5 Books to Honor and Remember 9/11

I was barely three years old when 9/11 happened. I don't remember anything, and I know people in my generation have struggled in remembering an anniversary that can't be comprehended unless you lived through it.

My parents were great walking me through the most important part of it. Instead of focusing on the tragedy, they always talked about how the days after 9/11 were the most unified they'd ever seen society.

I'm pretty sure it's a national day of service, but here in Davis County, Utah we remember 9/11 by participating in a community day of service. We do everything from food drives to trail clean ups, to making thousands of kits for all sorts of humanitarian groups. I've gotta say, it's hard not to cry when I get to see a little part of what my parents witnessed all those years ago. And rubbing shoulders all day with people you'd normally never see? Priceless.

So, in remembrance of all those who lost and gave their lives on 9/11, here are 5 books about people who loved each other through world-changing tragedies. 

1. The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

I've written about this book in a previous blog post, but it is so incredible that it's worth repeating a few more times. The Day the World Came to Town is actually all about the day the planes were all rerouted to Gander, Newfoundland when the Twin Towers were hit.

You can read the post here, along with a few other incredible biographies.

2. 29 Days of Giving by Cami Walker

I’ve just completed my third year while knowing I’m living with an autoimmune disease that will never go away. Funnily enough, I found 29 Days of Giving the year before I was diagnosed. 

Cami Walker was in her early 30s when her unexplained symptoms were given a label: multiple sclerosis. She already felt like she was losing her mind, but now she knew that her mind really was being lost, one little piece at a time. She was newly married, but she couldn’t even enjoy it, and she was constantly losing control of her own body.

In the middle of a deep depression, her across-the-hall neighbor offered her services as a South African healer. But… it was a little unorthodox. No pills. No treatments. No doctors.

Cami was tasked with giving something every day for 29 days.

And it only counted if she thought about doing it before it happened. 

Try it for 29 days as you read. Your life is going to change.

3. Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection by Vivek H. Murthy

Our world was already polarized, but after COVID it’s only gotten worse. The epidemic of loneliness and its destructive consequences are mentioned in every podcast, church sermon, and college class I’ve listened to lately. And yet, it’s kind of hard to believe, right? I mean, aren’t we more connected than ever with our technology and social media? 

Vivek Murthy makes a compelling argument that these forms of contact are like the pornography of connection. Our brains react like we’re connecting, but we aren’t getting any of the benefits of true connection. 

In between heartwarming stories from around the world about how people have reached out and pushed back against loneliness, Murthy offers simple solutions to begin breaking through the fortress we’ve unwittingly built around ourselves.

4. Small Town, Big Miracle by W. C. Martin

Life is never going to be convenient. I know. Disappointing.

But Reverand Martin found out it doesn’t have to be.

He and his wife had already filled their lives to the brim. He worked full time and was the town's pastor full time, and he and his wife were the parents of two children. Their son had special needs— brain damage since birth— and that took up more time than parents normally had.

But then his wife’s mother died, and as she worked through her grief, she heard God whisper to be like her mother and foster and adopt. The pastor thought it was crazy, but he supported his wife. But pretty soon, he was all in.

And so was the rest of their town, Possum Trot.

Life is never convenient. But convenience isn’t beautiful—love is.

Read the book, and when you're done see the movie based on these children's stories in Angel Studios' new movie, Sound of Hope.

5. The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes--and Why by Amanda Ripley

I’m not really sure where I picked this book up. I was probably shelving something else and got sucked in by the title. Where I live in Bountiful, Utah, I live in the middle of a million fault lines. I still remember the terror that shot through my little seventh-grade body when they told us that our junior high sat right on the biggest fault line in the state. So imagine my relief when I found this book.

I thought I was going to learn about best practices, neurological research, or cool gadgets and gear that I could pick up to increase my survival chances. What I found instead was story after story about how a couple of people or a group of people stepped in during disaster— and that’s why people survive.

I guarantee you’ve never heard most of these stories, but you’ll be glad you did after reading this.

Let's love each other a little more this 9/11 anniversary. Happy reading.

*All links are simply links, I don't get any money if you click them. I just want to make finding great stories as easy as possible for you!*

Similar Reads:

Maren's Favorite Biographies #1

Practice What You Preach: 6 Books to Help You Live the Gospel

Different and Deeper: 5 Books for When You Can't Feel God

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