Helaina Hovitz was 12-years-old and in middle school, one block away when the World Trade Center was attacked. Her memoir encapsulates the journey of a girl growing up with PTSD after living through the events of 9/11 firsthand.After 9/11 chronicles the effects of trauma upon a young girl at the outset of adolescence, following her as she spirals into addiction and rebellion, through loss, chaos, and confusion.
The events and experiences that are now common knowledge to everyone were a very real part of Helaina's life, and are still as vivid in her memory today. The sickening thud of falling bodies hitting cars, and the roar of the crumbling towers, her universe engulfed literally in a cloud - it was all so much for a young girl to experience. Hundreds were stranded in the neighborhood, including Helaina, without phones or electricity or anyone to help. For fear of subsequent attack, not to mention the toxic substances in the air, no one went outside. In the wake of 9/11, fear and despair took over her life, and would take her more than a decade to overcome. She was diagnosed with PTSD, and after years of wanting to kill herself, self-sabotaging, and binge-drinking, she finally found her way back to sanity. And in many ways, After 9/11 is the story of a generation, growing up in the aftermath of America's darkest day.
