Title: Ashes Ashes
the Twins Fall Down, Twin Towers, 9/11
Author: Pauline Hawkins
Pages: 117
Year: 2012
Publisher: Anole Publishing
Pauline
Hawkins presents to her readers her reflections regarding the events and
repercussions surrounding September 11, 2001.
This nonfiction work is short and briefly covers the ramifications
emotionally, economically, socially, and politically of the attack by Osama bin
Laden on the United States of America.
There is a lot of information contained in this short memoir, and a lot
of it was new to me. Like the author, I
was somewhat naïve to events that happened outside the United States before 9/11
and immediate thereafter. She purposed
to research and educate herself to be betters informed and thus informs us.
The timeline of events beginning
with a short bit about bin Laden’s biography and continues to that each of the
four hijacked planes. What they
experienced is shown to be crucially important to discovering who the perpetrators
were. Those onboard passengers or flight
crew members were able to contact via cell phones or air-to-ground phones
authorities and gave them as much information as possible. Also, some were able to contact their
families one last time before the inevitable happened.
There is a chapter about the
economic fall-out and how the attack changed the airline industry. The fact also that many jobs were sent
overseas due to cheaper labor is also covered.
The closing of restaurants and small “mom and pop” business in Lower
Manhattan is discussed. The close of
Wall Street and the NASDAQ, and that affected the world financial markets is
talked about as well.
The cost of lives is painfully
revealed as she provides some last conversations between passengers and their
families that are just heartbreaking.
Not only did thousands lose their lives by being on the planes and in
the towers and Pentagon, but those that were the first responders who gave
their lives while trying to save others.
Those involved in the clean-up effort of all the many tons of debris and
how the City of New York government didn’t follow federal regulations regarding
the wearing of protective respiratory equipment and as a result many of those
workers developed chronic respiratory problems and other medical issues related
to the toxic air quality. The City of
New York government initially refused to pay any medical bills for those
employees who took part in the clean-up, so the workers had to sue the city for
payment and they won.
There are other topics covered as
well with statistics and facts researched by the author. A very interesting chapter on the Patriot Act
is included. There is a lot of
information to think about and what our reaction as readers should be. I commend the author for encouraging everyone
to be more informed about legislation and the government officials we elect to
office. Where were you when the twin
towers fell?
My rating is 3.5 stars.
Note: I received a
complimentary copy for an honest review of this book. The opinions shared in this review are solely
my responsibility. Other reviews can be
read at http://seekingwithallyurheart.blogspot.com/
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