Helaina Hovitz was twelve years old and in middle school just blocks away when the World Trade Center was attacked. Her memoir encapsulates the journey of a girl growing up with PTSD after living through the events firsthand. After 9/11 chronicles its effects on a young girl at the outset of adolescence, following her as she spirals into addiction and rebellion, through loss, chaos, and confusion.
The events of 9/11 were a very real part of Helaina's life and are still vivid in her memory today. Hundreds were stranded in the neighborhood, including Helaina, without phones or electricity or anyone to help. Fear and despair took over her life. It would take Helaina more than a decade to overcome the PTSD - and subsequent alcohol addiction - that went misdiagnosed and mistreated. In many ways, After 9/11 is the story of a generation growing up in the aftermath of America's darkest day -and for one young woman, it is the story of a survivor who, after witnessing the end, got to make a new beginning. This new trade paperback edition includes tips on how to cope with trauma, an FAQ section, and a guide to discussing 9/11 with children.
"I am grateful to you for writing After 9/11, and for the courage it took to share your personal story... I am so heartened to know that despite the many challenges you faced...you have emerged as a survivor... Thank you for using your voice to help us all make sense of that dark day, and forge that new beginning. You are a herald for your generation."
Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a letter to Helaina Hovitz
"Helaina Hovitz's engrossing narrative begins in the shadow of the twin towers with her as a backpack-toting twelve-year old and plays out over the next fifteen years in dramatic-and sometimes distressing-detail. This impressive debut is both deeply evocative and intensely personal."
