The Dressmaker of Khair Khana
Encyclopedia
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a book by author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, published in March 2011 by HarperCollins
. It documents the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young female entrepreneur working during the years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan
, a time when the rights of women were severely restricted. Dressmaker is the first book by Lemmon, who serves as deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations' Women and Foreign Policy program. Her work has appeared in The New York Times
, the Financial Times
, and The Christian Science Monitor
amongst other publications. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a New York Times Bestseller and is currently ranked in Amazon.com
's Top 100 Bestseller list. The book was edited by Julia Cheiffetz
and was acquired by Lisa Sharkey
.
. She was studying women entrepreneurs, particularly those in conflict zones. She sought to change the narrative from “victim” to “survivor.” Given the tone of caution in Afghanistan, it was at first difficult to locate a viable subject. However, a contact referred Lemmon to Kamila Sidiqi and her family. Lemmon met with them and their associates over several subsequent trips to Afghanistan.
, capital of Afghanistan and home to the Sidiqi family. Inspired by the sharia law of Islam, it would become the doctrine of the Taliban to completely isolate women from society. Women were not permitted to work, attend school, or even leave the house without a male relative, or mahram. Kamila’s father and brothers do not escape persecution either, and are soon forced to flee the city. Unable to teach and desperate to support her family, Kamila masters the art of dressmaking and passes on the skills to her younger sisters. In order to find work for the budding business, Kamila frequently makes the dangerous trek to the market and meets with the owners of local dress shops. Soon the business is growing, and Kamila sees an opportunity to help other women in her community. With the help of her sisters, she opens a tailoring school in their home to teach women how to sew and to give them work once they completed their training. At a time of almost insurmountable poverty, she is able to employ nearly one hundred of her friends and neighbors, all the while escaping the scrutiny of the Taliban.
. People Magazine has called Dressmaker "a fascinating window on Afghan life under the Taliban and a celebration of women the world over who support their loved ones with tenacity, inventiveness, and sheer guts." The Huffington Post noted, "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a book to be shared across genders and generations, a truly uplifting and very true story of how one woman set out to start a business and ended up preserving the dignity of so many women." Angelina Jolie
, Greg Mortenson
, Mohamed El-Erian, and Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown
wrote the reviews for Dressmakers book sleeve.
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. It documents the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young female entrepreneur working during the years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, a time when the rights of women were severely restricted. Dressmaker is the first book by Lemmon, who serves as deputy director of the Council on Foreign Relations' Women and Foreign Policy program. Her work has appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, and The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
amongst other publications. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a New York Times Bestseller and is currently ranked in Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
's Top 100 Bestseller list. The book was edited by Julia Cheiffetz
Julia Cheiffetz
Julia Cheiffetz is a book editor living in Brooklyn. She is a Senior Editor at HarperCollins, a division of Newscorp. She is on the Board of Directors of the . She is married to Thomas Henry Walker III.- References :...
and was acquired by Lisa Sharkey
Lisa Sharkey
Lisa Sharkey is the Senior Vice President and Director of Creative Development for HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, one of the world's leading English-language publishers and a subsidiary of News Corporation...
.
Origins
In the winter of 2005, Lemmon traveled to Afghanistan as part of a case study she was completing for her MBA at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She was studying women entrepreneurs, particularly those in conflict zones. She sought to change the narrative from “victim” to “survivor.” Given the tone of caution in Afghanistan, it was at first difficult to locate a viable subject. However, a contact referred Lemmon to Kamila Sidiqi and her family. Lemmon met with them and their associates over several subsequent trips to Afghanistan.
Plot Summary
The story begins in 1996 on the day that Kamila graduates with her teaching certificate, and the day the Taliban first arrive in KabulKabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, capital of Afghanistan and home to the Sidiqi family. Inspired by the sharia law of Islam, it would become the doctrine of the Taliban to completely isolate women from society. Women were not permitted to work, attend school, or even leave the house without a male relative, or mahram. Kamila’s father and brothers do not escape persecution either, and are soon forced to flee the city. Unable to teach and desperate to support her family, Kamila masters the art of dressmaking and passes on the skills to her younger sisters. In order to find work for the budding business, Kamila frequently makes the dangerous trek to the market and meets with the owners of local dress shops. Soon the business is growing, and Kamila sees an opportunity to help other women in her community. With the help of her sisters, she opens a tailoring school in their home to teach women how to sew and to give them work once they completed their training. At a time of almost insurmountable poverty, she is able to employ nearly one hundred of her friends and neighbors, all the while escaping the scrutiny of the Taliban.
Reviews
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana has been reviewed by magazines, journals, and blogs including the Huffington Post, Christian Science Monitor, and the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. People Magazine has called Dressmaker "a fascinating window on Afghan life under the Taliban and a celebration of women the world over who support their loved ones with tenacity, inventiveness, and sheer guts." The Huffington Post noted, "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a book to be shared across genders and generations, a truly uplifting and very true story of how one woman set out to start a business and ended up preserving the dignity of so many women." Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
, Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson, SPk is an American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer. He is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute as well as the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace...
, Mohamed El-Erian, and Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown
Tina Brown
Tina Brown, Lady Evans, CBE , is a journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author of The Diana Chronicles, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. Born a British citizen, she took United States citizenship in 2005 after emigrating in 1984 to edit Vanity Fair...
wrote the reviews for Dressmakers book sleeve.