In 2011, Artie Van Why wrote a memoir of the horrific day in 2001 that changed him, his fellow New Yorkers, his fellow Americans, and the world forever. I was honored when he contacted me through My Reader's Block and asked if I would care to read it and post a review. And when I did this is how I summed up his work: "An absolutely beautiful book. With the ten-year anniversary of that awful day approaching, I highly recommend finding yourself a copy and reading for yourself about Artie and his memory of those events. You won't be sorry."Artie has now taken that memoir and expanded it. He gives us a more extensive recollection of the events of that day, but he also gives us much more than that. He takes us into his confidence--sharing his backstory. He tells us how he came to New York and trusts us with all his vulnerabilities--from his struggles with his spirituality and sexuality to his long-time desire to work onstage. Having been welcomed into his psyche, we are better able to understand what it was like for him and all the survivors who were not in those buildings to watch the destruction and then come to grips with why they were spared when so many were not.
He uses that story to reach all of us--by showing what he went through and how he dealt with and continues to deal with it he teaches the rest of us important lessons on how we can work our way through the traumatic events in our lives that can be just as life-altering. This is another beautiful and very brave book from just one of the many witnesses to tragedy on September 11, 2001. Again--I highly recommend it. ★★★★★
[Finished on 10/8/18]
[Disclaimer: I have my review policy stated on my blog, but just to reiterate....This review copy was offered to me by the author for impartial review and I have received no payment of any kind. All comments are entirely my own honest opinion.]
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