The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe

By: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Narrated by: Sarah Zimmerman

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

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 humanitarian issues of our time.

©2011 Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers

Very nice story

This is a very nice story. The ladies were inspiring and it was a good listen.
The narrator did a very good job also.

Highly recommend - good story and educational

Read this book if you want to understand Afghanistan, its history, the people and the Taliban. I had no idea about any of this except that the Taliban are extremist. I had no idea how the Taliban came to be so fundamental until this book. This was explained in the first few chapters and sets the stage for this true story of Kamela Sediqi who became the dressmaker of Khair Khana.

When the Taliban first came to Kabul, Kamela had just finished at the University and had hoped to get a job teaching. Her hopes were quickly dashed when the Taliban decreed that women were to stay at home, obtain no jobs, not leave the house without being fully covered and having a male chaperone, and other rules which seemed to change daily. They also roamed the streets like common thugs looking for the slightest reason to beat women, even the elderly. Women went from a world of hope to one of despair.

This is the very powerful biography of a young woman who changed what she could by starting her own secret business in her home and in so doing provided an income and hope for her family and the families of many others.

The only thing that I would have changed were the voices of the various characters. The reader gave them no individuality. All voices, both men and women, sounded alike. It was sometimes difficult to tell the women apart because of this.

great story

Narrator was great and the story was a very fascinating perspective of both Afghanistan and women managing families during war time. I enjoyed the epilogue which gave updates on the characters futures as well. What strength and courage these women have.

Admirable

Bravo! You may feel so proud of being a female, just learning from this wonderfull example

A Gentle Book About a Harsh Subject

This is a good book, with a surprising gentleness for the topic, as the author presents it with the perspective of the real life subjects. As an American, I was initially frustrated not to read descriptions of terror, anger, and strong responses on the part of the subjects, but I am thinking that the tone of this book, more than many others, may truly present the perspective of these deeply religious women who live in a culture with responses to the terror around them that are very different than our own. The family's innermost emotions are not conveyed here; we don't witness that, (the author very carefully avoids any personal analysis; it could have been written by the women themselves, who carefully preserve their privacy as an aspect of their culture) but we do get to see how they respond outwardly, which is with strength, determination, and a constant deep respect for each other with in the world that they live. These women LIVE by their faith in everything that they do in a way that many of us would have difficulty comprehending in our secular societies. I learned more about this very different culture than about the Taliban, which was fine with me.

A must read for each of us

What a fantastic book! Reading books of this type always make me thankful to be an American and live in the USA. We have so much to be thankful for. The author did an outstanding job of telling the story of Kamila Sidiqi and her family and their survival in Afghanistan. This young lady is a true hero in today's world. She rose above her circumstances and became a victor in life instead of being oppressed, downtrodden and giving in to those oppressing her. Yes, her life was hard, but she has the attitude and faces life with the resiliency that each of us should have. As I read this I thought about our country. Yes, we have our problems, but we have the best country ever and we need to very carefully protect her and our freedoms.

Strong Women, Strong Story

I enjoyed learning about the plight of women in Afghanistan under the Taliban. I never knew much about Afghanis before, and this book provided a human side to their struggle. The look into their culture was very enlightening, and given what the females had to endure and the risks they took, the courage of these women were amazing to me. It made me realize how valuable some of the everday things are that I take for granted - like being able to go out in public alone and in whatever I choose to wear, go wherever I want to, talk to whoever I want to, etc. I cannot imagine being plucked out of a university program just because the government decides that women do not deserve to be educated. I was also appalled to read about the women having to be treated at female-only hospitals; in addition to not having proper medication and equipment, the female doctors could not even consult with their male colleagues. I was also very surprised to hear how progressive and educated this country was before the Taliban - I never realized that before. Not only was the story a good one, but it was also educational for me.

Heroic!

What did you love best about The Dressmaker of Khair Khana?

I loved how the story moved along, kinda kept me on the edge of my seat.

What did you like best about this story?

How it showed the strength and cunning of these women.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was a story I wanted to stretch out longer.

Quick read, well written.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

If they were interested in all of the poverty/struggles of women in Afghanistan, I would. This book is based around a very specific topic.
But, it's well written and concise. The author doesn't waste our time with useless details.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I was proud of Kamila and her sisters.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Kind of. The narration had some emotion, but not enough. And the voices didn't really change. That's tough, since there are SO many characters in this book. I figured out who was speaking by context, usually.

Do you think The Dressmaker of Khair Khana needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Nope. As I said before, it was concise and to the point. She covered everything she needed to to attach us to the characters, help us feel their struggles, and avoid kicking the dead horse- which is often the problem with stories of struggle.

Any additional comments?

No, thanks.

Riveting story

Although this was written and told in 2005 and I listened in 2021, and the information could seem outdated, it was especially important as a backdrop to the events of the summer of 2021 in Afghanistan and Kabul in particular. Without giving away any of the story, let me say that this makes me appreciate more than ever the personal stories. It humanizes the women there and their plight. Thanks for sharing-I’ll be searching for the followup!