Deborah Rodriguez
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and The Kabul Beauty School
are about strong women and strong friendships in a very complicated culture. The Kabul Beauty School is Non-fiction about my experience in Afghanistan and teaching the women in post-Taliban the art of hairdressing. The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was inspired from the real coffee house I owned and operated but most of all both books are about courage and perseverance of the amazing Afghan people and the foreigners who worked hard to help rebuild a nation.
Please tell us about your time teaching and directing the Kabul Beauty School.
This was the most difficult and most amazing moments in my life. The women who came to the school were so hungry to learn. It was as if for the first time they saw a chance to change their own future. It was one of the most pivotal times in my life. I am so fortunate that I was able to go over with the skill of hairdressing and help train over 200 women.
How does it feel to be part of the first beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan?
Hairdressing is just a natural way of life for me and for my family. I come from a line of hairdressers so being a part of a beauty academy seemed like the most natural thing. When I look back at it now it does seems like such a huge task but at the time it just seemed like the right thing to do. I am honored that I was a part of this history in Afghanistan.
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was your debut novel so was novel writing anything like you imagined it to be?
I really enjoyed writing fiction. With non-fiction, you know the ending. With fiction, you think you know the ending but sometime the characters have a mind of their own. I loved this adventure and look forward to writing the next fiction.
In one of your review the book was compared to Maeve Binchy and the Kite Runner, so how does this make you feel?
Very humbled.
Please tell us about founding the non-profit organization Oasis Rescue?
Oasis rescue was put in place for the Kabul beauty school. It is still being used for teaching women hairdressing but now in Mexico.
Your books have been a world of mouth hit, so what message do you have for your fans?
I was so overwhelmed with the outpouring from the people reading the little coffee shop. I want to thank each and every person for taking the time to read and enjoy the book. I hope that I was able to entertain and be a small window into a very exceptional country.
What is next for you?
I am so glad you asked. I have just completed The house on Carnaval Street and intimate, honest, often hilarious story of life after Afghanistan. I am also so excited to be working on the sequel for the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. It’s not the tidy ending you thought it was. wink wink