It will soon be 25 years since September 11, 2001βa day etched into our collective memory. I'm from NY but was working in Atlanta on that infamous date. My two uncles were there, in the horror and frenzy of it all. One walked across the Brooklyn Bridge; both survived. Too many weren't so lucky.
Ordinary people became heroes, running up the stairs, through the smoke, and into the fire. Many didn't go home. They taught us what is deep inside each and every one of us. I hope that one day it will not take such horrific tragedy to surface our humanity.
The epilogue in When Songs of Children Filled the Air takes place on September 11, 2026. The main narrative traces an alternate history year from 9.11.01 to 9.11.02. Looking back across a quarter-century of grief, survival, and reconstruction, the narrative poses a quiet, profound question:
When tragedy shatters our world, do we choose retribution... or do we have the courage to see beyond "Us" and "Them"?
π About the Novel
Songs of Children is not a story of war, flag-waving, or political rhetoric. It is a deeply human exploration of parental sacrifice, civil liberties, and the enduring power of empathy. In a dark alternate timeline where the immediate aftermath of 9/11 triggers mandatory curfews, restricted travel zones, and internment camps on domestic soil, three disparate strangers (one with two children) take shelter inside an abandoned 250-year-old estate:
- Allison, a mother navigating grief and guilt while protecting her two children.
- Jake, an injured cable installer mourning the loss of his wife and son.
- Farid, a decorated Muslim NYPD officer targeted by prejudice despite his loyalty.
- Ryan, a teenager who lost his father in the attacks resists becoming the "man of the house" and his mother taking on the role of father with equal angst.
- Megan, a deaf girl who navigates a terrifying world through American Sign Language and quiet observation.
βπ Bonus: Read the letters Megan couldn't send.β
βUnsent Letters to Amina.pdfβ
As fear and martial law sweep the nation, this unconventional "found family" creates a sanctuary built on protection, shared loss, and mutual trust. And in the book's heart-pounding climax, when a terrified young suicide bomber holds a dead man's switch in a locked atrium, it isnβt force that breaks the standoff...
Be among the first to read it
Without reviews, this profound and moving story will die a slow death on an Amazon book page no one will see. Beyond that, I truly wish to share this book with you, the ones on my (normally useless) newsletter and who support independent authors like me.
Since time is precious (and I don't want this book pirated), I'm looking for applicants to join the ARC team. If approved, you will receive the full edited and proofread novel for free. First and foremost, I hope you will enjoy it, that it may even impact you.
Second, assuming you enjoy the book, I'd love for you to leave a star rating and review. That helps potential readers discover the story and take a chance on reading it.
π ARC Application Form (a minute or so and done)
I truly appreciate having you as a reader,
Neil
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