Today is the seventh anniversary of a tragic day in America, a terrorist attack on our own soil. A total of four hijacked airliners, two flying into the Twin Towers in New York, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth into an empty field in Pennsylvania. American's had not yet experienced a disaster of this magnitude by a terrorist group. The front lines of battle were brought right here to our homeland. The event changed so much.

To memorialize this day, I thought it only fitting for a Christian Literature website to pay tribute to a few of the authors whose books helped us understand what happened and why it happened, gave us courage to go on and learn from our mistakes, and gave us insight into how personal lives were changed, even fictional characters who might as well have been real.

The first book that comes to mind, of course, is Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage by Lisa Beamer and Ken Abraham, the instant best-seller that helped the nation begin its healing. Lisa Beamer's husband, Todd, on board United Flight 93, helped divert the terrorists from their intended target. One reviewer on Amazon characterized Lisa's writing an example of "glib faith," but as Christians we know there's nothing glib about it. She's not the only one to mention that the book was filled with too many exclamation points. I rather think that Lisa Beamer was not acting as much a writer but more a devastated wife who wanted to do something to make a difference. She did.

A Karen Kingsbury loyal fan, her fictionalized account of September 11th is One Tuesday Morning, a story about Jake Bryan, a New York City fireman who narrowly survives the South Tower collapse, and whose Christian faith leads him back to life. Kingsbury also penned a sequel, Beyond Tuesday Morning, and... wait for it, fans... There is another one coming out November 12th this year. Every Now and Then

From the Back Cover on Amazon:
"A wall went up around Alex Brady’s heart when his father, a New York firefighter, died in the Twin Towers. Turning his back on the only woman he ever loved, Alex shut out all the people who cared about him to concentrate on fighting crime. He and his trusty K9 partner, Bo, are determined to eliminate evil in the world and prevent tragedies like 9-11...."

I can't wait!

And speaking of K9 partner dogs, Dog Heroes of September 11th surely will swell your heart with pride, especially if you're a dog lover like me. Reviewer J. Larsen writes, "If anyone thinks that dogs don't feel the same emotions that people do this book will certainly prove you dead wrong."

For a serious nonfiction, try Christian Faith and the Truth Behind 9/11 by David Ray Griffin, former CIA veteran analyst. I need to offer a note, however, from the publisher: "WARNING: If, like most Americans calling themselves Christian, you prefer the comfort of acquiescing to the official version of 9/11 and the imperial wars it facilitated, DROP THIS BOOK NOW. But if you are open to the grace of honest inquiry and the risk of following the historical Jesus in confronting the evils of empire, this rigorously argued book is a MUST READ."

Those words are just too tempting.

All the books mentioned in this article are available from Amazon, and probably some from your public library.