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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
This book starts with a relatively simple question: what if, out of thousands of anonymous submissions, the memorial design chosen to commemorate the tragedy of 9/11 was designed by a Muslim? But through this question, Waldman weaves a deeply moving narrative of grief and coping (or lack thereof) through the eyes of the many various groups and persons affected by the attacks.
The Submission is, more than anything, a character study. Most of Waldman's characters are realistically multifaceted people who are as unpredictable as they are stubborn. They are lost, fragile, searching. They can be confusing and unreachable. But in them, readers can begin to understand the complexity of the national populace in a post-9/11 American, both those aspects that are familiar or agreeable and those that are not.
I found this book to be a quick but hard read, not just because I became so frustrated with the characters at times but because it drew out emotions and prejudices that I didn't realize I had. One of the most gripping parts of The Submission is that it forced me to recognize the trauma that we still experience as citizens and individuals every day. And it gave me the chance to understand others' experience of this trauma.
I'll be honest: it doesn't have a particularly happy or conclusive ending. It leaves you stuck. Stuck thinking and wondering and reflecting, no answers in sight. But it was worth the time. Waldman is a fantastic author and a master of thematic writing.
The Submission is, more than anything, a character study. Most of Waldman's characters are realistically multifaceted people who are as unpredictable as they are stubborn. They are lost, fragile, searching. They can be confusing and unreachable. But in them, readers can begin to understand the complexity of the national populace in a post-9/11 American, both those aspects that are familiar or agreeable and those that are not.
I found this book to be a quick but hard read, not just because I became so frustrated with the characters at times but because it drew out emotions and prejudices that I didn't realize I had. One of the most gripping parts of The Submission is that it forced me to recognize the trauma that we still experience as citizens and individuals every day. And it gave me the chance to understand others' experience of this trauma.
I'll be honest: it doesn't have a particularly happy or conclusive ending. It leaves you stuck. Stuck thinking and wondering and reflecting, no answers in sight. But it was worth the time. Waldman is a fantastic author and a master of thematic writing.
Rare is the book that makes you truly question your own beliefs and how you would respond in the given scenario...
In 2003, an appointed panel chooses a design winner in a blind competition for the World Trade Center memorial in downtown Manhattan. The group is a smattering of NY elite, include attorneys, artists, historians, and a wealthy widow whose husband died in the WTC.
The first few chapters describe the inner-workings of the jury as they narrow the field to two designs with advocates and dissenters on both sides. I liked the inter-play between the characters here, and I do wish that some of that would have continued through the rest of the story. Finally, the jury votes and in a slight majority "The Garden" design is selected after hard campaigning by the widow, Claire.
...but when the designer is revealed to be an American Muslim, a whole lot of scrambling happens. The jury decides to sit on their decision for a few days, but in the meantime, the winner is leaked to the press and the windfall begins.
At the heart of it is Mohammed "Mo" Khan, the intensely private designer and architect. Just as one would suspect, he is eaten alive by the press and many citizen groups. Very few people (including the jury that chose his design) come to his defense. Mo's motivations come into question, and he is thrown into the role of villain, hero, and martyr all at once by the different factions.
Swirling around this nexus is the story of two other "families": Sean, the brother of a fallen firefighter, and Asma, the illegal Bangladeshi immigrant whose husband was a janitor in the WTC. These two stories were so heavy and full of gravity. I really like the way Waldman wrote both of these characters, who couldn't be more different than each other.
This is a ripe choice for book group discussion because there is so much to chew on. Extremely powerful book. One of my favorites of the year.
In 2003, an appointed panel chooses a design winner in a blind competition for the World Trade Center memorial in downtown Manhattan. The group is a smattering of NY elite, include attorneys, artists, historians, and a wealthy widow whose husband died in the WTC.
The first few chapters describe the inner-workings of the jury as they narrow the field to two designs with advocates and dissenters on both sides. I liked the inter-play between the characters here, and I do wish that some of that would have continued through the rest of the story. Finally, the jury votes and in a slight majority "The Garden" design is selected after hard campaigning by the widow, Claire.
...but when the designer is revealed to be an American Muslim, a whole lot of scrambling happens. The jury decides to sit on their decision for a few days, but in the meantime, the winner is leaked to the press and the windfall begins.
At the heart of it is Mohammed "Mo" Khan, the intensely private designer and architect. Just as one would suspect, he is eaten alive by the press and many citizen groups. Very few people (including the jury that chose his design) come to his defense. Mo's motivations come into question, and he is thrown into the role of villain, hero, and martyr all at once by the different factions.
Swirling around this nexus is the story of two other "families": Sean, the brother of a fallen firefighter, and Asma, the illegal Bangladeshi immigrant whose husband was a janitor in the WTC. These two stories were so heavy and full of gravity. I really like the way Waldman wrote both of these characters, who couldn't be more different than each other.
This is a ripe choice for book group discussion because there is so much to chew on. Extremely powerful book. One of my favorites of the year.
A page turner and thought provoking. Explores how people develop, hold onto and sometimes let go of strongly held convictions, often without really understanding how they arrived at them.
I really enjoyed this book, because it was nice to see so many different perspectives on the issue of whether or not a 9/11 memorial designed by a Muslim man should be allowed to be built. That being said, I think the undercurrent of the book was less neutral than I was given to believe. At least to me, this book read very much that Mo should be allowed to create the memorial that he suggested regardless of his religion, because he rightfully won the competition. I will fully admit, however, that this may be because that is my own opinion and I read the book with my own views in mind. Should it be true, I suspect that this book will receive much less praise from people who believe that he should not have been allowed to create the memorial because of his religion. Still, an interesting read that discusses viewpoints such as Mo himself, a woman widowed by the 9/11 attacks, people in positions of power, newspapers and those campaigning against Mo based on their belief that it would be offense to allow a Muslim man to design the 9/11 memorial.
This really was quite brilliant, and should I teach a class on public memory again, I will most definitely assign it to y students (which, given Arizona's less than stellar reputation when it comes to racial politics, should be quite interesting, to say the least). The trick of the book comes down to recognizing that the titular noun, submission, works on several levels. Not only is it about the actual submission to the design competition, but it also involves the submission the individual memory is forced to make when faced with that of the collective. Beyond being interesting from a philosophical perspective, it's also a damn good story! Highly recommended.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A contest to design a memorial commemorating the lives lost during 9/11 spirals out of control, touching the lives of many. This novel goes so many directions, offering insight into half a dozen characters, their pain and their joy. It’s unexpected and heart-wrenching, lively and a little cold. Some story strands feel a little short cut, some scenes were a little awkward and in general the book felt a little off sometimes, the the author didn’t have enough space for what she wanted to do. Still, this book was very impactful and suspenseful and necessary.
I'd heard good things about this book - that it was one of the better ruminations on 9/11 out there, etc. I found it easy to start, but very very hard to finish. I didn't identify with any of the characters and I stopped caring about the outcome. I was skimming by the last third and would have abandoned it if I hadn't already made it that far. It was too long - and too short on plot and character development.
I'd give it a 4.5 if I could...when will you give us half stars Goodreads??