by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, 2011
A true story about Kamila Sidiqi and her 5 sisters and how they survived under the Taliban. Very similar to My Forbidden Face. Khair Khana is the neighborhood in Kabul in which they lived. When the Taliban took over, they could no longer leave the house, unless accompanied by male relative “Mahram,” had to wear chadri, and feared for their lives whenever they ventured out. Her father and mother had to flee to the north since her father had been in the military before the Taliban. Her brother had to flee to Iran to keep from being taken for service with the Taliban. That left Kamila and 4 other sisters and a little brother, who became Kamila’s Mahram. Kamila decides to start a dressmaking business in their home. She soon has about 30 neighborhood women taking classes and sewing dresses and pantsuits. Kamila sells them clandestinely in the market to clothing shops. She brings her little brother as her Mahram and when inside the shop, conducts business while her and shopkeepers keep a close eye out for Taliban. I guess women still needed clothes to wear in their homes and under their chadris. Kamila’s efforts give relief to the women and money for their families to survive.
Kamila hopes to help rebuild Afghanistan. Her ideas are to empower women to be business women and young men so they can educate their families. Her new company is called Kaweyan. Interesting book. She bloomed where she was planted and had very little fear. She saved her family.
P.S. Afghans loved Titanic – they went crazy for everything Titanic when the movie came out – despite the Taliban’s efforts to stop them.