Before the latest violent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, there was a twenty-year interlude in which nonprofit agencies and government groups could work toward educating the youth of that country. They had a particularly important impact on the lives of girls and young women, to whom the Taliban deny education. A Bridge from Darkness to Light chronicles a brief episode in the lives of some Afghani youngsters before the Taliban once again overrode the country. In 2006, Texas businessman, historian, and photographer Bill Wright was allowed-though not officially invited-by the US Department of State to teach a class in digital photography to young Afghans who worked on the streets of Kabul. The course was sponsored by an Afghan non-governmental organization, Aschiana, which helped to support "working children and their families." During a week of instruction, Wright sought to engage the youths' creativity and possibly provide them with a future source of income. This book records the children's best efforts, giving Western readers some insight into the young Afghanis' sense of community and celebrating the creativity Wright saw flourish at the heart of a war zone. A Bridge from Darkness to Light is a bittersweet reminder of what might have been.