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After September 11, 2001, so much changed in such a short amount of time that it can be dizzying to consider. Recalling how lax security could be in places is almost like a dream. While much attention and remembrance are given to the lives lost and the emergency responders who risked everything, and rightfully so, there is another group curiously ignored in these tributes and memorials. The flight crews and pilots on the four hijacked commercial flights had to make decisions they were not trained for and had never been involved in to try and save themselves, their passengers, and potentially others on numerous other flights. In this series of essays, the author draws on her decades of experience as a flight attendant to examine the circumstances of 9/11 and give those brave airline workers their due honor and respect.
Every chapter of this book is carefully researched and cites numerous publications and websites to back up any claims made or questions asked. However, what really allows this book to make such a massive impact is not the depth of research but the inclusion and collection of personal stories of those who worked in the industry and were familiar with the goings-on and communications that would have taken place on those fated flights. 9/11 will always leave a scar in the minds and hearts of those that lived through it, but the severity of that wound obviously depends on the proximity to the events of that terrible day. For those who had to board airplanes almost every day afterward to make a living, this book asks the reader to consider the fear they understandably felt toward their own workplaces and the lack of gratitude this country showed to their entire profession.