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The House on Carnaval Street
From Kabul to a home by the Mexican sea ... A life-affirming, sea-change memoir by the author of the international bestseller The Little Coffee Shop Of Kabul.
‘I hadn't been planning on making Mexico my new home, but the little house on the sea was all that I had left…'
When her family faces kidnap threats after the publication of her first book, Deborah Rodriguez is forced to flee Kabul, leaving behind her friends, her possessions, the beauty school she helped found and her two beloved businesses: a beauty salon and a coffee shop.
But life proves no easier ‘back home'. After a year living on top of a mountain in the Napa Valley and teetering on the edge of sanity, Deborah makes a decision. One way or another she's going to get the old Deb back.
So, at the age of forty-nine, she packs her life and her cat Polly into her Mini Cooper and heads south to a pretty seaside town in Mexico. Home is now an unassuming little house on Carnaval Street.
There she struggles to learn Spanish, works out with strippers and spends her Sunday nights watching clowns. And maybe – just maybe - the magic of Mexico will finally give her what she's always dreamed of: a life on her own terms . . . - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/d...
‘I hadn't been planning on making Mexico my new home, but the little house on the sea was all that I had left…'
When her family faces kidnap threats after the publication of her first book, Deborah Rodriguez is forced to flee Kabul, leaving behind her friends, her possessions, the beauty school she helped found and her two beloved businesses: a beauty salon and a coffee shop.
But life proves no easier ‘back home'. After a year living on top of a mountain in the Napa Valley and teetering on the edge of sanity, Deborah makes a decision. One way or another she's going to get the old Deb back.
So, at the age of forty-nine, she packs her life and her cat Polly into her Mini Cooper and heads south to a pretty seaside town in Mexico. Home is now an unassuming little house on Carnaval Street.
There she struggles to learn Spanish, works out with strippers and spends her Sunday nights watching clowns. And maybe – just maybe - the magic of Mexico will finally give her what she's always dreamed of: a life on her own terms . . . - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/d...
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2014
61 people are currently reading
2176 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Rodriguez
26 books763 followersDeborah Rodriguez is a hairdresser, a motivational speaker, and the author of the bestselling memoir Kabul Beauty School.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
November 20, 2025
I loved the author's book Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil and the accomplishments on which it is based, but, on every page I had the ominous feeling that it would not end well. This book, 7 years later, shows the ending for Deborah Rodriguez. She can only imagine what happened to the Afghan women in her school and this weighs heavily on her shoulders.
You see how life in the US was not working for her, and how the move to Mexico came about.
Along with an entertaining story of ex-pat life in Mexico, Deborah Rodriguez tells a highly personal story. I smiled at her portraits of the people and culture of Mazatlan and cringed as she told a world-wide readership of her mother's attempts to re-make her and of her disastrous marriages.
There is a lot in this short, quick read. You see how an ex-pat copes with local culture and easily finds other ex-pats. The cable/internet installer doesn't make appointments, so Rodriquez has to wait each day for him. She copes with plumbing problems and potential violence all around. As she experiences the local culture she describes the mountain homes where poor people live, how babies are born in hospitals, burial customs, Christmas celebrations, superstitions, family life, the choices women are forced to make and more.
Because she is an intrepid and perceptive traveler, you get a bonus - a comparison of two cultures. For instance, ex-pats in Mexico are not interested in the past: What you did in the States or what brought you there is not a topic of conversation as it was in Afghanistan. Women have more mobility in Mexico than Afghanistan, but domestic abuse remains common and women still live in a patriarchal culture that limits them.
The book is more than a cross-cultural narrative. You also share the author's personal journey. Rodriguez tells the dynamics of her childhood in a way that is respectful to her parents and but still shows how this programmed her for future relationships. She gives a sketch of her relationships with her sons. The very personal parts helped me to know her better and fully appreciate her. I love Rodriguez's attitude, spirit and the life she has lived.
I highly recommend this book. It is not for Monday morning quarterbacks (i.e. she should not have done this/that... ) or critics, or PTSD skeptics or those with fixed ideas on motherhood or college degrees or those who want a perfect role model. It is for those who appreciate the optimism, energy and passion of a woman who used the resources she had to give others an opportunity and for those who want to know more about of the lives of everyday people in Mazatlan, Mexico.
You see how life in the US was not working for her, and how the move to Mexico came about.
Along with an entertaining story of ex-pat life in Mexico, Deborah Rodriguez tells a highly personal story. I smiled at her portraits of the people and culture of Mazatlan and cringed as she told a world-wide readership of her mother's attempts to re-make her and of her disastrous marriages.
There is a lot in this short, quick read. You see how an ex-pat copes with local culture and easily finds other ex-pats. The cable/internet installer doesn't make appointments, so Rodriquez has to wait each day for him. She copes with plumbing problems and potential violence all around. As she experiences the local culture she describes the mountain homes where poor people live, how babies are born in hospitals, burial customs, Christmas celebrations, superstitions, family life, the choices women are forced to make and more.
Because she is an intrepid and perceptive traveler, you get a bonus - a comparison of two cultures. For instance, ex-pats in Mexico are not interested in the past: What you did in the States or what brought you there is not a topic of conversation as it was in Afghanistan. Women have more mobility in Mexico than Afghanistan, but domestic abuse remains common and women still live in a patriarchal culture that limits them.
The book is more than a cross-cultural narrative. You also share the author's personal journey. Rodriguez tells the dynamics of her childhood in a way that is respectful to her parents and but still shows how this programmed her for future relationships. She gives a sketch of her relationships with her sons. The very personal parts helped me to know her better and fully appreciate her. I love Rodriguez's attitude, spirit and the life she has lived.
I highly recommend this book. It is not for Monday morning quarterbacks (i.e. she should not have done this/that... ) or critics, or PTSD skeptics or those with fixed ideas on motherhood or college degrees or those who want a perfect role model. It is for those who appreciate the optimism, energy and passion of a woman who used the resources she had to give others an opportunity and for those who want to know more about of the lives of everyday people in Mazatlan, Mexico.
August 18, 2014
I read this in a couple of days as it is an easy read. I did find the author somewhat irritating. As other people have commented, she seems to have made no effort to learn Spanish even after months living there. The continual down talking of her own abilities is very annoying when clearly she is very capable of settling herself into another environment. I often wondered about her 2 sons. She seems to have just dumped them with anybody whenever she feels like it for years at a time. I find this whole middle-aged trying to find yourself thing really old. And there was no sense of history or of the place or anything except drinking smoking partying and haircutting! It all seems very shallow. If you have nothing better to do give this a read but you really won't learn anything from this book. She seemed set on depicting herself as shallow and boy did she succeed.
May 5, 2014
What a delightful read! I loved everything about this book so much that I want to move to Mexico and start over. This book makes you feel good about yourself, even when you are at your lowest, and lets you know that you can do anything if you put your mind and spirit to it. The honesty, the emotion, all the feelings you would have if you decided to uproot yourself once again and move to an entirely different country, not speaking the language, but forming a connection with those around you. Friendship is universal no matter where you come from or what language you speak. Enjoy this wonderful memoir.
June 16, 2014
The House on Carnaval St is a curious mix, folding a powerful narrative of PTSD into a humorous sea-change novel with an oft-irritating narrator. I'm not sure how successful this mix always was, but as a memoir, hey, often our actual lives are similarly jumbled and contradictory.
Rodriguez' painting of the Mexican seaside town of Mazatlán was vibrant, and the story of her slow integration into the expat community was engaging. The narrative of her PTSD, resulting from her difficult experiences living in Afghanistan, was the strongest point of the novel for me. [Some detailed scenes may be difficult to deal with if you experience panic/anxiety/PTSD, so please be aware.]
I think what I found most difficult to deal with was the narrator's attitude to her new community, which felt so heavily exoticised to me - "Look at this outlandish place where people eat on the street and the sewage doesn't work! What personal growth I shall have here!" (Perhaps I'm just very wary of encountering a second Eat Pray Love...) And I know she is trying to be self-deprecating, but to live in Mexico for many months without making the tiniest bit of effort to learn a word of Spanish? This was just plain angry-making for me. Ultimately this was a person of extreme relative privilege, who could buy a house outright and live for months on her savings... and she didn't so much as bother to learn the language of the town she'd lobbed in on.
Maybe this won't annoy you as much as it did me! And the book definitely has its merits.
Rodriguez' painting of the Mexican seaside town of Mazatlán was vibrant, and the story of her slow integration into the expat community was engaging. The narrative of her PTSD, resulting from her difficult experiences living in Afghanistan, was the strongest point of the novel for me. [Some detailed scenes may be difficult to deal with if you experience panic/anxiety/PTSD, so please be aware.]
I think what I found most difficult to deal with was the narrator's attitude to her new community, which felt so heavily exoticised to me - "Look at this outlandish place where people eat on the street and the sewage doesn't work! What personal growth I shall have here!" (Perhaps I'm just very wary of encountering a second Eat Pray Love...) And I know she is trying to be self-deprecating, but to live in Mexico for many months without making the tiniest bit of effort to learn a word of Spanish? This was just plain angry-making for me. Ultimately this was a person of extreme relative privilege, who could buy a house outright and live for months on her savings... and she didn't so much as bother to learn the language of the town she'd lobbed in on.
Maybe this won't annoy you as much as it did me! And the book definitely has its merits.
"My eyes were sealed shut against the flash of light still visible through the lids.
Then, silence. I took one deep breath, then another. The familiar aroma of frying peppers filled my nostrils. My stomach growled. A rooster crowed, echoed by his distant cousin miles away. I cautiously opened one eye, then the other. Three crumpled marigolds from the celebration the night before lay wilting on the terra-cotta tiles by the door. This wasn’t Afghanistan, this was Mexico. And I was okay. Hell, I tried to remind myself, I was better than okay."
March 23, 2014
I received this as an early read via NetGalley. I'm a bit torn on my feelings for this one. On one hand the author has accomplished some remarkable things in her life and should be widely applauded for that, as well as for being someone who is so willing to explore the world. On the other hand, she is more than a little bit of a hot mess on a personal level and while I admire her altruistic actions, the rest of her life bored me silly.
March 17, 2023
Was disappointed with the author's fictional work, this autobiography was much better. Though she seems to go from high to low very quickly, and a serial bride, having acquired a string of husbands, she seems to have settled into her adopted country! An insight into life in Mexico.
July 16, 2016
I enjoyed this book because I'm personally deeply enamored of Deborah Rodriguez. But if you didn't absolutely love Kabul Beauty School, I see no reason why you'd even pick this book up.
It was interesting to follow up with Ms. Rodriguez. I was horrified to hear that her time in Afghanistan had come to such an unpleasant end. I would LOVE to read a book by one of the ladies she left behind, if there were any way for such a book to be written.
Ms. Rodriguez continues being her wacky self in this book. She is a "warts and all" kind of person and several times you will give her side eyes. But over all, she lives a very interesting life and brings prosperity, hope and skills to people who really need them. If the measure of our lives is leaving the world better than we found it, Ms. Rodriguez will be found head and shoulders above the rest of us. And her hair will look great.
It was interesting to follow up with Ms. Rodriguez. I was horrified to hear that her time in Afghanistan had come to such an unpleasant end. I would LOVE to read a book by one of the ladies she left behind, if there were any way for such a book to be written.
Ms. Rodriguez continues being her wacky self in this book. She is a "warts and all" kind of person and several times you will give her side eyes. But over all, she lives a very interesting life and brings prosperity, hope and skills to people who really need them. If the measure of our lives is leaving the world better than we found it, Ms. Rodriguez will be found head and shoulders above the rest of us. And her hair will look great.
June 2, 2014
I have not read Kabul Beauty School, however it does not matter if you have or not. Margarita Wednesdays can be read as a stand alone novel. The author does a good job of explaining what caused her to leave and run to Mazatlan, Mexico. To be honest, I wished that I had read Kabul Beauty School as it sounded like a interesting book. I may go back and read it. This book was a little dry. In the beginning, I had no problems reading this book. I got a good image of the author and her life. After a while, though I grew a little tried of reading every details. They kind of repeated themselves with the wording. Not to take anything away from the author. She does seem like a nice person. I just wishes that I felt closer to her through her story.
July 18, 2014
This book was rather a drag to get through. While some of the content was a little disturbing, and not to cast aspersions on what the author went through, I would have preferred a more coherent story, rather than jumping forward and backward spilling facts as she goes. I have not read the first book by the same author, which probably detracted a little from the story, but I think I picked up enough to know I would not enjoy it.
April 6, 2015
A worthy follow-up to The Little Coffee Shop in Kabul which I loved! Not usually into autobiographical books but after Little Coffee Shop, was interested to know where Deb was heading. Her move to Mexico and all the problems with trying to fit into a strange country with language barriers, weird customs and stinky hot weather kept me glued to the page. This story was told as a story and not a dry monologue of I did this and I did that. I felt like hopping on a plane to join her! Ole!
November 15, 2020
Things to know about my experience with this book:
-This was my first Deborah Rodriguez book.
-I found it hard to believe it wasn't a part of a series based on other titles similar covers (but it really is a stand alone).
-I didn't realize this was non-fiction. Least of all a memoir until I started into it. (I rarely read either)
-I got it years ago for a ridiculously cheap price, and somehow it just kept traveling with me.🤷🏻♀️
Quick Summary: Deb has just returned from a book tour in the states, only to be forced to flee Afghanistan almost as soon as she touches down. She must leave her business and her home immediately. She spends two odd years in California putting the pieces of her life back together. She buys a cat. Eventually she gets ahold of herself enough to move forward, and where her life takes her next in Carnaval Street, Mexico. This memoir is all about healing, understanding and saving yourself. It's not preachy though, or a book of self loathing. It's a new life. It's a journey.
I loved this book. From the beginning I could tell I liked the narrator. It was easy to read and kept me relatively engrossed. I will agree with some the last leg of the book was a little "less" than the bulk of it, but overall I think it was still pretty good. I mean, everything has to wrap up somehow.
I did think the extra trauma talk with Cynthia (on the last visit) felt a little repetitive, but the Day of the Dead experience ended up overshadowing that and really saved it for me. That being said I loved all the culture that was included in this book! Though I didn't agree with some of the Mexican superstitions or beliefs (I'm not going to always make my significant others plates- I mean, come on you can be an adult and do that yourself). Overall, the culture- especially around the holidays- really made me feel connected to her story. It was fascinating.
I think I would like to read her first memoir perhaps. I feel like I didn't get enough closure with the beauty school- I hate that she never got in contact with her girls again (I'm assuming). But on the other hand, even though I'm intrigued by the first memoir I don't think it will resonate with me as much as this one alongside Mexican culture, given that I grew up close to the border with many Mexican influences myself.
Does anyone else kind of feel like this book gives off a sort of magic like The House on Mango Street? But you know, not poetic. Just me? Okay.
-This was my first Deborah Rodriguez book.
-I found it hard to believe it wasn't a part of a series based on other titles similar covers (but it really is a stand alone).
-I didn't realize this was non-fiction. Least of all a memoir until I started into it. (I rarely read either)
-I got it years ago for a ridiculously cheap price, and somehow it just kept traveling with me.🤷🏻♀️
Quick Summary: Deb has just returned from a book tour in the states, only to be forced to flee Afghanistan almost as soon as she touches down. She must leave her business and her home immediately. She spends two odd years in California putting the pieces of her life back together. She buys a cat. Eventually she gets ahold of herself enough to move forward, and where her life takes her next in Carnaval Street, Mexico. This memoir is all about healing, understanding and saving yourself. It's not preachy though, or a book of self loathing. It's a new life. It's a journey.
I loved this book. From the beginning I could tell I liked the narrator. It was easy to read and kept me relatively engrossed. I will agree with some the last leg of the book was a little "less" than the bulk of it, but overall I think it was still pretty good. I mean, everything has to wrap up somehow.
I did think the extra trauma talk with Cynthia (on the last visit) felt a little repetitive, but the Day of the Dead experience ended up overshadowing that and really saved it for me. That being said I loved all the culture that was included in this book! Though I didn't agree with some of the Mexican superstitions or beliefs (I'm not going to always make my significant others plates- I mean, come on you can be an adult and do that yourself). Overall, the culture- especially around the holidays- really made me feel connected to her story. It was fascinating.
I think I would like to read her first memoir perhaps. I feel like I didn't get enough closure with the beauty school- I hate that she never got in contact with her girls again (I'm assuming). But on the other hand, even though I'm intrigued by the first memoir I don't think it will resonate with me as much as this one alongside Mexican culture, given that I grew up close to the border with many Mexican influences myself.
Does anyone else kind of feel like this book gives off a sort of magic like The House on Mango Street? But you know, not poetic. Just me? Okay.
September 4, 2020
I really wanted to give this book four stars and the first half deserved it - it was funny and well written and I was with her as she told her story. But the second half was all over the place - the author was disoriented, moves to Mexico and the book becomes a travel journal, lots of spiritual discoveries although it’s hard to tell what her experiences did for her, becoming a grandmother, resisting love and then falling into it, opening a nail salon, resisting the hair salon call then giving into it... I love the author’s sense of humor and sense of adventure and feel she should have stuck with that voice. But still, maybe a 3-1/2 star
August 5, 2019
A worthwhile follow-up to Kabul Beauty School.
October 11, 2020
This latest book tells of her highs and lows in Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to my friends.
January 30, 2021
I had enjoyed the coffee shop of Kabul & also the Kabul beauty school. This one doesn't captivate you as much; however her journey in Mexico to rebuild a life for herself while grappling with mental health issues is commendable. However wish the book had showcased the depth about the culture of Mexico than only partying and crime.
February 27, 2022
I so enjoyed reading about Mazatlan & am happy the author has found her happy place. We loved Mazatlan & the people are so friendly, the Pearl of The Pacific, gorgeous beaches & amazing food.
November 13, 2014
Maybe if I had read the author's first book I would have been more charmed by this one. Certainly the author was genuine and had done some off the beaten path type of things with her life. But I just couldn't find a connection or really appreciate the story she had to tell.
Having lived in Afghanistan and then leave abruptly when her son is threatened with kidnapping, Rodriguez finds herself back in the states struggling to make sense of what happened. She stays for awhile with a friend turned a little more until he decides he's had enough of the relationship. And then it's off to Mazatlan Mexico where she buys a little house and settles down to try to pull the pieces of her life together. Here she makes new friends but still feels as if something is missing, and with personal problems, family problems, and other problems, peace sometimes seems unobtainable.
Rodriguez can be pretty blunt about herself at times. Especially when it comes to her choices in men. She is very frank about all her mistakes there. And her two sons, while seemingly important to her, actually feature very little in her life. Yes, one comes and lives with her, but that's when she starts describing him in detail and showing a sense of caring. She has a lot of drama. And it gets tiring. You want to just shake her and say why do you keep doing this to your life? The other characters she describes nicely though and she usually has something nice to say about almost all of them.
This book is drama. It's disguised by the fact that it's about moving to Mexico and becoming part of the community there. But really it's about Rodriguez's personal struggles and how she tries to overcome them. Mexican culture is a second, although through her interactions with her son's married family help bring the culture to the reader. She also mentions her first book a lot and that gets a little tiring. After about the fifth mention, it's like, "ok, you have a book about the beauty school you started in Afghanistan. That's fantastic, and wonderful for those women, but you've told me this before." It's obvious she's very proud of it, but redundant after awhile.
This is an ok memoir. A little too much drama for me and not enough description of everything else. I'm sure those who read the first book though will find it much more absorbing.
**This book was won in a Goodreads Giveaway**
Margarita Wednesdays
Copyright 2014
276 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2014
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Having lived in Afghanistan and then leave abruptly when her son is threatened with kidnapping, Rodriguez finds herself back in the states struggling to make sense of what happened. She stays for awhile with a friend turned a little more until he decides he's had enough of the relationship. And then it's off to Mazatlan Mexico where she buys a little house and settles down to try to pull the pieces of her life together. Here she makes new friends but still feels as if something is missing, and with personal problems, family problems, and other problems, peace sometimes seems unobtainable.
Rodriguez can be pretty blunt about herself at times. Especially when it comes to her choices in men. She is very frank about all her mistakes there. And her two sons, while seemingly important to her, actually feature very little in her life. Yes, one comes and lives with her, but that's when she starts describing him in detail and showing a sense of caring. She has a lot of drama. And it gets tiring. You want to just shake her and say why do you keep doing this to your life? The other characters she describes nicely though and she usually has something nice to say about almost all of them.
This book is drama. It's disguised by the fact that it's about moving to Mexico and becoming part of the community there. But really it's about Rodriguez's personal struggles and how she tries to overcome them. Mexican culture is a second, although through her interactions with her son's married family help bring the culture to the reader. She also mentions her first book a lot and that gets a little tiring. After about the fifth mention, it's like, "ok, you have a book about the beauty school you started in Afghanistan. That's fantastic, and wonderful for those women, but you've told me this before." It's obvious she's very proud of it, but redundant after awhile.
This is an ok memoir. A little too much drama for me and not enough description of everything else. I'm sure those who read the first book though will find it much more absorbing.
**This book was won in a Goodreads Giveaway**
Margarita Wednesdays
Copyright 2014
276 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2014
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
March 5, 2015
I received a copy of this book through a GoodReads giveaway.
Most people who pick this up will most likely have read Kabul Beauty School and enjoyed it enough to read the follow up. I come at this with a different perspective since I never read her previous book and know nothing about her. Rodriguez starts with her abrupt departure from Afghanistan and subsequent malaise. There are some hops back and forth in time as she reveals important facts and moments in her life so far. Mostly, though, this focuses on how she set herself up in Mexico.
Although Rodriguez seems to be a very friendly, likeable woman, I could not help myself from judging some of her choices in life. There's a fine line between being spontaneous in a fun, adventurous way and being impulsive in a potentially dangerous way, and at times she leans towards the latter. She's clearly a thrill seeker, but she presents herself as someone who is completely innocuous and at times downplays her intensity in favor of a much less threatening image. It felt strange to have all these adventures alluded to and then hear her basically say, "But I'm just a small town hairdresser!"
Rather than just being an account of her life so far, this was also about Rodriguez's emotional journey as she dealt with panic attacks and anxiety and learned some coping mechanisms for her PTSD. At times I was frustrated by how oblivious she seemed when it came to the effects of her past traumas, but she does address them (or at least tries) off and on, and I think that's reflective of many peoples' journeys.
Most people who pick this up will most likely have read Kabul Beauty School and enjoyed it enough to read the follow up. I come at this with a different perspective since I never read her previous book and know nothing about her. Rodriguez starts with her abrupt departure from Afghanistan and subsequent malaise. There are some hops back and forth in time as she reveals important facts and moments in her life so far. Mostly, though, this focuses on how she set herself up in Mexico.
Although Rodriguez seems to be a very friendly, likeable woman, I could not help myself from judging some of her choices in life. There's a fine line between being spontaneous in a fun, adventurous way and being impulsive in a potentially dangerous way, and at times she leans towards the latter. She's clearly a thrill seeker, but she presents herself as someone who is completely innocuous and at times downplays her intensity in favor of a much less threatening image. It felt strange to have all these adventures alluded to and then hear her basically say, "But I'm just a small town hairdresser!"
Rather than just being an account of her life so far, this was also about Rodriguez's emotional journey as she dealt with panic attacks and anxiety and learned some coping mechanisms for her PTSD. At times I was frustrated by how oblivious she seemed when it came to the effects of her past traumas, but she does address them (or at least tries) off and on, and I think that's reflective of many peoples' journeys.
March 31, 2014
In her follow-up memoir to best-seller Kabul Beauty School, Ms. Rodriguez takes the reader on the roller-coaster ride that becomes her life following her flee from Afghanistan. Safe but insecure in California, she yearns for something to fill the void in her life and spirit she left behind in the desert.
A variety of personalities are put directly in her path, each one imparting their own brand of wisdom. While in port during a cruise, she impulsively purchases a tiny house in Mazatlan, Mexico. Listening to her independent inner voice, she packs up her clothes and her cat into her Mini Cooper and drives off into a new life where she does not even speak the language.
Ms. Rodriguez learns to “not just survive, but thrive.” Her journey from losing her spark, to rejuvenating it again, should be an inspiration for the reader. Unfortunately, the anecdotes go unfinished, the self pity about leaving Afghanistan and the lack of pulling extremely random threads together into an interesting story just turns reading this book into a tedious chore.
July 1, 2015
It is unfortunate that a promising book turns out to be a tacky read within just the first 10 pages. An encouraging title, a quirky front cover, and an enticing summary that hinted at a charming travelogue cum memoir-esque tale led me to pick up this book.
From the perspective of a South Asian reader, Deb's character comes across as offensive in her interactions with different cultures. In the few chapters that I endured she reflects a tendency to cast herself as a savior for people from non-developed economies viz. Mexico and Afghanistan. Her surprise at an English-speaking waiter in Mexico speaks volumes of her awareness despite of her claims as a traveler. She believes that her tendency to attract men who want to marry her is a remarkable asset. She continues to equate men to mean opportunity. If she claims to be as independent like she really is, why the need for an opportunity in the form of a man is something I never understood. Like, seriously? The author seems to be living in a bubble in a time gone by.
I read 100 pages and could not take any more.
From the perspective of a South Asian reader, Deb's character comes across as offensive in her interactions with different cultures. In the few chapters that I endured she reflects a tendency to cast herself as a savior for people from non-developed economies viz. Mexico and Afghanistan. Her surprise at an English-speaking waiter in Mexico speaks volumes of her awareness despite of her claims as a traveler. She believes that her tendency to attract men who want to marry her is a remarkable asset. She continues to equate men to mean opportunity. If she claims to be as independent like she really is, why the need for an opportunity in the form of a man is something I never understood. Like, seriously? The author seems to be living in a bubble in a time gone by.
I read 100 pages and could not take any more.
October 16, 2014
I read Deborah Rodriguez’s memoir Kabul Beauty School and loved it, of course I may be slightly biased because I’ve been a cosmetologist for 40 years and was a wild woman during my 20’s, so I feel a kinship with the author. Wild woman would be putting it mildly when it comes to Deborah, who moved to Afghanistan after 911 to help a ministry and ended up doing hair and sharing her profession with the woman there. Her new memoir is even a nuttier move because, after barely escaping Afghanistan, she chooses to live in Mazatlan, Mexico a drug war hot spot, rather than guru-out in the hills of Napa, California. Okay, it does make sense when she puts the pieces of her story together, but still I found myself praying that everything would work out for her. She’s brave, and vulnerable, and funny so I hope you’ll take a journey with her because it will entertain you and touch your heart. 5 stars.
August 16, 2018
An interesting memoir about a woman who moves to Mexico (sort of on a whim...she is one of those people who says "yes" to adventures) and her journey to settle into life there. The author also wrote the book "Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil" which she frequently mentions. That story sounds fascinating...I might have to pick it up! I think the trauma she suffered post her experience in Afghanistan (obviously) colors her experience in Mexico. As such there were times when I found the author a bit tiresome and "in her own mind" too much. Then, I had to remind myself of her entire journey. Nevertheless, some cool info about Mexican culture (particularly the festivals and colorful streets).
Read if:
You like memoirs
You enjoy learning about other countries and cultures
Read if:
You like memoirs
You enjoy learning about other countries and cultures
October 14, 2016
This was a really fun memoir, which takes place in Mazatlan, Mexico where The author has decided to reside after having had to leave Afghanistan, where the first part of her memoir took place (Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil)
In this part of her story she is trying to find out who she is now and how to get over fears from her past, which she didn't really know she had.
There are a lot of wonderful people that help her adjust along the way and we have a great view of what her life in Mexico is like. She is very open and honest about her life, and how she comes to love this new adopted country.
In this part of her story she is trying to find out who she is now and how to get over fears from her past, which she didn't really know she had.
There are a lot of wonderful people that help her adjust along the way and we have a great view of what her life in Mexico is like. She is very open and honest about her life, and how she comes to love this new adopted country.
December 9, 2018
An inspiring true story of the authors dramatic escape from war torn Kabul back to the USA where the effects of her narrow escape turned into PTSD.
We journey with Deborah as she seeks her way out of her PTSD state and finds her self living on Carmival Street in Mexico.
The rest of the story races along from there, and as someone with very little knowledge of Mexico, myself, it is an education.
Highly enjoyable but I definitely have no desire to visit Mexico. It sounds exhausting and confronting.
We journey with Deborah as she seeks her way out of her PTSD state and finds her self living on Carmival Street in Mexico.
The rest of the story races along from there, and as someone with very little knowledge of Mexico, myself, it is an education.
Highly enjoyable but I definitely have no desire to visit Mexico. It sounds exhausting and confronting.
December 9, 2014
(Marthie) I thoroughly recommend this. Deborah Rodriguez lurches merrily from one disaster to another, she marries every man she encounters, it all ends up in tears, she drinks, she parties, she goes to Mexico, she sometimes refers to herself as ‘the redhead’ – and she is extremely entertaining. You will keep reading. Everybody who loved The Little Coffee Shop will love this one too.
January 2, 2015
I should state up front that I do not consider Deborah Rodriguez a reliable narrator. When the various and sundry ways you have screwed over the women you left behind at the Kabul Beauty School are the subject of their own WikiLeaks document, and you persist in casting yourself as the main victim in the scenario, I am going to take anything you say with a very large grain of salt. Not having a TV, I guess books like this are my stand-in for trashy reality shows.
July 29, 2015
Reading this book felt like time spent catching up with a friend you haven't seen in a while. I just like Debbie and was glad to find out what had happened to her in the years since her time in Afghanistan.
February 15, 2024
I enjoyed this book. It's easy to read and I liked it better than the Kabul Beauty School. It had a lot more of Deborah finding her way and dealing with her emotions after leaving Kabul than I expected, but once she gets down to her little house on Carnaval Street it's a very enjoyable read.
August 27, 2016
I enjoyed this book a lot. It's a follow-up to her Kabul Beauty School and mostly takes place in Mazatlan and Patzcuaro Mexico. Fun read.
April 26, 2023
When the author is forced to flee her life in Kabul, where she had lived for 5 years and had established a beauty school and coffee shop, she returns to the US not sure what to do or where to go. She ends up in the Napa Valley despite not really wanting to be there, a shell of her former gregarious self.
When a chance holiday takes her to Mazatlán in Mexico, she feels this is the place she needs to be. So when she finds a small house in the enticingly named Carnaval Street, she packs her belongings and cat Polly into her Mini Cooper and embarks on a new life where she has a new language to learn, new friends to make, new town and culture to navigate and an old (or maybe new?) self to (re)discover.
If you’ve ever thought of leaving behind your old life and moving to Mexico (🙋🏻♀️) this is most definitely your book! The author conveys Mexico in all its glorious colour, noise and movement and really brings it to life with her exuberant storytelling. I loved the stories she included about the customs, her house renovations and her trips to other towns and markets where she described the handcrafts in detail.
I also appreciated the insight into the author’s mind and how trauma affected her and the steps taken to not allow it to take over her life. Deb comes across as a larger than life character with a real warmth, humour and sense of adventure and fun, so to see her emerge from a real low point in her life was very touching. It seems Deb’s bright personality has found a perfect home in colourful Mexico and I look forward to getting to all her other books that I have on my shelves! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
When a chance holiday takes her to Mazatlán in Mexico, she feels this is the place she needs to be. So when she finds a small house in the enticingly named Carnaval Street, she packs her belongings and cat Polly into her Mini Cooper and embarks on a new life where she has a new language to learn, new friends to make, new town and culture to navigate and an old (or maybe new?) self to (re)discover.
If you’ve ever thought of leaving behind your old life and moving to Mexico (🙋🏻♀️) this is most definitely your book! The author conveys Mexico in all its glorious colour, noise and movement and really brings it to life with her exuberant storytelling. I loved the stories she included about the customs, her house renovations and her trips to other towns and markets where she described the handcrafts in detail.
I also appreciated the insight into the author’s mind and how trauma affected her and the steps taken to not allow it to take over her life. Deb comes across as a larger than life character with a real warmth, humour and sense of adventure and fun, so to see her emerge from a real low point in her life was very touching. It seems Deb’s bright personality has found a perfect home in colourful Mexico and I look forward to getting to all her other books that I have on my shelves! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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