The Savage Quiet September Sun: A Collection of 9/11 Stories [Hardcover]

Victor Lana (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2005

I grew up watching the New York skyline, and from my flat tar roof in Queens I was able to see the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan as it was being built. I felt a palpable thrill each time I passed these glistening towers of glass and steel. Those magnificent edifices defined the size and vibrancy of the city for New Yorkers and people all over the world.

When those stately giants collapsed on 9/11, their loss was compounded by the civilians and rescuers who were inside when they fell. I knew people who died that day, and most every day since 9/11 I think about them. Because of those lost, I felt an obligation to react to 9/11 in fiction. The Savage Quiet September Sun is the result of three and a half years of pain, reflection, and eventually catharsis.

—Victor Lana, August 2005

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Victor Lana is a native New Yorker who lost a family member and friends on 9/11. He has published numerous stories in literary and online magazines as well as two novels, A Death in Prague and Move.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 188 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (October 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595674461
• ISBN-13: 978-0595674466
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,585,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartfelt, August 27, 2007

By 

Donald Capone "Donald Capone" (Hastings on Hudson, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Savage Quiet September Sun: A Collection of 9/11 Stories (Paperback)

It's hard to believe that the sixth anniversary of 9/11 is just about upon us. For the survivors or those who lost loved ones, it must still seem like yesterday. The world of film and literature has had a few big-name entries that deal with the subject: Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, Adam Sandler's Reign Over Me were recent films, and Don DeLillo's new novel Falling Man, which got a starred review from Publishers Weekly.

But there is also a smaller book on the subject, a collection of twelve stories written by New Yorker Victor Lana. Lana's bio says that he "lost a family member and friends on 9/11" and you can tell by the honesty of the writing how much it hit home. Lana's characters deal with 9/11 and its aftermath: the confusion, anger, grief, guilt, paranoia, and overall coping that were results of the tragedy. I don't know how autobiographic some of the stories are, but it must have been cathartic for him to write these tales.

Some of the highlights for me: In "Nisa," a divorced man's new friendship with a young Middle Eastern woman prevents him from slipping into an all too easy prejudice against Arabs, and helps him realize what's important in his life. In "Dust to Dust," a seemingly harmless office prank has serious repercussions for several of the people involved. "From the North Tower to Eternity" has a still disgruntled ex-worker show up in his former boss's office on the morning of 9/11 with the intent to kill him. But fate has other ideas. In "Our Flag Was Still There" a man who co-owns several beach cottages in Long Island with his brother is convinced the three men who rented one of the cottages are terrorists. No one, including his brother, believes him. So he takes matters into his own hands.