As I read about her perspective on the 9/11 tragedy, I felt a close connection, and I found myself trying to remember what happened that day. I remember being in 3rd grade, and I remember a little of the shock that the teachers showed when they heard the announcements. I remember the announcements made on the PA system by the principal, and how he sounded so serious, while he usually is a very relaxed person. I remember being dismissed from school early, and waiting for my mom to show up. I remember the fear on her face as she ushered my sisters and I into the car and took us home. I remember trying to watch it on TV, but the TV was full of static. I remember a lot of the small details. I just can’t seem to remember feeling any fear. As a child, I was observant of many things, but I couldn’t comprehend the magnitude of this event.

I speak of what I remember because I wish to ask, throughout this book, we see countless stories of people who have definitely encountered root shock. I only wonder if there is a similar syndrome faced by the younger children of these families, a situation where the children couldn’t comprehend what was happening but were still affected in some way. Throughout the book, the stories are about people who understood, even to an extent, what was happening. What about the children who couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening? What happened to them?