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The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe
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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
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Start your review of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe
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 ...more
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 ...more
2014 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.
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 recomme
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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 ...more
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 ...more
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 it ...more
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 it ...more
"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 ou ...more
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 ou ...more
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 relati ...more
"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 relati ...more
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 ...more
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 ...more
Apr 13, 2013
Megan
rated it
it was ok
Recommended to Megan by:
Jamie Cook, Tanya Rogers
Shelves:
bookgroup
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 ...more
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 ...more
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.
An ...more
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.
An ...more
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.
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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 ...more
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 ...more
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 lo
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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
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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
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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 o
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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 ...more
This memoir takes place during the Taliban rule in the 90's leading up to Sept. 11. Quite frankly it'll make your blood ...more
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 situatio
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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 canno ...more
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 canno ...more
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.
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
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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, co
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Amazingly powerful biography of Kamila Sidiqi, a young educated Afghan women, as told from the perspective of American journalist Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. This non-fiction work describes Kamila's struggle to adapt to the Taliban after taking control of Kabul, the city where she spent her entire life living. As the Taliban enact new rules in regards to the education and clothing styles of women, the women of Kabul are forced to adapt or be killed. Kamila's father, mother, and two older brothers leav
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I was not thrilled with it........it was strangely unsatisfying. I have seen it referred to as a fictional biography, which I think is odd. My library had it in biography and others had it in fiction. Who knows?
I thought the writing was pretty bad. Disconnected, lots of inconsistencies, poor explanations of the facts. I wonder who edited this? The author is a journalist and I do not think any newspaper editor would have approved of the "product". It sure did not live up to some of the promotiona ...more
I thought the writing was pretty bad. Disconnected, lots of inconsistencies, poor explanations of the facts. I wonder who edited this? The author is a journalist and I do not think any newspaper editor would have approved of the "product". It sure did not live up to some of the promotiona ...more
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 h
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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!
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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
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As I began this book I had some of the same questions others have had about whether this is entirely a true story and for what reading audience it is intended. A few years ago I read I AM MALALA, and this book definitely doesn’t measure up to that one in the writing nor in the story told. However, once I got into the book I enjoyed it. And once again I am amazed at what has happened in Afghanistan. And I am afraid the U.S. hasn’t helped matters any.
I am writing about this book not because I loved it (I liked it enough, but I loved the topic), but because it's an important book. Just like Imperial life in Emerald City, this book should be read by as many people as possible (should be required reading in the diplomatic corps).
Kamila Sidiqi comes from a family of eleven children. She is the third oldest, with an older sister and brother. Having blessed with an educated father who believed in education for all his children, she had big dreams. ...more
Kamila Sidiqi comes from a family of eleven children. She is the third oldest, with an older sister and brother. Having blessed with an educated father who believed in education for all his children, she had big dreams. ...more
What would you do if you were banned from public places, including schools? Could you spend years hiding at home while your country is at war? This happens to Kamila Sadiqi, a teenager in Afghanistan when the Taliban takes control. She had studied to become a teacher, even earning a prestigious teaching certificate after completing a two-year program. She had planned to go to a coed university for two more years to receive her bachelor’s degree, and hoped to become a professor, perhaps even teac
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe Public Lib...: The Dressmaker | 1 | 4 | Jan 02, 2019 05:18PM | |
| Grinnell's Reader...: Book Questions: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana | 1 | 8 | Jun 27, 2016 04:02PM | |
| Play Book Tag: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana 3 stars | 4 | 17 | Apr 04, 2016 04:05PM | |
| What are some of the implausible aspects of this book to you? | 4 | 67 | Jan 04, 2016 06:51AM | |
| 2017 Reading Chal...: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana | 1 | 13 | Feb 12, 2015 05:00PM | |
| Clean Reads: Is it clean? | 1 | 39 | Jun 23, 2014 02:31PM | |
| Classic Readers : Kamila and Her Sisters | 1 | 7 | Sep 09, 2013 02:06PM |
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“Brave young women complete heroic acts everyday, with no one bearing witness. This was a chance to even the ledger, to share one small story the made the difference between starvation and survival for the families whose lives it changed. I wanted to pull the curtain back for readers on a place foreigners know more for its rocket attacks and roadside bombs than its countless quiet feats of courage. And to introduce them to the young women like Kamila Sidiqi who will go on. No matter what.”
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“wanted to know what war was like for those who had been left behind: the women who managed to keep going even as their world fell apart.”
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