George W. Bush is credited as saying, “…for those of us who lived through these events, the only marker we’ll ever need is the tick of a clock at the 46th minute of the 8th hour of the 11th day.” I have to agree.
On September 11th, 2001, I was a 19-year-old college student, working my part time job at a local business. We were setting up for a client meeting when the event venue staff came in and told us to turn on the television. I watched the towers collapse while sitting on a conference table, holding hands with my coworkers in stunned silence. I will never forget what I saw on that screen and I will never forget where I was that morning.
In memory of the 2,977 lives lost, including 414 first responders, I am sharing a few great fiction books featuring the events of 9/11, as well as some nonfiction releases documenting the day and the aftermath of the tragedy. A note of caution: over the past 20 years, there have been many releases touted as “true stories” only to be debunked as written by imposters and criminals attempting to benefit from the tragic death of nearly 3,000 Americans. I have done my best to vet and justify the nonfiction works as truth.
Fiction
There are plenty of other authors who have produced some of the funniest books around. I’d love to hear what your favorite funny book or author might be – drop it in the comments!
The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
I read this novel last September in honor of the anniversary. While the events of 9/11 aren’t front and center throughout, it is a passing event. This is one book that really made me remember how normal life was leading up to the tragedy, and how changed it was after.
You can read the full review here.
Just a Drop of Water by Kerry O’Malley Cerra
This novel takes place in Florida which might feel odd since the attacks on the World Trade Center were in New York. However, Florida was the home of one of the flight schools attended by the hijackers. This book also focuses on the undue hatred faced by Arab Americans in the months after the attacked. This is a middle grade read and might be good to help your middle and high schoolers understand the events that occurred before they were born.
The Submission by Amy Waldman
After the tragedy, there were many attempts to find the right way to build memorials and monuments for the lives lost. This novel explores what would happen if a Muslim American artist designed that memorial. Again, this explores much of the bias and hatred spewed at Arab and Muslim Americans after the attacks. This also explores the power of media coverage in events such as these.
We All Fall Down and United We Stand by Eric Walters
These last two fiction works are outstanding among the rest in my eyes. Walters shows the normal life of the day before the attacks through to the changed world of the day after. Following a boy who was supposed to go with his dad to his office on 9/11, the author is able to show the impact on the families and survivors left behind.
Non-Fiction
A Widow’s Walk by Marian Fontana
Marian lost her husband, a NYFD firefighter in the collapse of the towers. It was their 8th anniversary. Her story doesn’t stop there though. Marian becomes a community activist working to keep her husband’s firehouse open to serve their neighborhood. A natural playwright and comedienne, Marian’s recounting of sensitive times with her child and other survivors as well as the private meetings with city, state, and national officials will change the way you look at what happened in the aftermath.
Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto
To be completely upfront, this is one book I may never be able to read. The author was a Battalion Chief for the FDNY on the day of the attacks. As a young fireman, Picciotto responded to the 1993 bombing of the WTC and was familiar with the layout. On 9/11, he was in the North Tower when the South Tower collapsed. He continued to work on rescuing disabled civilians in North Tower until it, too, collapsed. Picciotto was buried for 4 hours in the rubble before he was rescued.
That Day in September by Artie Van Why
This final memoir is from a civilian whose office was across from the WTC Twin Towers. With yet another viewpoint on the events and the aftermath, Van Why brings you into the images and videos that captured those moments just after the plane strikes – people covered in dust, the screaming, and the falling bodies. This proves you or your loved one didn’t need to be in the building or on the planes for your life to be completely changed.
This post is being published at 8:46AM Eastern on September 11th, the 23rd anniversary of the first plane strike. Writing my memory of where I was and sharing these books with you has been difficult – it has been like reliving that morning all over again. I am spending the 17 minutes between when the planes hit in quiet meditation and remembrance of the survivors, families, and communities forever changed by these events.
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Lost Summers of Newport, Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White
- Current audio book: The Christmas Inn, Pamela M. Kelley
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd
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