Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe | Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
34 posts | 27 read | 38 to read
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 wara rare achievement for any Afghan womanKamila 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 News reporter 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 humanitarian issues of our time.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
DebinHawaii
post image

#SummerSpecial

One from my #TBR 🪡🧵
This cover fits well for today‘s #ThreadTheNeedle prompt.

Eggs So pretty 🩵🧵💙 8mo
42 likes1 comment
review
Cinfhen
post image
Pickpick

Really glad I chose this for #FoodAndLit - a look at what life was like for a family of 9 sisters / 2 brothers as their lives changed drastically once the Taliban enter #Afghanistan 💔Especially poignant as now they are back in power😡 interesting article https://theweek.com/afghanistan-war/1013344/this-is-life-in-afghanistan-since-th...

squirrelbrain Sounds like a good one! 2y
Centique Your flowers are amazing again 😍 2y
74 likes2 comments
review
Texreader
post image
Pickpick

When the father and older brother must leave Kabul to avoid punishment/conscription by the Taliban, the oldest sister living at home must figure out how to make money to feed her siblings. She starts a business that ultimately employs quite a few women, who desperately need jobs to survive, right under the noses of Taliban soldiers. What is life like for women in #Afghanistan under the Taliban? This book, while amazingly inspiring, tears ⬇️

Texreader your heart out learning what their lives were like. Doubly so knowing that the Taliban is cracking down as hard now as it did then, after so much hope. I believe this is an important read to show how brutally women are treated by the Taliban, but also how women can be so brilliant and such creative thinkers to save their communities. Also, if you need pointers on how to start a business, this is entrepreneurship 101! An excellent book. #foodandlit 2y
63 likes3 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Cinfhen
post image

In typical fashion, I‘ve forgone my #WeeklyForecast and started an audio for #FoodAndLit - #Afghanistan

Texreader I found it very inspirational if not poignant knowing what we know now 2y
68 likes1 comment
quote
Texreader
post image

“ The partnership between America and my country, it‘s a good and helpful beginning. Together, I believe that we can and will make even more progress in building a more stable and successful Afghanistan.“

Such a good book but sad and poignant knowing what we know now.

#foodandlit #Afghanistan @Catsandbooks @Butterfinger

quote
Texreader
post image

Osama bin Laden, the “wealthy Saudi,” brought death not only to Americans. By establishing his base in Afghanistan, thanks to protection from the Taliban, he brought even more death and destruction upon innocent Afghans who wanted nothing to do with him or the Taliban. I‘m so sad that after all the Afghan women have been through they‘re going through it all again. #foodandlit #Afghanistan

GingerAntics This is all so true and makes it seem more and more like we just turned our backs on them. 2y
KristiAhlers Which is why my blood boils when I think of us turning our backs on them. Sigh. 2y
KristiAhlers @GingerAntics I completely agree 2y
See All 7 Comments
Texreader @GingerAntics @KristiAhlers Truth. This book though is so awesome. It‘s about how brave some of the women were to find a way to “thrive” as best they could under the worst conditions for women. It‘s powerful and makes me wonder if I could be that brave in the face of such danger. 2y
GingerAntics @Texreader I fear we‘re going to find out soon enough here in America. 2y
KristiAhlers I have it stacked! 2y
47 likes2 stack adds7 comments
blurb
Texreader
post image

I am reading these books now for #foodandlit #Afghanistan. It‘s sad but interesting that they show different ways women have to think creatively to live under the Taliban. In the tagged book, with no man at home to bring home wages, the women must find a way to buy food when their activities are curtailed to sitting at home. In the second, the author-who lived as a boy-refused to succumb to the strict rules when she went through puberty. ⬇️

Texreader Her family raised her as a boy through the long tradition of bacha posh, that permitted families to raise one girl as a son until she hit puberty to preserve their honor when they didn‘t have a son. Having experienced “freedom” as a boy, she did not want to have her activities also restricted to staying in the house at all times. It feels so outdated and incomprehensible that women are still subjected to this treatment around the world. (edited) 2y
Daisey I‘m intrigued by this memoir after having read another book about this practice several years ago. 2y
Catsandbooks So crazy!! 2y
54 likes3 comments
blurb
Texreader
post image

The tagged book begins with a map. #foodandlit #Afghanistan @Butterfinger @Catsandbooks

Readergrrl I‘ve read all of Khaled Hosseini‘s works and this looks like a great addition to the themes addressed in his novels! 2y
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Texreader
post image
Megabooks I read this for reading Asia. It was really good! 2y
54 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
LeafingThroughLife
post image
Pickpick

The inspirational story of Kamila Sidiqi whose bravery and entrepreneurial spirit supported her Afghani community under the Taliban, employing many of her desperate female neighbors with a dress making business run out of her home. Sidiqi cuts an impressive figure but Lemmon‘s writing is a little simplistic and she surely must have cut out at least some of the difficulties Kamila faced as it all seems to come just a little too easy. Good on audio.

review
bookishdawg
post image
Pickpick

Loved this inspiring true story of a woman who found a way to flourish, and taught others to do the same, during the Taliban regime in the late 90‘s in Afghanistan. All credit to the “Strong Sense of Place” podcast for recommending this one 👍🏻

22 likes1 stack add
review
AvidReader25
post image
Pickpick

A fascinating story about a female entrepreneur trying to start a business in secret under the restrictive taliban regime. We have no idea what true oppression is. I can‘t imagine being in the midst of a career or college and having the world crashed out around you and losing every single right that you had because you are a woman.

“Now that it has been taken away, Kabuli girls of every age understood exactly how precious education really was.”

30 likes1 stack add
review
Megabooks
post image
Pickpick

An inspiring book about a woman who defied the Taliban by working and employing other women during their rule of #Afghanistan in the 1990s. #audiobook #readingAsia2021

Come-read-with-me This book left a mark on my heart - great writing! 3y
Megabooks @Come-read-with-me I totally agree. She was so brave and quick thinking! I was completely impressed by Kamila. 💜 3y
Come-read-with-me I was too! This is a book I have revisited often! 3y
See All 7 Comments
Librarybelle Another book on my to read list! Glad you liked this one! 3y
Cinfhen Ahhh, it‘s one from my #MaybeOneDay pile too @Librarybelle Glad to hear it was good, Meg 💗I think you‘re on your way to filling up another bingo board 🙌🏻😘 3y
Megabooks @Librarybelle yes, it‘s a great pick for Afghanistan! 3y
Cinfhen Ugh, im gonna respond later in a proper email xx 3y
94 likes5 stack adds7 comments
blurb
Texreader
post image
Librarybelle This one has been on my to read list for awhile 3y
56 likes1 comment
review
Mshookquilts
post image
Pickpick

A true story of a young woman in Afghanistan during the Taliban takeover. Well written and interesting read.

4 likes1 stack add
review
Come-read-with-me
post image
Pickpick

An amazing story of perseverance under tyranny. It‘s hard to imagine how people live under such a oppressive regime, but these strong and feisty women are willing to put themselves at great risk to support the needs of their families. This is a heartfelt book that celebrates the determination of the human spirit! Great read!

38 likes5 stack adds
review
bookaholic1
post image
Pickpick

This a true story about how a group of sisters start a dressmaking business, even with the dangers of the Taliban that seized control of Kabul. How they have survived the war of the 9/11 war. Heart warming and very interesting as you get transported to an Afganistan you have never seen before

blurb
Bourriquet76
post image

Book sixteen of 2019, a shorter non-fiction read

32 likes2 stack adds
blurb
Insightsintobooks
post image
blurb
mhillis
post image
vkois88 👍👍 6y
74 likes1 comment
blurb
RebelReader
post image

I received my next #postlit book and @trazo sent me the tagged book as a gift. Thank you so much. 😃I‘m excited to read both! @melyndarae I believe this is your pick according to the hilarious explanation from @Jabberwocky at the beginning! 😂

melyndarae It is it is. I hope you enjoy 6y
trazo You are welcome. Hope you enjoy it! 6y
Jabberwocky Glad it made you smile?m! 😅 6y
81 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
bookaholic1
post image

I took this off my cousin yesterday..anyone read it? I am reading other books right now but this one is next

review
thereadingowlvina
post image
Mehso-so

This is the #truestory of #KamilaSidiqi, a young #Afghan woman, who against all odds, started a #dressmaking business and #tailoring school amid the #Taliban regime in #Afghanistan in the late 1990s. While I appreciate this well-intentioned book, unfortunately the storytelling part lacked realism, rendering this book to be a rather insipid read.
📚
For my full review and other reviews, please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/thereadingowlvina

blurb
Born.A.Reader
post image

Picked this up at the grocery store (of all places) today. Sounded very intriguing. Anyone else read it?

Also serves for #maybookflowers prompt, #setinthemiddleeast #currentlyreading

Suet624 Sounds great! 7y
32 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
BookBabe
post image

Awesome meeting of the #2030SomethingBookClub today in NYC! We talked about our grab bag reads from last meeting, and newcomers told us about the best book they read in 2016. And so the TBR stack grows! 😁👍🏻

wendim A People's History is my favorite nonfiction read. 7y
LauraBeth Sounds fun 😀 7y
See All 6 Comments
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled A friend of mine recommended Blindness yesterday - def adding to my TBR 7y
alohabetty Definitely in my TBR. I adore Saramago. 7y
Donnasmiles @Ebooksandcooks the book by Zinn is so good! 7y
150 likes6 comments
blurb
MrBook
post image

This is half of the books we discussed at our #2030SomethingBookClub meeting today 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Lots of great selections & such a diversity of titles! Sparked a long, interesting conversation 😊👍🏻. The one that caught my & @BookBabe 's attention the most may be Dressmaker. It's a memoir about a woman, her 4 sisters, & their mom. When the Taliban took over Kabul, she became the family breadwinner. Sounds fascinating! Kamila's story inspires!

KimSG Love Richard Russo, especially Empire Falls! 7y
readinginthedark Sounds really good! 7y
lauralovesbooks1 Zinn is in my must read stack for this year. 7y
See All 7 Comments
RealBooks4ever Envy was good on audio. ⭐️🎧 7y
JoeStalksBeck Da Vinci Code! 7y
Ncostell Loved Empire Falls! Read Blindness too which I can't say that I loved but still remember pretty vividly years after reading it. 7y
MrBook @KimSG We're borrowing that one now 😆👏🏻! @readinginthedark It was maahh-velous 😁👍🏻! @lauralovesbooks1 It's a standard 😊👍🏻! @RealBooks4ever Ooh, good 😁👏🏻! @Book_Addict A classic 😎🙌🏻! @Ncostell Niiice 😊🙌🏻!! 7y
107 likes10 stack adds7 comments
review
Canadian.Reads
post image
Mehso-so

I thought the book told a good story but I couldn't get into the style of writing. A bit too journalistic / almost romance novely in the way it was told. But had to show the delicious breakfast I made with it!!

Fernoppy Oh my goodness, those blueberries look fabulous! 7y
1 like1 comment
review
JennaRoot
post image
Pickpick

This was a quick listen on audio. Very enlightening regarding life in Afghanistan before 9/11. Very inspiring story about women's lives and the risks they took to support their families.

JennaRoot Sorry for the overuse of "very"! 8y
13 likes1 comment
blurb
JennaRoot
post image

#nextup loving this on audio so far!!

review
TeaRainBook
Mehso-so

3/5 stars.

blurb
TeaRainBook
post image

Why is it that every journalist who goes to war zones fail to do any kind of reading/studying of the destination?!