Book News: 9/11 Tenth Anniversary

September 9, 2011 at 9:52 am , by Lauren Piro

It feels impossible that ten years have passed since 9/11. It was a day of great sorrow, but it also spurred countless stories begging to be told, and within several anniversary books that are fresh on shelves this month, many will be. These books are breathtaking retellings of that fateful day, stories of survival and resilience, and memorials to loved ones (and the world as we knew it) lost. They’re sure to give you chills, but are powerful, can’t-put-down reads.

	9/11: The World Speaks, by Tribute WTC Visitor Center People from over 120 countries have left comment cards at the Tribute WTC Visitor Center with notes, poems and sketches expressing their grief, sympathy and hope not only for the US, but for peace everywhere.
	Unmeasured Strength, by Lauren Manning (also available in audio, read by the author) Lauren Manning was on her way up to work in Tower One when a fireball exploded from an elevator bank, badly burning more than 80% of her body. Her memoir recounts Manning’s amazing, determined recovery and how she transformed her life in the wake of tragedy.
	The Legacy Letters, collected by Tuesday’s Children and edited by Brian Curtis Tuesday’s Children is a non-profit organization that supports children and families who lost loved ones on 9/11 with youth mentoring programs and other services. Their anthology of letters—by children, spouses, and other family members to their lost loved ones—is heart-breakingly poignant.

	What We Saw, by CBS News A retelling of the events of 9/11 as we first heard them, this title includes transcripts of shocking news reports, moving essays from journalists like Joe Klein and Scott Pelley, first-person accounts from survivors—and the photos that still speak volumes ten years after they were first snapped.
	A Decade of Hope, by Dennis Smith with Deidre Smith These stories from people whose family members and friends died when the towers fell are peeks into personal sorrow and undying pride and love for those we cannot forget.
	Project Rebirth, by Dr. Robin Stern and Courtney E. Martin The written accompaniment to the critically acclaimed documentary Rebirth (projectrebirth.org), this book follows the stories of eight people—a young woman who lost her fiancé, a rescue volunteer, and others—and looks closely at their personal healing process.
	Reluctant Hero, by Michael Benefante with Dave Hollander Michael Benefante went to work in the North Tower on that fateful Tuesday expecting a normal day—but ended it as one of the many 9/11 heroes, helping carry a woman in a wheelchair down sixty-eight flights. He never asked for the intense media spotlight that followed, but Michael’s story of anguish and hope is now his own to tell.