On 11 September 2001, Australian Yvonne Kennedy boarded American Airlines flight 77 to return to Australia after a US holiday. That day has since been seared into our consciousness. Her flight was hijacked and deliberately crashed into the Pentagon. All passengers on board were killed.
Yvonne's death left her family devastated. In 9/11 and the Art of Happiness her son, Simon Kennedy, a well-known Australian comedian and broadcaster, recounts the distressing and often at-times bizarre events that followed. Initially there is confusion: Was his mother actually on the plane? The world of officialdom then turns everything upside down and there is no space to grieve: airline officials require endless information; FBI agents pay home visits; and an invitation is received to meet Barrack Obama at an official US memorial service. And there is always the media wanting personal information.
However, even ten years after the event, Simon is reminded each day of the 9/11 attack. The aftermath of his mother's shocking death remains, making it difficult to come to terms with his loss but even more remarkable that he has found his way to forgiveness.
9/11 and the Art of Happiness is an engrossing story of the life-changing impact a global political event has on the individuals and their families who are caught in the maelstrom.
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