Book Synopsis:
First came the boom the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the seventy-eighth floor of the World Trade Center's north tower, no alarms sounded, and no one had information about what had happened at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001. What should have been a normal workday for thousands of people. All that was known to the people inside was what they could see out the windows: smoke and fire and millions of pieces of burning paper and other debris falling through the air.
Blind since birth, Michael couldn't see a thing, but he could hear the sounds of shattering glass, falling debris, and terrified people flooding around him and his guide dog, Roselle. However, Roselle sat calmly beside him. In that moment, Michael chose to trust Roselle's judgment and not to panic. They are a team.
My Review:
5/5 stars. I don't usually cry when reading books, but this book brought tears to my eyes multiple times. It was an incredible story of a hardworking, well-trained guide dog and her resilient owner. It was a memoir of 9/11, an autobiography of a man growing up blind, and a generally informative book on many different topics.
As someone who is visually impaired, it's always interesting reading about other blind people's experiences. This author's childhood was vastly different to mine and any other blind person I know - he didn't learn to use a cane until later in life, he learned to echolocate, and he could ride a bike around by himself. That was so interesting to me.
The main part of this book is the 9/11 story, but it jumps around a lot between the present day and the author's life. The author also pauses the story many times to share information. You'll find the history of accessible technology, how guide dogs are trained, how blind people navigate, background information on the events of 9/11, and more. There's so much packed into one, but it never feels disjointed.
I loved the elements of faith included. There was an entire chapter dedicated to the author's faith in God, praying, and God's provision and safety. I didn't expect that, so it was a very nice surprise to see it included. Those were also some of the parts that got me teary-eyed.
Content:
Language: God's name taken in vain, h*ll
Sexual Content: One mention of a child asking the author how blind people have sex
Violence/Gore: What you'd expect from a story about 9/11, but nothing described in detail
Drugs/Alcohol: None
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