Comment

Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11 by Alan Gratz (2021) is an ambitious novel. Gratz created a rendering, as in - an artistic representing and/or depicting, of something real. Actually, two realities. In Ground Zero Gratz has artistically depicted: the attack on and destruction of humans and buildings at the World Trade Center and the on going, nineteen-year-long American War in Afghanistan. Both of these real events have resulted in thousands of lives loss. Gratz wrote Ground Zero for a readership of eleven year olds and up. I see this book being of value to teens and even folks in there 20’s. The topics are historical and relevant. From my perspective, he has succeeded in creating strong fictional characters and realistic stories set in the World Trade Center deadly assault and the American War in Afghanistan. Gratz has made history available to young people. This book is a metaphorical ‘crack of light’ in the wall or ‘window’ or ‘door’ assessable to young people to learn about terrorism and war. I believe this is an important role for historical fiction to play. Since World War II, hundreds of books of historical fiction, related to the Holocaust, have been written and read. None of them tells the whole story of the Holocaust and each of them is a rendering of parts of the Holocaust. Obviously, this novel by Gratz does not tell the whole story of either of these historic realities. I believe Ground Zero: A Novel of 9/11 is a captivating rendering of the disasters of the terrorism at the World Trade Center and the American War in Afghanistan. I believe that this book can be a ‘crack of light’ in the wall or ‘window’ or ‘door’ to learning for many young people. I recommend this book.