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The Submission
The Submission: A Novel | Amy Waldman
Entertainment Weekly's Favorite Novel of 2011 Esquire's 2011 Book of the Year A New York Times Notable Book for 2011 A Washington Post Notable Fiction Book for 2011 One of NPR's 10 Best Novels of 2011 Ten years after 9/11, a dazzling, kaleidoscopic novel reimagines its aftermath A jury gathers in Manhattan to select a memorial for the victims of a devastating terrorist attack. Their fraught deliberations complete, the jurors open the envelope containing the anonymous winner's nameand discover he is an American Muslim. Instantly they are cast into roiling debate about the claims of grief, the ambiguities of art, and the meaning of Islam. Their conflicted response is only a preamble to the country's. The memorial's designer is an enigmatic, ambitious architect named Mohammad Khan. His fiercest defender on the jury is its sole widow, the self-possessed and mediagenic Claire Burwell. But when the news of his selection leaks to the press, she finds herself under pressure from outraged family members and in collision with hungry journalists, wary activists, opportunistic politicians, fellow jurors, and Khan himselfas unknowable as he is gifted. In the fight for both advantage and their ideals, all will bring the emotional weight of their own histories to bear on the urgent question of how to remember, and understand, a national tragedy. In this deeply humane novel, the breadth of Amy Waldman's cast of characters is matched by her startling ability to conjure their perspectives. A striking portrait of a fractured city striving to make itself whole, The Submission is a piercing and resonant novel by an important new talent.
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review
keithmalek
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Pickpick

Brilliant! Two years after 9/11, a commission is formed to build a memorial. All is well until the commission discovers that the winning design was submitted by a Muslim.

#2024Book10

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keithmalek
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"Nothing in life gets dropped without someone else having to pick it up."

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Lovesbooks87
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@AmyG thanks so much for the surprise book mail! It arrived on the day when I am officially fully vaccinated! So it was a nice surprise to celebrate the day! Thanks again I can‘t wait to read it! 📚📫📚📫📚📫

AmyG Congrats🎉🎉🎉 And enjoy this very good book. 4y
48 likes1 comment
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Amiable
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Pickpick

Several years after 9/11, a jury gathers to select a memorial for the site. After making their decision, the jurors open the envelope containing the anonymous architect/winner's name—and discover he is an American Muslim. Their choice provokes outrage and bigotry and grief and hatred and tolerance -- and discussions into what it means to each of us to be an American. I enjoyed this book, even though it made me angry throughout much of it.

Trashcanman Hello 6y
Chrissyreadit What parts made you angry? I‘m curious about the book but wondering how frustrated I would be. 6y
CouronneDhiver Ooo! Sounds awesome. My world, as a Canadian, was totally rocked by that event... I was in high school at the time. Years later, I still devour 9/11 books and documentaries. Stacked 6y
Amiable @Chrissyreadit I get angry when I read about people trying to justify their bigotry while simultaneously claiming to be "good Christians." Even though it was just a novel. It's also why I get a headache reading the news these days. 6y
Chrissyreadit @Amiable yes- I also lose my temper a lot. I may need to hold off. I‘m pretty angry with the ignorance that is accepted these days. 6y
65 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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I make it my #bizness to read everything about 9/11, so I had to pick up this novel about the planning of the 9/11 memorial and what happens when the winning design turns out to have been created by an American Muslim. I haven‘t read it yet.

#nofemmeber

MicheleinPhilly I loved this book. Pretty sure it was my favorite the year it came out. 6y
Amiable I really liked this one. 6y
Megabooks I‘m fascinated by 9-11, mainly because I slept through it. I was in college and went partying until 3 AM the night before and didn‘t wake up until 2 PM. I‘m very embarrassed about this. I feel like I missed a defining moment of my generation. 6y
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Reviewsbylola Sounds like you were living the Dream tho! As for me, I was in HS and I remember hearing about it in 2nd period study hall and asking our monitor if anyone had died. She looked at me like I was an absolute moron, rightfully so. @megabooks 6y
Megabooks Yikes! Did they put it on a TV in the classroom? I worked at Duke‘s paper and my bff was the editor, and she called me and woke me, and said, “Why aren‘t you here?” Then I asked what was up. She asked me to turn on the tv, any channel. I was basically like, “Oh shit, give me 20 minutes!” 6y
Billypar This sounds amazing! Clever concept- interested in where this could go. 6y
Cinfhen I was married with two kids and very pregnant with child #3 and you two were in school.... I feel old now @Megabooks @Reviewsbylola 😫as for the book I owned it at one point but it ended up in a swap box🙄😛 6y
Megabooks @Cinfhen I find it really interesting when I find out someone‘s age or age range on Litsy. I‘m glad we have these differences. 👍🏻 Anyway, when I was watching Unexpected on TLC (teen mom show) this fall one of the grandmothers was 32 and another was 36. That definitely freaked me out! 6y
britt_brooke Sounds good. #stacked I was in college in my sophomore English class when it happened .... and soon to be married to an Army LT who would subsequently deploy to Iraq 3 times. @Reviewsbylola @Cinfhen @Megabooks 6y
Cinfhen @britt_brooke 😞how terrifying and you‘re legit married to a hero 🦸‍♂️ ❤️ 6y
Cinfhen I‘m 52 and still NOT a grandma 👵🏻 @Megabooks 32 is VERY young to be a grandma 😱 6y
Reviewsbylola I am so glad he made it back. Thank you to your husband for his service! @britt_brooke 6y
Reviewsbylola Um yeah the 32 year old grandma was crazy to me. I had a toddler and a baby at 32. I legit can‘t imagine. @Cinfhen @Megabooks 6y
britt_brooke @Reviewsbylola Thank you! ❤️ 6y
Megabooks @britt_brooke Amazing husband! Please thank him very much for his service! Much appreciation to all of your family at home, too. 💕 6y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola @Cinfhen It was amazing to see how many of the girls were second or even third generation teen moms. SMH 6y
britt_brooke @Megabooks Thank you! 🥰 6y
keithmalek I make it my business to NOT read about 9/11. But I did just finish reading this, and it's brilliant. 8mo
86 likes7 stack adds19 comments
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TheFrenchChick
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Well thought out book to challenge many assumptions.

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Cinfhen
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On the sixteenth anniversary of 9/11 #NeverForget My heart still aches for the lives lost from such a senseless cowardly repugnant act. I have not yet read this book...#chooselove #fallintobooks If you have a chance to visit the memorial and the museum, I recommend you do. It's meaningful & powerful and a reminder that amongst the hatred so many acts of kindness and bravery triumphed 💕💕💕

Dragon I will never forget that day. Very well said @Cinfhen 7y
CouronneDhiver Indeed. I can hardly believe that so many years have passed by already... 7y
Hooked_on_books The book is fascinating. It rings true. 7y
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Cinfhen I've just stacked my own book @Hooked_on_books because of your endorsement 🙄😂 7y
Cinfhen Thanks @CouronneDhiver @Dragon 🙏🏻it's a day the world will never forget 😢 7y
MicheleinPhilly I loved this book. 7y
Cinfhen I started it once before but it wasn't clicking with me...I need to try again @MicheleinPhilly 7y
JaclynW This day is so fresh in my heart and mind. I can't believe 16 years have passed. We took our 3 children to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum last October. It made an lasting impression on all of us. My 14 year old daughter's English teacher has been studying 9/11 with her students the past 2 weeks. They have read first-hand accounts, interviewed parents about that day and had many discussions. I'm glad this day is not forgotten. 💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓 7y
Reviewsbylola I want to go to the memorial so badly. 7y
Cinfhen My favorite part of the museum was the one on one live dialogue @JaclynW Did you guys catch that??? They had a survivor and a rescuer speak to a small audience about their experience on 9/11 and the weeks after. It was beyond moving @Reviewsbylola Next time you're in NY go with @emilyhaldi (edited) 7y
JaclynW @Cinfhen No! I didn't even know that existed! We want to go back. We didn't get to see the entire museum, it was larger than expected and we ran out of time and rushed through parts. I will look for that then. I bet it was beyond moving! The whole museum was that way for me. My heart was heavy when we left. 7y
Cinfhen I went with my daughter, who was 8 on 9/11/01. Her memories were so different than mine from that day so going through the Museum together was very emotional. After the dialogue discussion we spoke with the survivor at length @JaclynW we had an unknown mutual connection ~ eerie (edited) 7y
JaclynW @Cinfhen Oh wow! That is eerie. It is definitely an emotional place. 7y
105 likes8 stack adds13 comments
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My_novel_obsession
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Pickpick

Just finished book 1 for #readathon. Highly recommend 👏

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Hooked_on_books
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My first Litsy post! I got one like and 3 stack adds. I found Litsy through @Liberty and haven't looked back! I check this feed before looking at the news each day and it always brings a smile to my face. And I stand by my review of this one--great book. #booktober

ValerieAndBooks Litsy is now the first social media I check each day, too! 8y
43 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Katrinat888
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I read this for university but thoroughly enjoyed the moral conundrum posed by the book: should a Muslim architect be allowed to design the memorial for 9/11. An interesting cast of characters to watch deliberate over this decision.

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Cinfhen
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Todays #bookhaul cost me $3.00! Feeling pretty darn happy😃

RealLifeReading What a steal! 8y
Bibliogeekery Great haul! 8y
britt_brooke Awesome! 8y
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coffeenebula Poisonwood Bible is fantastic - nice finds! 8y
CherylDeFranceschi Awesome! 8y
29 likes6 comments
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Amrita
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This has been waiting on my shelf for a while and I finally dug into it. Very topical to the current election-related rhetoric. Well written, interesting, and maddening. The multiple entendre of the title slowly unfolds. Very worthwhile.

1 like3 stack adds