“Though it seems as if everything has been written about the World Trade Center attack, Sheehy is covering a lot of untouched ground. [She] is America’s emotional tour guide.” – The New York Times Book Review
“Eloquent and powerful . . . Under Sheehy’s watchful eyes, the passage from hopelessness to recovery in Middletown, New Jersey, sheds light for all of us on journeys from loss to renewal.” – Houston Chronicle
“Sheehy’s detailed reporting of her subjects’ experiences . . . makes for compelling reading.” – Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times
About the Book
Every American experienced some degree of trauma on September 11, 2001, but no single place was hit harder than Middletown, New Jersey, which lost nearly fifty residents, more than any other community besides New York City. Gail Sheehy spent the better part of two years with those left behind–women, men, and children–as they put their lives back together. She meet with police officers who worked tirelessly at Ground Zero, religious leaders, and unsung heroes who committed themselves to healing their wounded brethren. Sheehy illuminates every stage of a tumultuous passage–from shock, passivity, and panic attacks to the commitment to constructing new lives.