AMERICAN WIDOW

"Attheheartof"AmericanWidow"isthenotionofSept.11asapersonal,ratherthananationalorpolitical,tragedy,which,thisachinglytenderworkremindsus,isexactlywhatitwas."--LATimesWanttohonorthosewhopassedduring9-11?Turnoffthestupiddocumentaryglorifyingallofthoseimageswe'veseenoverandover,andreadthissincereaccountofhowthatfatefuldayeffectedonepersonthatrepresentsallofus.”—AintItCoolNews“[A]raw,occasionallymaddening,bracinggraphicmemoir…Unbearablymoving.”—TheNewYorkTimesBookReview“Readingit,youfeelthatTorrescouldbeyourfriendorneighbor;shemakesanepictragedyintimate.”—NewsdayOnSeptember10,2001,EddieTorresstartedhisdreamjobatCantorFitzgeraldintheNorthToweroftheWorldTradeCenter.Thenextmorning,hesaidgoodbyetohis7?-months-pregnantwife,Alissa,andheadedoutthedoor.Inaninstant,Alissa’sworldwasthrownintochaos.Forcedtodealwithunimaginablechallenges,Alissasuddenlyfoundherselfcastintotheroleof“9/11widow,”tossedintoastormofbureaucracy,politics,patriotism,mourning,consolation,and,soonenough,motherhood.Beautifullyandthoughtfullyillustrated,AmericanWidowistheaffectingaccountofonewoman’sjourneythroughshock,pain,birth,andrebirthintheaftermathofagreattragedy.Itisalsothestoryofayoungcouple’sloveaffair:howaColombianimmigrantandastrong-mindedNewYorkermet,fellinlove,andstruggledtofulfilltheirdreams.Aboveall,AmericanWidowisatributetotheresilienceofthehumanheartandtheverypersonalstoryofhowonewomanenduredaverypublictragedy.