Wake-Up Call: The Political Education of a 9/11 Widow
Search in google:
Kristen didn't know what he was saying. He told her to turn on the television. He continued. "They are jumping out of the windows. Right across from me...Sweets, I'm safe...But I have to go." The call ended abruptly and Kristen watched with horror as the second tower exploded. In that frozen instant, she felt in her heart that Ron had been killed. WAKE-UP CALL is the deeply personal, often shocking, and ultimately inspirational story of a woman whose world was shattered by terrorism-and who, with no husband by her side or father for her child, found the courage and strength to not only build a new life, but become one of the country's most outspoken activists and harshest critics of the current administration. A former Republican, Breitweiser, along with three other 9/11 widows (known to the media as "The Jersey Girls"), fought tirelessly for the creation of the 9/11 Commission, in spite of strong opposition from President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, and many other top government officials. While describing her journey, Breitweiser discloses eye-opening information about mistakes made prior to the 9/11 attacks, cover-ups discovered during her campaign for the 9/11 Commission, surprising encounters with some of the country's most powerful officials, and unsettling facts about present-day national security. Moving, hard-hitting, and revelatory, Kristen Breitweiser's book is a wake-up call no American can ignore. Publishers Weekly In September of 2001, Breitweiser had a tumor in her breast, was suffering from colitis and lupus and recovering from the death of her mother from cancer of the mouth. Then terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center, killing her beloved husband and hundreds more. Devastated, the New Jersey stay-at-home mom became an activist, channeling her pain and rage into learning everything she could about the U.S. government's role in the attacks-an excruciating journey that is carefully chronicled in this emotionally charged memoir. Colloquial in tone, Breitweiser recounts how she and three widow pals-her fellow "Jersey Girls"-began lobbying the government to establish an independent 9/11 commission to explore all that went wrong that day. With narrative ease, the author, who has a law degree, breaks down complex arguments and political theories: one chapter is dedicated to a single footnote from The 9/11 Investigations, while another segment explains why negligence is cheaper than prevention for airlines and governments. But in episodes where she mouths off to Henry Kissinger and campaigns for the "awkward" John Kerry, her frustration palpably grows. Though not the most elegant storyteller, Breitweiser has produced a touching account of her history and ongoing mission that's bound to achieve prominence thanks to Ann Coulter's recnt attacks on the author. (Sept.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
