Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11 is a collection of narratives from people affected by the events of that terrible day in American history in 2001. The narratives come from a diverse group of people from varying perspectives, many of them survivors of the attacks. Yet when read collectively, they create a coherent, consistent, and unique viewpoint that most Americans can only gain by reading such accounts.
This is an expanded edition of the book that includes photographs, follow-up interviews, and updates on the lives of some of the contributors. Photographs are sprinkled throughout the book and all are presented in black and white. The inclusion of more pictures of the various contributors would be welcome. DiMarco does a great job of weaving together a diverse group of narratives and organizing them into five coherent sections. These voices provide similar, yet unique descriptions that bring the tragedy much closer to home than one can imagine.
The first section provides the perspective of people in the tower at the time of the attacks. It is, by far, the most compelling section of the book. Having watched the events unfold on television, with copious amounts of commentary, we sometimes forget that the people inside the towers at the time of the attacks had very little idea what was going on at the time. They were reacting to events that they simply did not understand. The knowledge that this was a terrorist act comes well after the events they describe.
The second section, “Outside the Towers,” focuses on the chaos and confusion people experienced during and after the collapse of the towers. As a reader who has never visited New York City, I found this an intriguing section. The narratives helped me construct a mental image of the geographic landscape only hinted at by the television coverage. These narrative flow logically from the first section and they stay focused on the events of that single day.
From here, the focus of the book moves in a different direction. The final three sections, “Ground Zero and the Volunteers,” “The Aftermath,” and “Viewpoints,” move beyond that day, which is fitting, since the impact of 9/11 did not end the day of the attacks. These sections provide some very intriguing and touching viewpoints, but I found the first two sections to be a bit more powerful. Some of the narratives get political and, as a result, they simply lack the emotional impact that the narratives of the actual events provided.
Yet the events of 9/11 had tremendous political implications, and it is impossible to ignore these completely. It is natural that such viewpoints would ultimately make their way into an oral history. Despite this, I would not call Tower Stories a political book. There is no political agenda being pushed here. DiMarco simply presents these viewpoints as they are presented to him, and the viewpoints themselves are as varied and diverse as the contributors themselves.
While the events of that day were tragic, Tower Stories is oddly an inspirational reading experience. Most people experienced the terrorist attacks from a safe distance. Like me, many witnessed the events unfold on television. This book not only puts human faces with the events but also gives a glimpse into the rich culture of New Yorkers. While many of the contributors are obviously still struggling to come to grips with the events of that day, they are survivors, and for that reason, they have earned my admiration. Their stories need to be told and preserved as part of the historical record, and DiMarco does this in a compelling fashion.
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[Review length: 603 words • Review posted on December 10, 2008]