As the Alan Jackson song goes, “where were you when the world stopped turning”? I can remember exactly where I was when we heard about plane crashes in New York. I specifically remember when it dawned on me and my coworkers that this was more than just a terrible accident or computer glitch. The months leading up to September 11, 2001, were like any other for me – college classes, a part-time job, dating, shopping, and a myriad of other things college girls do. It was that way for most people in this country, but that day changed everything.
The Emperor’s Children is Clarie Messud’s compelling take on this era of American history through a group of friends and families living in New York in the time prior to the attacks. This group lives and works through events so common to life in America – romances, new job opportunities, helping family down on their luck, and a lot of family drama. Messud gently walks through the events of September 11th from the point of view of those both in the city and outside. She also walks the readers through choices so many New Yorkers made in the days after – searching for missing loved ones, deciding how and when to move on. But what if the people made a different decision? What if they decided to use the tragedy to escape a life they never wanted and run?
I give The Emperor’s Children 4 out of 5 stars. This book started very slow and felt daunting to read through the first several chapters – the characters felt unrelatable and the story was hard to follow. However, once I realized this was Messud’s way of showing how the attacks disrupted life, it was easier to connect with the writing. I found it hard to give this book full marks in “feeling” or “recommend” categories of our matrix simply because of the way one character chooses to act after the attacks. It’s my understanding that false deaths were recorded in several cases and these individuals lived fraudulent lives for many years before they were caught but left me feeling less than exceptional about this story.
With discussions of adultery, domestic violence, and the terrorist attacks, this book would be best suited for more mature audiences over the age of 16. I would recommend this book for young adults who were born after the attacks – similar to reading books about the Pearl Harbor attack, this book documents how normal life seemed beforehand, and how much changed on that day.
I chose The Emperor’s Children in honor of Patriot Day – the National Day of Remembrance of the September 11th attacks. A month after the attacks, a proclamation was passed making September 11, 2002 the first occurrence. For over a decade, the names of those who were lost on that day were read at the attack locations and two pillars of light shone from Ground Zero into the night sky. This year marks 22 years since the attacks. Take time this afternoon to remember how quickly “normalcy” can change, and celebrate how our country has recovered and fought back against terror. Our hearts are with those mourning the loss of friends and family members in 2001.
To learn more about the 9/11 Memorial, take a virtual tour, or donate to the fund, visit www.911memorial.org.
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What I’m Reading
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