Gathering Strength:

Professional photographer, Peggy Kelsey traveled to Afghanistan in 2003 and 2010 to photograph and interview women. In Gathering Strength, Conversations with Afghan Women these interviews come together under different topics creating conversations that illustrate the women's different stories, concerns and issues. The various perspectives help readers make sense of seemingly intractable social issues in a similarly intractable nation. Peggy's own story and comments serve as a bridge between the reader and Afghan women. Dynamic, candid photographs reveal the infinite variety of women who are too often portrayed as an homogenous mass. Although the book addresses intractable issues and situations that the women face, it is ultimately hopeful.