A review by kayla_clark_
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff

4.0

This book was really difficult for me to finish & I almost abandoned it a few times. It is SO heavy & there wasn't a time I picked it up that I didn't cry. However, it was the first time that I consumed 9/11 content that felt representative of the actual lived experiences of the people of NYC and DC. It had a really big emotional impact on me & reinforced a lot of anxieties I have about my own husband working in an NYC landmark building. It also gave me a lot of gratitude for everyday heroes and the gritty but kind people of New York.

It is so dense and so detailed, but I was grateful for the chance to feel some semblance of connection to the horror and panic of the day. It was important to me to try and understand and internalize, as difficult as that was. I would recommend that anyone reading this book try to have a little bit of healthy emotional distance as they read - because this book genuinely wrecked me a few times and put me into a state of distress.

I'm SO glad I read this book, but also glad that it's over!