Remembering September 11th

In remembrance of those whose lives were lost and in gratitude for all those who responded and volunteered, we pause our blogging for the day.

Photo credit: ShareFaith

Release Day Blitz: The Boy Who Wanted Wings by James Conroyd Martin

The Boy Who Wanted Wings

by James Conroyd Martin

Publication Date: September 1, 2016

Hardcover ISBN: 97809978994516

Paperback ISBN: 9780997894509

358 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

Aleksy, a dark-complexioned Tatar raised by a Polish peasant family, holds in his heart the wish is to become a Polish hussar, a lancer who carries into battle a device attached to his back that holds dozens of eagle feathers. As a Tatar and as a peasant, this is an unlikely quest. When he meets Krystyna, the daughter of the noble who owns the land that his parents work, he falls hopelessly in love. But even though she returns his love, race and class differences make this quest as impossible as that of becoming a hussar. Under the most harrowing and unlikely circumstances, one day Aleksy must choose between his dreams.

On the eve of September 11, 1683, a massive Muslim Ottoman horde was besieging the gates of the imperial city of Vienna and had been doing so since the previous July. Now, however, they were just hours from capturing this capital of the Holy Roman Empire. The Turks intent was to bring Islam to all of Europe, and this city was seen by East and West alike as the gateway. With the window of time closing for Vienna, the walls were about to be breached on September 12 when the vastly outnumbered Christian coalition, led by Polish King Jan III Sobieski and his famous winged hussars, descended Kahlenberg Mountain to engage the Turks in an attempt to lift the siege. As crucial and consequential as the 1066 Battle of Hastings, the ensuing battle changed the course of European history.

(Was it the first 9/11? Some people believe that the date for the September 11th attack in 2001 was chosen to symbolically resume the effort that began in 1683.)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Praise

A poor archer in medieval Poland takes aim at the love of his life in this epic novel from Martin. The anxious Aleksy Gazdecki, a young farmhand, embodies the ethnic and political tensions of Europe during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. The believability of this novel, which is sprinkled with period-specific details, is never in question. Martin sets the stage so tidily that the plight of Aleksy and Krystyna, who desire to move beyond the social classes that keep them apart, transcends the historical moment. Sprawling but never slow, the plot moves naturally from battle to intimacy and back again. A gripping, transporting story of self-determination set against fate. ~Kirkus Reviews

"Amidst class and religious warfare, this alternately romantic and brutal love story is also a reminder that the struggle between Christianity and Islam is a great deal older than 2001. Culminating in the re-creation of the Siege of Vienna in 1683, where monstrous killing was perpetrated in the name of God and power, this is a meticulously researched and convincingly written tale of love s triumph that will surprise historical fiction readers with its little known historical backdrop. In an ethnically diverse Poland that is now long gone, the main characters struggle with loyalties to family, race, and country as they come to understand that no fear or evil is unchangeable." ~Leonard Kniffel, Past Editor in Chief of American Libraries Director, Polish American Librarians Association

About The Poland Trilogy

Based on the diary of a Polish countess who lived through the rise and fall of the Third of May Constitution years, 1791-94, Push Not the River paints a vivid picture of a tumultuous and unforgettable metamorphosis of a nation and of Anna, a proud and resilient woman. Against a Crimson Sky continues Anna s saga as Napolion comes calling, implying independence would follow if only Polish lancers would accompany him on his fateful 1812 march into Russia. Anna s family fights valiantly to hold onto a tenuous happiness, their country, and their very lives. Set against the November Rising (1830-31), The Warsaw Conspiracy depicts partitioned Poland s daring challenge to the Russian Empire. Brilliantly illustrating the psyche of a people determined to reclaim independence in the face of monumental odds, the story features Anna s sons and their fates in love and war.

About the Author

James Conroyd Martin is the award-winning author of The Poland Trilogy (Push Not the River, Against a Crimson Sky, & The Warsaw Conspiracy), a saga inspired by the diary of a countess in 1790s Poland. Hologram: A Haunting was inspired by a house he lived in in Hammond, Indiana. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

For more information please visit James Conroyd Martin's website. You can also connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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First Chapter Review: From Ashes to Honor by Loree Lough

September 11th remains a difficult date in our history. Like probably many of you, I remember where I was that day; still recall the horrible images on the news, and have struggled to make sense of such a tremendous loss of life.

For these reasons, I've mostly steered clear of books set around September 11th or in which that tragic event plays a part. I felt drawn, however, to this book. As I read last night, it struck me how the author writes with a sense of compassion. I was glad to have picked up this one.

TITLE:  From Ashes to Honor: Book #1 in the First Responders series

AUTHOR: Loree Lough

BLURB:  If he had only answered that last phone call from the World Trade Center . . .

Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who’d been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. When Austin, now an EMT, responds to an emergency at Mercy’s school, both are stunned and wary.

Finally their common—and painful—memories turn suspicion into friendship, then romance.

But hard questions linger: Can they truly move beyond their past harsh judgments and harsh words? Will their past finally bring them closer or—as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws near—drive them farther apart?

COVER:  Beautiful. The cover is exactly what one would expect for a book in which September 11th plays a big part. The use of the soft blur over the scene of NYC draws out the block letters of the title and displays a sense of calm despite the plot. The American flag reminds the reader how for a few days we weren't African-American or Caucasian, Hispanic or Asian, Catholic or Jew, Democrat or Republican--we were all proudly American.

FIRST CHAPTER:  It is January 2003. We find Austin Finely sitting in the office of Dr. Mercy Samara. A decorated police officer who responded to the call on September 11th, he has been placed on desk duty and ordered to see the doctor after a series of violent altercations with perps. He knows Dr. Samara is the key to him returning to his regular job.

Finely is very angry, but he's not about to tell the doctor about the images he can't erase from his mind or his regret over not answering a phone call from his twin brother from the World Trade Center that morning.

KEEP READING:  A resounding yes! As I mentioned in the beginning, Lough writes with a sense of compassion as she relays Finley's story. You're pulled in, despite how badly he is treating the doctor who is trying to help him. You can understand and sympathize with the pain and suffering he has had to endure for the past sixteen months. He makes it obvious he's not a fan of therapy, and through his internal thoughts we experience his disdain for this Muslim doctor. But you can't seem to dislike him, because of the way Lough has drawn him.

The powerful scene between Finley and Dr. Samara after he accidentally reveals something he wishes would remain hidden, clinched it for me. I want to keep reading. I want to see him open up to her and find a way to heal himself. And in this touching scene, we get a glimpse of the romance that might be.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 2011)
ISBN-10: 142670769X
ISBN-13: 978-1426707698
 
 
I picked up a free Kindle version of this book earlier this month. I received no monetary compensation for my review.

Remembering September 11th

We will never forget.

Interview with Cathi Stoler, Author of Telling Lies

Also joining us today is Cathi Stoler, author of Telling Lies. Cathi was an award-winning advertising copywriter. Telling Lies is her first mystery/suspense novel. Other novels in this series will include Keeping Secrets, which delves into the subject of hidden identity, and, The Hard Way, a story about the international diamond smuggling. She has also written several short stories including "Fatal Flaw," which was published online this April at Beat To A Pulp and Out of Luck, which will be included in the upcoming New York Sisters in Crime anthology, Murder New York Style: Fresh Slices. In addition to Sisters in Crime, Cathi is also a member of Mystery Writers of America.

When did you begin writing?

I believe my love of reading from when I was very young gave me a latent desire to write. The first thing I remember writing is a short play for the Girl Scouts. After college, I started working as an advertising copywriter and have done so for many years. At some point, I thought about writing a novel, but was very hesitant to give it a try.

I finally took a course at Marymount Manhattan College entitled “How to Overcome Your Fear of Writing Your Novel.” While it all seemed a little scary, it was the impetus I needed and a great beginning. It gave me the confidence to actually begin my novel writing career. TELLING LIES and my upcoming books, KEEPING SECRETS, and THE HARD WAY, are the results.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

Yes, to all of the above. I still have a full-time job and have to make time for my writing whenever I can. I try to write a little bit everyday, but it’s a challenge to juggle work, writing and family life. It’s also very rewarding.

What is this book about?

TELLING LIES is a complicated tale of murder and suspense told from multiple points of view. It begins in Florence, Italy and ends in New York. With stolen Nazi art, a 9/11 deception and a ruthless Mussed agent crossing their paths, my two protagonists, Laurel Imperiole, a magazine editor, and Helen McCorkendale, a private investigator, are thrown into a maze of deceit and lies that could end in death.

What inspired you to write it?

After 9/11, which I unfortunately witnessed firsthand, I always had the feeling human nature being what it is, someone must have taken advantage of this terrible tragedy to leave behind a life they were unhappy with and disappear. I’d also been reading about the skyrocketing prices in the art market and thought that would be a good element to layer in to the plot as the reason for the main villain’s deception.

Who is your favorite character from the book?

Somewhere along the way, I became very attached to Helen McCorkendale, my PI. I didn’t have any pre-conceived notions about a favorite character when I began the novel but as the story progressed, her voice seemed to resonate with me more than my other characters. I think it’s probably because I felt I could invest her with a more knowing sensibility. She’s an adult. She’s around the block a few times, knows what’s going on and enjoys life immensely. At least, I hope readers will think so.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My family: my husband Paul and my daughter, Lauren. They encouraged me and supported me all along the way. My husband is my biggest promoter, telling everyone we meet that they should buy my book … which can be a little awkward at times!

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Yes. I would have started writing novels 20 or 30 years ago when the business was very different and the road to publication a lot simpler. Although, who knows if I would have been ready then, or if my work would have had the same feeling it has now.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

TELLING LIES is available online at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, from the Apple store for iPads and through my publisher’s website: http://www.camelpress.com/. You can also ask for it at any bookstore.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?

My website is: http://www.cathistoler.com/. It has information about my writing, my novels, short stories, reviews, interviews and upcoming events.

I also blog at womenofmystery.net on a regular basis.

Readers can visit me on my website or find me on Facebook at Cathi Stoler Author, or on Twitter at @cathicopy.

Do you have a video trailer to promote your book? If yes, where can readers find it?

My book trailer for TELLING LIES is up on my website in my media section. It can also be viewed on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmk8ybWnJpQ&feature=email&email

What is up next for you?

I’ll be attending Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis from September 15 through 18 and will be participating in the panel, All About Eve, which will focus on strong female characters. So, if any of you will be there, please stop by and say hello.

I would definitely like TELLING LIES to be turned into a movie. In the meantime, I just completed the edits on the second book in the series, KEEPING SECRETS, which deals with hidden identity and identity theft. I’m also writing the third story in the series, THE HARD WAY, which is about International diamond smuggling.

I’m a member of the New York chapter of Sisters in Crime and have a story in our upcoming anthology, MURDER NEW YORK STYLE: FRESH SLICES, which is also being published in this September.

Thanks for spending time with us today, Cathi. It was great to learn more about you. I wish you continued success.

Guest blogger: Terrorist Thrillers – Like a Box of Choc-o-lates by John Betcher, Author of The 19th Element

Today's special guest is John Betcher, author of the suspense thriller,The 19th Element: A James Becker Nuclear Thriller.

Al Qaeda plans to attack Minnesota’s Prairie River Nuclear Power Plant as a means to return the down-trodden terrorist organization to international prominence.

In addition to their own devoted forces, the terrorists enlist some homegrown anarchists, and a Three Mile Island survivor with a pathological vendetta against the nuclear establishment, to assist in the assault.

James “Beck” Becker is a former elite U.S. government intelligence operative who has retired to his childhood hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota – just six miles down the Mississippi from the Prairie River nuclear facility.

Possessing wisdom born of experience, Beck suspects the terrorists’ intentions as soon as the body of a university professor turns up on the Mississippi shore – the clear victim of foul play.

He recognizes connections between seemingly unrelated incidents – the murdered agronomy professor, a missing lab assistant, an international cell call, a stolen fertilizer truck – but can’t piece it together in enough detail to convince government authorities that a larger threat exists. Only his American Indian friend, “Bull,” will help Beck defuse the threat.

So it’s Beck and Bull versus international terror.

May the better men win.

Terrorist Thrillers – Like a Box of Choc-o-lates by John Betcher

Greetings to all of you following The Book Connection.

I know the title of this post seems a bit of a non-sequitur. But bear with me and let's see where we come out.

Cheryl invited me here to share my views concerning how the events of 9/11 have affected American literature. This is a weighty topic to be sure – but a fair one to ask of me, in particular, since the book I am promoting on my current blog tour is, itself, a terrorist thriller – The 19th Element.

In many ways, the 9/11 attacks represent a fulcrum under American society. Before that date, Americans thought ourselves immune from international terror. Al Qaeda attacks were something that happened in Tanzanian Embassies, or off Yemeni ports. Not in Manhattan.

After 9/11, America was forced to recognize that its perceived invulnerability was a faćade – a figment of our post-Cold War complacency. Once Americans had come to this new understanding, it was no surprise that our new reality began to show up in the writings of American authors. And they had viewpoints as diverse as Forrest Gump’s ‘box of choc-o-lates.'

Probably the first notable work directly addressing the 9/11 attacks was Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson. In the words of reviewer Jeffery Marlow, Gibson’s work of science fiction treats the felling of the World Trade Center as “the end of history – after it we are without a history, careening toward an unknown future without the benefit of a past – our lives before 9/11 are now irrelevant.” Of course, Gibson is known more for his science fiction than his clairvoyancy. But he was the first noted author to take on the post-9/11 terror topic.

In 2006, two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author, John Updike, approached Islamic terrorism from what he imagined to be an Islamic viewpoint. His novel, Terrorist, sympathized with the moral struggles of an eighteen-year-old Muslim boy growing up in America. In many ways, Updike’s young terrorist, Ahmad, is among the most morally upright characters in the story. He seeks only to be true to his faith in Allah . . . the faith of his family. Updike delivers a compelling treatment of the factors that might lead a young Arab man to believe Jihad is required. And Ahmad does, indeed, plot to do harm. But in the end, he decides that Allah would not want him to blow up innocent Americans, and he abandons his genocidal plan.

Don DeLillo, another noted American author, deals with the effects of 9/11 in his 2007 release of The Falling Man. The book tells the story of a Twin Towers survivor and his life after the dread date. On a symbolic level, the story addresses a person’s ability, or inability, to reinvent oneself in the wake of grave trauma. As one might surmise from the book’s title, DeLillo tends toward the pessimistic view. In fact, he was once quoted as saying “all plots tend to move deathward.” (Sheesh! I'm not inviting him over for dinner.)

Since 9/11, there have been scores, if not hundreds, of fine examples of American literature motivated by the author’s views of terror and terrorism. Some authors lament how the Jews have always lived under the same pall that all Americans now share. Others cry out for the lost hopes of youth. Some even dare to espouse an optimistic approach. After all, it has been nearly ten years since the event that rocked the world.

With shoe bombers, underwear bombers, the time square bomber and other small-scale al Qaeda attempts to unnerve Americans, who can blame authors for reflecting society's fears in their writings. Yet the ‘terrorist thrillers’ are many. And the literary creativity of their authors sparse. So much so, in fact, that a respected literary agent recently Tweeted that he was “no longer accepting manuscripts describing al Qaeda terror cells in suburban St. Louis.” Apparently, unless it takes a new perspective on the terror discussion, a ‘terrorist thriller’ has become as mundane as a vampire script on Hollywood Boulevard . . . where it is said you can’t take three steps without being hit by one flying out some agent’s window.

With terrorist thrillers seemingly everywhere, I knew I needed to distinguish my book from the pack. So in The 19th Element, the main character lives in a small Midwestern town next door to a nuclear power plant – a location in which I have personally resided since 1973. The terrorists are al Qaeda-backed. But most were born right here in the U.S., with only a single Muslim among them.

And the overall mood of the book is not apocalyptic or foreboding. Sure . . . there are some thrills. And of course it is true that, but for the actions of my main character, millions might die. But that eventuality doesn’t prevent him from displaying wit, creativity, persistence, preparedness and loving devotion to his wife, as he works to defeat the terrorists’ plot. You'll have to read the book to see how it all comes together.

That ends your American Literature lesson for today! Cheers! John

John L. Betcher is a University of Minnesota Law School graduate and has practiced law for more than twenty-five years in the Mississippi River community of Red Wing, Minnesota. He possesses substantial first-hand knowledge of the Prairie River Nuclear Plant’s real world counterpart, as well as Red Wing’s airport and the flight rules around the nuke plant.


In addition to The 19th Element, he has published a second book in the “Beck” series entitled, The Missing Element, A James Becker Mystery. The second book is available everywhere.


The author has also been a long-time supporter and coach of youth volleyball in and around Red Wing and has authored three feature articles for Coaching Volleyball, the journal of the American Volleyball Coaches Association. His most recent article was the cover story for the April/May, 2009 Issue.


His book on volleyball coaching philosophies entitled The Little Black Book of Volleyball Coaching is available at http://www.johnbetcher.com/ and at http://www.amazon.com/.

Remembering September 11th

c) 2001 The Record, (Bergen County, NJ).

Just as those who are old enough to remember where they were when they heard of John F. Kennedy's assasination, people of our generation can vividly recall what they were doing when radios and televisions shared reports of the Twin Towers being struck.

I was home with my month-old daughter, still on maternity leave. The phone rang and my husband asked me to turn on the television to let him know what news stations were saying. He was at work and gaining access to the Internet was almost impossible with so many people trying to find out the latest details of what was happening in New York.

When news came of the attack on the Pentagon, I called my husband back and immediately felt that we were at war.

I would find out later, that my brother-in-law was supposed to be at the World Trade Center that morning, but at the last minute his meeting was changed to an alternate location. Our family was spared...but many others were not.

As our country honors those whose lives were lost on that fateful day, I personally hope that the many families affected by this horrible tragedy have begun the road to healing; that they have found some way to carry on after the unexpected loss of their loved ones; and that they may know the peace and comfort only God can provide.

God Bless America!

Patriot Acts by Steven Clark Bradley--Book Review

Hidden away in an Alaskan prison, serving time for a crime he never committed, Colonel Fisher Harrison thinks of revenge. His government forsake him and his Special Ops buddies and no one was meant to survive. If Fisher gets out of that hellish place, the man who put him there is going to pay.

But that man is now President of the United States and seemingly untouchable; until the Islamic Republic of Iran and radical American militia groups join forces, and President Christopher Tate knows that Colonel Harrison is the only man who can stop a planned covert nuclear attack. Will Fisher help the government who forsake him? And if he does, will he make it out alive?

Patriot Acts by Steven Clark Bradley is an intense, fast-paced modern day thriller that leaves you clinging to the edge of your seat. Bradley's wealth of experience comes alive in this story of a covert nuclear attack planned by two deadly forces. Having traveled to thirty-four countries and having been a freelance journalist in Iraq, Israel and Turkey, Bradley creates a realistic and scary portrait of potential terrorism issues home and abroad.

Strong and complex characters fill this novel. From Fisher Harrison to Christopher Tate, from radical militia leader Len Garret to Jamie O'Rourke, the President's Chief of Staff, every player is alternately sympathetic and despicable, likable and easily hated. Bradley has done an excellent job of creating multi-faceted characters whose actions move this story along at a fast clip.

That said, the overuse of the exclamation point in the dialogue rendered its effect useless, and a good editor may have helped making some of the transitions easier. Since this book travels back and forth in time, the choppy transitions occasionally left this reader with a moment of confusion until she figured out the character was recalling past events.

Patriot Acts by Steven Clark Bradley will be a hit with military fiction fans, lovers of fast-paced thrillers, and anyone interested in the War on Terror. This is definitely a book worth checking out.


Title: Patriot Acts
Author: Steven Clark Bradley
Publisher: Cambridge Books
ISBN-10: 1-59431-693-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-59431-693-7
SRP: $17.95 (U.S.)

Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah--Book Review

Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah is an eloquently written and moving story of a Muslim woman living in America, whose world is turned upside down on September 11th.

Arissa Illahi is a Muslim artist and writer living in New York City with her husband Faizan. Expecting their first child, they are happy with life. But on the morning of September 11, 2001, Faizan would go to work in the World Trade Center...and never return.

Always free to live as a Muslim in America, after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Great American Melting Pot doesn't seem to blend so well. People who greeted Arissa with a smile before that fateful day, barely look at her. Feeling adrift after her loss, Arissa wanders through the days awaiting the birth of her unborn son, a son Faizan would never hold. The discovery of her husband's unfinished manuscript may be the key to her survival. And perhaps by finishing Faizan's legacy, Arissa will redeem a race.

If ever there was a book more eloquently written than Saffron Dreams, I would like to see it. The words simply fly off the page and float into your consciousness; their power touching you in a way like no other book might ever touch you again. The struggles of being a 9/11 widow and a Muslim, come together in a moving story that will find you filled with every emotion ever experienced by a human being.

Abdullah's masterful storytelling draws you in from the very first moment and does not release you until you've turned the very last page. Anyone who has ever loved and lost will be touched by this heartrending, yet triumphant story of one woman's difficult journey to pick up the pieces of her shattered life in a country that has suddenly put her and an entire race under a microscope in order to make sense of a monumental tragedy. The descriptions and details put you right alongside Arissa so that you are totally captivated by her world, her dreams, her struggles, and her triumphs.

The stunning cover art must be seen up close, as it is even lovelier and more striking in your hands than what you see posted here.

Saffron Dreams is destined to add more awards to Abdullah's portfolio. This is a must read book for 2009!


Title: Saffron Dreams
Author: Shaila Abduallah
Publisher: Modern History Press
ISBN-10: 1932690735
ISBN-13: 978-1932690736
SRP: $19.95 (U.S.)

Shaila Abdullah Shares the Impact of 9/11 on Ordinary Muslims in Saffron Dreams

Today's guest blogger is Shaila Abdullah author of Saffron Dreams. I am in the middle of reading this book and I can't put it down. Look for my review of this touching novel...coming soon.

Shaila's turn:

There was a time before September 10, 2001, when I could jaywalk down 6th street in downtown Austin and blend in with the locals. I was colorless, stripped of ethnicity, even faceless at times. After all, diversity is what added to the flavor of the city––that and a certain cross dressing gentleman in thongs who once ran for the city mayor.

That was before some of the locals exchanged their world vision glasses with compromised ones and took a serious look around. What they saw terrified them. They were in a minority in their own land with a group of people they knew little or nothing about. It scared them that the color of their skin matched the ones who took the towers down. After all, didn’t all Muslims prostrate in the same manner as the attackers? Did they not worship at mosques as well? Then came the lumping-of-all-potatoes-in-one-sack epiphany. If all Muslims prayed the same way, surely they must share the same ideology as the terrorists. As the overly-corrected vision of the locals turned blurry from the daily input they received from the media and those around them, they learned to live in fear. With every change in color in the national security threat level, their hearts sank even more. Could they trust the friendly Muslim neighbor across the street, the one who greeted them every morning but sported a beard and whose wife wore a headscarf? The day after 9/11, Muslim-Americans woke up to a new America––the one where they were no longer regarded as locals but outsiders and lumped together with the fundamentalists. They struggled to know themselves, only to lose themselves in the interpretation of others.

The geopolitical concerns that have drawn Islam and the West into many conflicts since 2001 have also generated a thirst for fiction and nonfiction, with a Muslim angle. At a time when much of the world associates Islamic culture with oppression and terror, the new genre is tackling such universal themes as love, hope, and women's issues.

Saffron Dreams is the story of basic human desire to be accepted in society, no matter what your background, ethnicity, or race. The tragedy of 9/11 was a great shock to the American psyche. Some of that anger was directed towards those who shared the race and religion of the terrorists, especially those who publicly exhibited symbols of their faith such as veils, beards, even their own names. In the terrorist attack of 9/11, the shards of glass reached far and wide wounding the hearts of Americans who had been very accepting of the melting pot their country had become. The event put them at odds with a community that had come to this country with very simple objectives: to work hard and lead honest lives.

In Saffron Dreams I have attempted to capture how ordinary Muslims were affected by the tragedy of 2001—the silent majority who lead very normal lives and are law-abiding citizens of this land. They are the ones we never hear about because their lives are too ordinary to be the subject of the nightly news. The protagonist of my novel, Arissa Illahi, is a veil-wearing Muslim artist and writer in New York. Pregnant and alone after the tragedy of 9/11, she discovers the unfinished manuscript of her husband and decides to finish it as a tribute to him. In the opening scene, the protagonist discards her headscarf, which has become almost a scarlet letter for her following the attacks of 2001. In a courageous attempt to take charge of her life, she transfers “her veil from her head to her heart.”

Where the media instilled fear in the heart of the nation about Muslims, lately they have also attempted to learn the true purpose of Islam by bringing in renowned and respected scholars and researchers to interview. There still needs to be more dialogs with positive role models of Islam like His Highness the Aga Khan who stresses upon the importance of pluralism in a civil society and speaks about the clash of ignorance. Others like Karen Armstrong and Dr. Ali Asani who time and again have taken center stage to correct some of the misconceptions that exist around Islam. Much work still lies ahead but as with any wound on the psyche of a country, it will take awhile to heal. There is a great need in the U.S. for various religious entities to come together and build bridges of understanding and tolerance to find a common ground—work that Dr. Eboo Patel is doing through the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core.

And so, as the readers scramble to buy yet another book about Muslims in an effort to understand that group, they need to be clear about one thing: even the followers of mainstream Islam can’t tell them what drives terrorism. We are as clueless as the rest of the people but keep on reading. You might learn a thing or two about the true face of Islam.


FREE GIFT

Thank you and thanks to the readers of The Book Connection. For those with comments and questions, I can be reached at shailaabdullah@gmail.com. If you mention The Book Connection, you will receive a free e-book called A Taste of Saffron, containing recipes of dishes mentioned in Saffron Dreams. Readers who sign up for updates on my website will get a free excerpt of my 2005 book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall.

Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist by Aram Schefrin--Book Review

An engrossing novel that leads up to the worst attack on United States citizens on American soil, Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist is difficult to read, but also difficult to put down.

Marwan doesn't worship Allah and he certainly isn't ready to die for him, so how did he get involved in a plot that would hijack planes with the intent of crashing them into strategically chosen buildings on American soil? From that first meeting in Hamburg, Germany until the moment the planes take off, Marwan has doubts about the plan that is meant to cripple America, tear at its belief system, and return people to the one true God. But in the end, those doubts aren't enough to keep him from doing what must be done.

I approached Marwan with a fair amount of trepidation. As I asked the author when he stopped by The Book Connection in February, did it occur to him that Americans might not be ready for such a book? I wasn't sure I was ready for it, having not been able to watch a single documentary or read one book about September 11th since it happened.

Schefrin does an excellent job of approaching this controversial topic. He mixed known facts with fiction and came out with a balanced look at how the events of September 11th could have unfolded.

There were moments when this reader was disturbed by the thoughts and dialogue:

"If Jesus saw what they've done to him, the next time he would kill himself. Jesus' truth, if he has one, is Islam, not Chritianity." (Page 93)

"'I want you to understand that what we are asking you to do will remake the universe. It will bring down America, and restore the world to Islam....No Muslim has done more for the faith than you will do....And all of Islam will know it. You will be eternal in their eyes.'" (Page 115)

"'Americans are the most filthy of human beings!'" (Page 131)

But those moments are countered by the moments of doubt that Marwan and Jarrah experience. You're dealing with complex and conflicted men whose internal battle is a struggle for what they want versus what is good for Islam.

Marwan begins in New York City in June 2000 and then travels back and forth in time to provide the reader with the necessary backstory to bring them to the final days leading up to the attacks on September 11th. Another book that used this format is Carole Whang Schutter's September Dawn--an equally controverisal title with strong religious ties. In both instances, I found this time traveling format challening to follow, and in Marwan it is further complicated by the changing point of view--which fluctuates between first person and third. This challenge was removed when the time line began to constantly move forward from July 2001 up to the moment when the planes took off.

Schefrin's attention to detail and knowledge of the facts lends much to this novel. And I do believe that the author achieved his objective: "you have to understand your enemies if you want to defend yourself."

In Marwan readers will find a fair and well-researched novel that sheds light on one of the worst moments in American history.


Title: Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist
Author: Aram Schefrin
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-4343-3288-2
U.S. Price: $17.95