“American Widow”: The Personal is Political
I bought Alissa Torres’ American Widow after I saw it recommended at Mental Multivitamin and Entertainment Weekly. On 9/11, Torres was in her third trimester of pregnancy, and her husband had just started working in the Twin Towers the day before. This comic-book memoir tells of her relationship with her husband, Eddie, his death on 9/11 and its aftermath. It touches occasionally on the nation and world at large, but focuses mostly on Torres story, which bring the event into painful, individual detail. Most moving to me was the shift from the outpouring of goodwill and rage, to the backlash and pulling away of both friends and institutions. The black, white and blue illustrations by Sungyoon Choi are simple yet evocative. They’re a good complement for Torres’ text, which I appreciated for its honesty, ambivalence, and ultimately, its hope.
September 25th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Oh my gosh, I think I love your taste in books.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Jodi, you can see more books I’ve reviewed either by following the 2009 Books link at right, or by clicking through to my library at Library Thing.