cover image We're Not Leaving: 9/11 Responders Tell Their Stories of Courage, Sacrifice, and Renewal

We're Not Leaving: 9/11 Responders Tell Their Stories of Courage, Sacrifice, and Renewal

Benjamin J. Luft, M.D. . Greenpoint Press (www.greenpointpress.org), $20 trade paper (302p) ISBN 978-0-9832370-2-0

On September 11, 2001, a group of brave first responders rescued people who were fleeing the World Trade Center towers, then initiated the cleanup to identify remains, rebuild the site, and hopefully find survivors. Ten years later, this collection of stories by medical professor Luft (founder of the Long Island World Trade Center Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program) depicts their experiences. Ranging from police officers to construction workers, these responders share stories of frustration at the inability to find survivors, determination to retrieve remains for families, anger at the government that abandoned their health care and above all, a willingness to do it all over again. In addition, they discuss the physical and psychological trauma they've experienced, and how they've engaged (or initiated) support systems to heal. The visceral nature of their stories will leave readers struggling not to cry, while still feeling incredibly inspired. Though the stories are similar, this repetition reinforces the emotional power of the text and the fact that even now, wounds remain open, though they are slowly healing. (Sept.)