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The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
5 stars + ♥

I didn't live on the East Coast in 2001. I lived in the midwest, where I had just started my freshman year of college. I remember 9/11. I remember where I was and who I was with and what we did. I remember how I felt. Terrified, scared, devastated, angry. And, at the same time, proud of Americans who came together to respond and help.

Despite all of that, I had never even been to New York or DC when 9/11 happened. I did not know anyone who worked in the Twin Towers. I did not know anyone who lost their life that day, or anyone who escaped a brush with death.

And, even then, even with that disconnect that geographic location provided, it took me 19 years to feel like it was time to read about the events of 9/11 in more detail.

I selected this book because so many of my reading friends spoke of it with reverence and awe. Despite that, I was anxious picking it up. But, I am so glad I read it anyway.

Graff tells the story of 9/11 in the voice of the survivors (in some cases the victims) as well as their families and friends, the first responders, the government leaders, and the reporters. Graff took interviews from nearly 500 people and broke them down into their individual statements, then wove those statements back together to tell one, seamless story.

We are walked through the events of 9/11 in extraordinary detail, told in the words of people who experienced it firsthand. It was an extremely powerful way to tell the story, and one that honors the voice of the survivors most impacted and the memory of those who did not make it.

This book took me a long time to read. Mainly because I cried through virtually all of it, but also because I wanted to take mental note of the names that written. I wanted to honor that day by giving this book the attention it deserved.

I am glad that I finally read something about 9/11 and am even more glad I selected this outstanding book. It has enhanced my perspective of what I think of now when I see footage of the Towers falling. And, while that is painful, it is also a necessary tribute to the vast scope of that day in history.