked, dressed. Imagine how I would survive, help my family when all the doors seemed closed. Deep respect for these women of Kabul and thankful to author for bearing witness and sharing their story.
This story is extremely powerful and eye-opening ...giving the reader a glimpse into life for women in this turbulent and brutal time. A government change that forced women into near house-arrest, took away personal liberties and education, and the ability to earn a living.
I did feel at times that the book "glossed" over the events, realities and hardships experienced by these women and their families. I felt like we were only hearing how much this family accomplished and how much good they did in their community rather than how difficult and perilous this journey was for them. And in saying that I'm not suggesting this book or the family were bragging - more that the author focused primarily on the positives rather than delving into the Taliban underbelly. And that's not a bad thing.
It was also refreshing to read a book about women and their achievements. It was lovely to hear about success and joy in a place where all we seem to see and hear in the media is hardship and brutality.
The style of writing is simplistic, an easy read, not too deep or confusing. I liked the way this book forced you to think about the issues, and put yourself in their shoes - imagine how I would react if the Taliban (or other) came to my home and changed everything about the way I lived, worked, dressed. Imagine how I would survive, help my family when all the doors seemed closed. Deep respect for these women of Kabul and thankful to author for bearing witness and sharing their story.
June 25, 2012
I rarely read a book that creates such an impression that I continue to carry with me the vivid pictures for months, years. This book is one such and it is true. It is an absolutely inspiring story of human triumph against difficulties that leave me with my jaw hanging open. Kamila Sidiqi's life was changed overnight when the Taliban took over Afghanistan. Her parents and a brother had to flee. She was left as the sole breadwinner for her four sisters and one young brother. What could she do, confined as a woman to her home compound, able to go abroad only with her young brother at times that would not conflict with Taliban patrols?
Kamila demonstrated incredible grit, determination and ingenuity. Through learning to sew and teaching others, she established a dressmaking concern that brought in what they needed to live...but not only her family but many others. Kamila became an marvelous entrepreneur ultimately tapped by the UN to help in their concerns.
The story, though true, reads like a suspenseful thriller. One never knows when the Taliban will discover their enterprise or arrest her for her bazaar jaunts to sell dresses.
Everyone with concerns as broad as Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iraq or how to motivate people to self-reliance and entrepreneurship should read this and rejoice.
Kamila demonstrated incredible grit, determination and ingenuity. Through learning to sew and teaching others, she established a dressmaking concern that brought in what they needed to live...but not only her family but many others. Kamila became an marvelous entrepreneur ultimately tapped by the UN to help in their concerns.
The story, though true, reads like a suspenseful thriller. One never knows when the Taliban will discover their enterprise or arrest her for her bazaar jaunts to sell dresses.
Everyone with concerns as broad as Afghanistan/Pakistan/Iraq or how to motivate people to self-reliance and entrepreneurship should read this and rejoice.
April 2, 2024
While this is nonfiction, the author was careful to note that she did her best to disguise the people about whom she was writing. This takes place during the Taliban regime of the late 1990s. Women in particular were required to be invisible. Failure to do so would land a woman in jail, probably tortured. Kamela Sadiqi, from teenager to young woman in the book, pushed the limits of this edict.
Her father had been in the military and fought against the Taliban. Staying in Kabul was not safe, but he thought it safer that his large family stay in Kabul. Kamela quickly saw that her family needed to be supported in some way. But how? Women could not have jobs. Though she could not sew, she decided to start a clothing business. She quickly acquired sewing skills from an older sister.
I've read this a dozen years after publication and lot has happened since then both internationally and domestically. All the while reading this, although the term "victim" was never used, I felt Kamela had decided - stubbornly decided? - that she was not going to let the Taliban make her a victim. It felt to me as if she stood up for herself and said "I am going to do this. I will make something for ourselves and of ourselves."
I easily felt myself wishing this attitude was more prevalent today. It seems that, at least in the US, more people are trying to make sure there are more groups who should feel like victims. I wish that people of any race, gender or sexual orientation would stand up and say what Kamela did. "I am not a victim and you are not going to make one of me."
This was not the best written book I've read, but neither is it the worst. I thought the conditions and Kamela's pursuit were well presented. It is an inspiring story. I'm happy to color in the 4th star.
Her father had been in the military and fought against the Taliban. Staying in Kabul was not safe, but he thought it safer that his large family stay in Kabul. Kamela quickly saw that her family needed to be supported in some way. But how? Women could not have jobs. Though she could not sew, she decided to start a clothing business. She quickly acquired sewing skills from an older sister.
I've read this a dozen years after publication and lot has happened since then both internationally and domestically. All the while reading this, although the term "victim" was never used, I felt Kamela had decided - stubbornly decided? - that she was not going to let the Taliban make her a victim. It felt to me as if she stood up for herself and said "I am going to do this. I will make something for ourselves and of ourselves."
I easily felt myself wishing this attitude was more prevalent today. It seems that, at least in the US, more people are trying to make sure there are more groups who should feel like victims. I wish that people of any race, gender or sexual orientation would stand up and say what Kamela did. "I am not a victim and you are not going to make one of me."
This was not the best written book I've read, but neither is it the worst. I thought the conditions and Kamela's pursuit were well presented. It is an inspiring story. I'm happy to color in the 4th star.
August 6, 2015
I read this book overnight...and I don't usually do that since I love to sleep. This book drew me in right at the moment Gayle Lemmon landed in the airport and went into the bathroom to change into black all over and cover her hair and face....I thought I knew Middle East enough already, until I read this book. The author risked her own life traveling all the way to Kabul, to report a story about a woman who was strong and brave who sacrificed her safety to help out her family and other women in need during the Taliban's rule in Kabul. All women had to stay indoor, were required to cover themselves from head to toe, and could not talk to any men that are not their relatives. When her parents and brother left the girls in Kabul and moved elsewhere for safety, Kamila, the main character, started a dress making business at home to support her sisters, as well as all other women, who came asking for help. It was a very risky and dangerous thing to do, but she survived, and lives to tell the story, as well as carrying on her humanitarian work.
April 27, 2011
Read this in one sitting under the impression it was a work of non-fiction revealing little known truths of a burgeoning cottage industry and its subsequent hardships under Taliban rule. At the conclusion of the book there's even a photo of the protagonist posing with Condoleeza Rice. That's why I was mightily confused to read the publisher's boilerplate disclaimer that all similarities to those either living or dead was completely unintentional as this was a creation of the author's imagination. Fiction? Non-fiction? please pick one. I can forgive almost anything if the writing is good which this was not. A superficial treatment of a serious subject. Dumbed down to the point I wouldn't even recommend it to Young Adult readers.
March 12, 2011
The author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, was an MBA student at Harvard Business School, when she yearned to do some research in a subject that mattered but which no one cared for much. That brought her to the topic of women entrepreneurship in war-torn Rwanda, and then to Afghanistan. Her initial search efforts in Kabul raised no potential candidates. It was after a long hunt that she found the protagonist of this biography and this book, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is her attempt to tell the story of that woman entrepreneur.
Kamila Sadiqi was just returning home after receiving her diploma when she overheard many rumors about the Taliban's arrival at the outskirts of the city, fully intending to take control. The past four years wasn't the safest period for Kamila and her sisters, but their father was every bit insistent that the girls be educated. "The pen is stronger than the sword" - he loved to say. He had grown up watching European women work side-by-side with men, and he wanted his girls (and two boys) to be educated and capable of looking after themselves and their family in any dire situation.
But with the Taliban's arrival, a lot of avenues close up. Girls and women were forced to wear the chadri (the full-length burkha with just a tiny latticed slit for them to see through); they couldn't step out of their homes without a mahram, a male familial companion, and they weren't allowed to converse with any man who is not family. That figuratively shut them in their own homes. Those who didn't follow the rules were beaten ruthlessly. Kamila's parents were originally from the north and her father had worked for the previous government. This made their lives even less safe, prompting her father, her mother, and finally one of her brothers to leave to the north. Only Kamila, her youngest brother and her sisters were left behind.
Perhaps the only aspect that I didn't understand was how these girls - of whom only one was married and living separately with her husband and children, and also happened to be pregnant with twins, and Kamila, the elder of the rest was herself just seventeen - were left behind by their family. It was not safe outside, the author has reiterated time and again. Kamila's father has also explained that the girls were safer at home, but the menfolk weren't, because they were either put in prisoner camps (esp if they were found to have had worked for the previous government), or sent to the front lines to battle. And it was dangerous to move the whole family together. But I felt it was even riskier to leave the girls home alone, since they could barely get out of the home at risk of being beaten or taken to jail, and their only mahram was a thirteen-year old boy, too young to take responsibility (though Rahim proves to be so much more dependable, to be honest).
Since their funds are running real low now, Kamila comes up with a really risky idea to start a tailoring business. If she is caught, it can mean a lot of danger for herself, her mahram (Rahim), the shopkeepers who place orders, and her sisters. But Kamila being as stubborn as she is, she goes ahead with her plan. After a few initial misgivings, her sisters, who have been feeling lacklustre from nothing to do, jump into the opportunity. But everyone was having the same thought - how long will this continue?
Kamila is clearly a really strong woman, endowed with not just determination, but also a strong set of business skills that come in real handy and are even necessary. Gayle writes a really inspiring account of this young woman's life and those of her hard-working sisters, especially her older sister - Malika. I spent page after page rooting for the girls, hoping that none of the terrible danger befalls them. I'm not going to spoil it for you by saying what happens - you should find it out.
While not one of the best biographies I've lately read on this topic, the story is no less inspirational. This is a fast and short read - only occasionally the writing disappointed me. One really sad consequence of the war in Afghanistan is the warped perspective that we have all developed as outsiders. Most of our opinions have been shaped by the statements of the warring governments, the media, the Taliban, the soldiers/fighters. Amidst all this din, the voices of the civilians actually stuck in the war have been very subdued. I've always wondered - how did the women feel about wearing the burkha? How did they accept the no-education-only-housework role? Didn't they yearn for freedom, to be heard, accepted for who they were, loved? How did they settle into this kind of life? Probably the most revealing fact was that these women had never seen or even owned a burkha until the Taliban came by. Until then, they were quite adventurous women - who partied in stylish western wear, educated themselves to be doctors, teachers, etc, and were very very respected by men.
Kamila Sadiqi was just returning home after receiving her diploma when she overheard many rumors about the Taliban's arrival at the outskirts of the city, fully intending to take control. The past four years wasn't the safest period for Kamila and her sisters, but their father was every bit insistent that the girls be educated. "The pen is stronger than the sword" - he loved to say. He had grown up watching European women work side-by-side with men, and he wanted his girls (and two boys) to be educated and capable of looking after themselves and their family in any dire situation.
But with the Taliban's arrival, a lot of avenues close up. Girls and women were forced to wear the chadri (the full-length burkha with just a tiny latticed slit for them to see through); they couldn't step out of their homes without a mahram, a male familial companion, and they weren't allowed to converse with any man who is not family. That figuratively shut them in their own homes. Those who didn't follow the rules were beaten ruthlessly. Kamila's parents were originally from the north and her father had worked for the previous government. This made their lives even less safe, prompting her father, her mother, and finally one of her brothers to leave to the north. Only Kamila, her youngest brother and her sisters were left behind.
Perhaps the only aspect that I didn't understand was how these girls - of whom only one was married and living separately with her husband and children, and also happened to be pregnant with twins, and Kamila, the elder of the rest was herself just seventeen - were left behind by their family. It was not safe outside, the author has reiterated time and again. Kamila's father has also explained that the girls were safer at home, but the menfolk weren't, because they were either put in prisoner camps (esp if they were found to have had worked for the previous government), or sent to the front lines to battle. And it was dangerous to move the whole family together. But I felt it was even riskier to leave the girls home alone, since they could barely get out of the home at risk of being beaten or taken to jail, and their only mahram was a thirteen-year old boy, too young to take responsibility (though Rahim proves to be so much more dependable, to be honest).
Since their funds are running real low now, Kamila comes up with a really risky idea to start a tailoring business. If she is caught, it can mean a lot of danger for herself, her mahram (Rahim), the shopkeepers who place orders, and her sisters. But Kamila being as stubborn as she is, she goes ahead with her plan. After a few initial misgivings, her sisters, who have been feeling lacklustre from nothing to do, jump into the opportunity. But everyone was having the same thought - how long will this continue?
Kamila is clearly a really strong woman, endowed with not just determination, but also a strong set of business skills that come in real handy and are even necessary. Gayle writes a really inspiring account of this young woman's life and those of her hard-working sisters, especially her older sister - Malika. I spent page after page rooting for the girls, hoping that none of the terrible danger befalls them. I'm not going to spoil it for you by saying what happens - you should find it out.
While not one of the best biographies I've lately read on this topic, the story is no less inspirational. This is a fast and short read - only occasionally the writing disappointed me. One really sad consequence of the war in Afghanistan is the warped perspective that we have all developed as outsiders. Most of our opinions have been shaped by the statements of the warring governments, the media, the Taliban, the soldiers/fighters. Amidst all this din, the voices of the civilians actually stuck in the war have been very subdued. I've always wondered - how did the women feel about wearing the burkha? How did they accept the no-education-only-housework role? Didn't they yearn for freedom, to be heard, accepted for who they were, loved? How did they settle into this kind of life? Probably the most revealing fact was that these women had never seen or even owned a burkha until the Taliban came by. Until then, they were quite adventurous women - who partied in stylish western wear, educated themselves to be doctors, teachers, etc, and were very very respected by men.
May 1, 2021
An inspirational read! Kamila Sidiqi found a way around and through the many obstacles the government and male-dominated powerholders put in the way of women doing anything but domestic pursuits that centered on family (the male's family) life. In a time of Taliban rule, Kamila was left with many mouths to feed, and she couldn't even get out of the house to do it. . .and yet she found a way. Ingenious woman, brave sister, inspirational example to those who war renders invisible and non-essential - mostly the elderly, women, and children. You know, all those who aren't looking to enforce their own dominance and power.
This is not my usual kind of read. I just get revved up and angry. Wars and rumors of war books are not my favorite. But, sewing was involved and featured a feisty woman, so it landed on my list. This is truly a story of a particular time in a woman's life - not really a rousing thriller or story with any other agenda than to witness. The author even states that in her notes to the reader at large - that she wanted to make sure this brilliant woman is shown to the world, documented for all to know of her persistence, bravery, relentless effort to - when all others have fled, saved themselves, and left the helpless in a nest of terrorists - support and ensure her family's survival by all means possible. If it means everyone becomes a dressmaker, sewing for the opposition - then that's what happens, until it can morph to another kind of survival.
I so admire Kamila Sidiqi's laser focus, unselfish and determined. Yet she doesn't take it out on anyone - just accepts it as her job and there are no "if onlys", finger pointings, whines or time spent moping around. She just gets to it. And kudos to her sisters who join with whole hearts the enterprise she begins to build. In time, as she moves to the next needful activity, her sisters step into her place and keep the needles and thread flying.
Learning of these earnest women, so far away, in such dangerous circumstances day in and day out, inspired me.
This is not my usual kind of read. I just get revved up and angry. Wars and rumors of war books are not my favorite. But, sewing was involved and featured a feisty woman, so it landed on my list. This is truly a story of a particular time in a woman's life - not really a rousing thriller or story with any other agenda than to witness. The author even states that in her notes to the reader at large - that she wanted to make sure this brilliant woman is shown to the world, documented for all to know of her persistence, bravery, relentless effort to - when all others have fled, saved themselves, and left the helpless in a nest of terrorists - support and ensure her family's survival by all means possible. If it means everyone becomes a dressmaker, sewing for the opposition - then that's what happens, until it can morph to another kind of survival.
I so admire Kamila Sidiqi's laser focus, unselfish and determined. Yet she doesn't take it out on anyone - just accepts it as her job and there are no "if onlys", finger pointings, whines or time spent moping around. She just gets to it. And kudos to her sisters who join with whole hearts the enterprise she begins to build. In time, as she moves to the next needful activity, her sisters step into her place and keep the needles and thread flying.
Learning of these earnest women, so far away, in such dangerous circumstances day in and day out, inspired me.
April 15, 2012
A serious disappointment after having wanted to read this for almost 2 years. The book has a YA feel -- everything is simple. The sentence structure is simple, the story arch (what do you call it with non-fiction books?) is simple, the language is simple, and many stories within the arch feel like they must have been pared down or combined or something. The entirety of the book is "She did this. They did that. They went here. She said this. Her sister said that." You never feel you get to KNOW any of the women involved. It feels like you're observing cardboard cutouts of the real women woodenly reenacting their lives. You never get any sense of inspiration, or danger, or the women's motives, or emotions, or anything like that. Frankly, it's hard to believe the author spent as much time with them and yet has so little to convey. And every once in a while, you'll read something bizarre like "If Kamila was startled, she didn't show it." Hold up, author. Didn't you get this story from Kamila? What do you mean, "if she was startled?" How do you not know? Are you trying to say, "Kamila was startled, but she made a point not to show it," or something like that?
Anyway, I'm sure it's a very inspiring story, but this book does a piss-poor job of conveying any of it.
Anyway, I'm sure it's a very inspiring story, but this book does a piss-poor job of conveying any of it.
November 22, 2018
Reading a book like this makes me sit back and think about how lucky women are in this country. We are free to pursue our dreams. We can be whoever we want to be. We are even encouraged to educate ourselves to achieve success and enlighten our minds.
In Afghanistan, that is most certainly not the case, at least not when this story takes place. There is no limit to the admiration I feel for the women who have accomplished so much while being discouraged, threatened and jailed. Such courage I cannot imagine.
I am not surprised, though. I believe women always rise to the occasion. I point to the duration of WWII as an example. Even so, they never had to overcome the oppression that the Afghani women suffered.
I am just so in awe. This book is very inspirational. Every time I feel sorry for myself, I will pick it up and read it again.
Thank you for risking so much to write this wonderful book, Ms. Lemmon.
Highly recommended.
In Afghanistan, that is most certainly not the case, at least not when this story takes place. There is no limit to the admiration I feel for the women who have accomplished so much while being discouraged, threatened and jailed. Such courage I cannot imagine.
I am not surprised, though. I believe women always rise to the occasion. I point to the duration of WWII as an example. Even so, they never had to overcome the oppression that the Afghani women suffered.
I am just so in awe. This book is very inspirational. Every time I feel sorry for myself, I will pick it up and read it again.
Thank you for risking so much to write this wonderful book, Ms. Lemmon.
Highly recommended.
August 2, 2011
Uplifting and inspirational, this is the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young Afghan woman, who became the sole support of her family during the five years of the occupation of Afghanistan by Taliban forces. When her father and brother were forced to flee Kabul, the family faced starvation. An intelligent, university educated young woman, Kamila found herself suddenly confined to her home, forced to dress according to strict Taliban specifications, and not allowed to even speak with a man. But with her irrepressible optimism, Kamila organized her sisters and founded a dressmaking business which operated out of her home. It became so successful that she took on other women as apprentices, thus enabling them to help feed their own families. This is a true story about perseverance even in the face of nearly insurmountable odds.
October 5, 2021
4.5 starts. I grabbed two books off my TBR shelf for vacation and this was one of the books. Published in 2011 this book is very relevant due to the recent pull out from Afghanistan and the subsequent take over by the Taliban. I just read an article in the WSJ about the lack of electricity, and I also read an interview with the Afghan female ambassador to the US who is in limbo.
This memoir takes place during the Taliban rule in the 90's leading up to Sept. 11. Quite frankly it'll make your blood boil thinking what these people will have to endure under Taliban rule again. That's not the purpose of the book. The book is meant to show that women in Afghanistan were not the victims, they were actually the ones that held families together and kept the country running.
It tells the story of one young woman who has to figure out how to support her family while living with extreme restrictions. It was forbidden for women to leave their homes without a male from their own families, they were forbidden to work, forbidden to go to school. They had to wear a burka, and if a wrist showed the woman was beaten. No high heeled shoes allowed, etc.
The book shows how important micro businesses are for women. It gives them a measure of independence while living in severe situations.
This memoir takes place during the Taliban rule in the 90's leading up to Sept. 11. Quite frankly it'll make your blood boil thinking what these people will have to endure under Taliban rule again. That's not the purpose of the book. The book is meant to show that women in Afghanistan were not the victims, they were actually the ones that held families together and kept the country running.
It tells the story of one young woman who has to figure out how to support her family while living with extreme restrictions. It was forbidden for women to leave their homes without a male from their own families, they were forbidden to work, forbidden to go to school. They had to wear a burka, and if a wrist showed the woman was beaten. No high heeled shoes allowed, etc.
The book shows how important micro businesses are for women. It gives them a measure of independence while living in severe situations.
April 27, 2015
If you have never read about afghan women, this is a good book to start with. It is a short simple read with a good story and sheds a bit of light on life for woman under the Taliban. A story of how one woman emerged a successful business woman and helped many others earn a living and learn. But it is a light account and doesn't go into much detail. Not much emotional attachment to the characters. It's not near the terrifying account that say - A thousand splendid suns was!! ....so 3 stars!
April 6, 2011
KATHERINE ALERT! Book about strong women in Afghanistan starting their own business to support their families during the Taliban rule. Amazing how woman manage to survive and thrive even during opressive times.
August 26, 2016
It's not riveting writing, but it's a decent human interest story. I agree it is an important story that needed to be told. My review here: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
June 29, 2021
Historia real que me ha encantado. Siempre me ha gustado esta temática de testimonios de mujer, que tienen que luchar por sobrevivir, y arriesgar muchas veces aún a costa de poder perder su vida. Me ha encantado el carácter de la protagonista, luchadora, nada egoísta, tierna, servicial....
9/10
9/10
May 26, 2019
This was the true story of Kamila, her sisters and brothers, and how they kept their family going during the terrible years after the Taliban took control of Kabul. Her father had been an army officer under a previous regime, and although long retired, he had to go into hiding. Kamila’s mom joined him, leaving Kamila to look after the family, even though she was a teenager. Kamila has just graduated from Teacher’s College but longed to continue her education. She could not b/c the Taliban outlawed women from leaving their houses w/o a male escort. She hatched up a scheme to learn how to sew and provide dresses to local tailors. This seems harebrained, in that her older sister was the seamstress in the family. Anyway, older sister shows her how to sew, bead, and embroider, and soon the whole family is working. Then they have to bring in other women, all while avoiding the suspicious Taliban.
The story ends as happily as it can in current Afghanistan. Kamila goes to work for a UN agency where she is helping train other Afghani women in entrepreneurship.
I see in some of the reviews that some readers believe the story isn’t all true. I’m not positive what makes them suspicious, but I personally find it hard to believe that Kamila could go from a total novice seamstress to creating tailored products at first try. I’ve been sewing for years, w/ a machine—which she didn’t always have—so that sounds difficult to me. Anyway, I think it is important to understand what our sisters living under sharia law have to go through, so that we continue the struggle for women’s rights around the world.
The story ends as happily as it can in current Afghanistan. Kamila goes to work for a UN agency where she is helping train other Afghani women in entrepreneurship.
I see in some of the reviews that some readers believe the story isn’t all true. I’m not positive what makes them suspicious, but I personally find it hard to believe that Kamila could go from a total novice seamstress to creating tailored products at first try. I’ve been sewing for years, w/ a machine—which she didn’t always have—so that sounds difficult to me. Anyway, I think it is important to understand what our sisters living under sharia law have to go through, so that we continue the struggle for women’s rights around the world.
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