The Dressmaker Of Khair Khana Sparknotes

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a novel about a family in Afghanistan as they survive the Taliban rule and work to support not only their family, but their community as a whole. The main character Kamila was once a very hardworking and successful student planning on becoming a teacher, but when the Taliban arrives she, like all women, is banned from going to school or holding a job outside of her home. As tensions rise and violence increases the men in Kamila’s family are forced to flee, this leaves Kamila in charge of supporting her family. Kamila must get creative to find ways to make money and feed her family, so she decides to start her own dressmaking business with the help of her siblings. This idea quickly grows into not only a family

Early on in Kamila’s story when the Taliban first took over in Afghanistan her family had many serious discussions about the safest options for handling their future. The family knew that it was not safe for the men to stay in Khair Khana so Kamila’s oldest brother fled to Pakistan and her father left the capital city to go live with family where the Taliban had not yet taken over. During these conversations financials became a concern as none of the women in the family were allowed to hold a job outside of their home. As Kamila contemplates these issues Lemmon explains, “Kamila felt the tremendous pressure that weighed on her family, and she spent hours each day trying to think of ways she could help” (49). Kamila had great empathy for her parents and her siblings, she worked tirelessly to find a solution to ease her family’s struggles. This was an incredibly difficult responsibility for a young woman to take on but Kamila did so without even being asked. She wanted nothing more than to support her family in this time of need. As their situation progressed Kamila had the idea of starting a dressmaking business within her family’s home. Kamila brought the idea to her siblings and they got started right away. This new project brought joy and a sense of purpose to the girls who had been trapped at home, Lemmon reflected, “Kamila realized how desperately the girls needed something else to focus on. They didn’t just need income; they needed a purpose” (68). The business allowed the girls to occupy their time at home and feel a sense of achievement again. For the Sidiqi children who had gone to school their whole lives, this work was incredibly important. Not only could they make money to support their family, but having a sense of purpose allowed the girls to endure the struggles of