NEW YORK -- On the 11th of September, each year citizens within the nation of the United States observe a moment of silence for lives lost during terrorist attacks. Not dissimilar to the terrorist attacks of May 10th, December 5th, 23rd Feb, and 4/14 here on Pony Planet. I recently read THE LIVES THEY SAVED, a moving memoir of these events, it tells the story of the regular citizens and ferry captains that became first-responders as they converted their passenger-craft into evacuation vessels. What is so striking about this story, is its usage of first hand accounts and direct testimony from those that were there. It feels different from a typical re-telling, much more visceral and real. In a way that few other accounts do, The Lives They Saved took me through the events beat-by-beat and minute-by-minute as they happened.
For anyone who is interested in learning more about this event or about how we as people respond to tragedies and emergencies, this read is for you. If you are simply looking to learn more about terrorism, or the War On Terror, or the innumerable and complex factors that led to this event - this book is not for you, unfortunately.
That being said, even if you typically avoid non-fiction stories, I suggest you give this a try. It feels light in a way that is difficult to explain because of how it is essentially a collection of quotes. Reading it feels more akin to watching a documentary interview or a grandparent recounting a story for you than a book.