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On My Watch
As the nation came together to mourn, to support, and to rebuild in the aftermath of 9/11, Virginia Buckingham was singled out for blame. As the head of Boston’s Logan International Airport, the launching pad for the hijacked planes that destroyed the Twin Towers, she was scapegoated by the media and political leaders for supposed airport security lapses and forced to resign. She was also sued for wrongful death by the family of a 9/11 victim, holding her personally responsible for the terrorist attack.
A rising star at thirty-five, Buckingham had served as chief of staff to two consecutive Massachusetts governors before becoming the first woman to head the state’s Port Authority. But her life and career were suddenly derailed. Grappling with issues of trauma, faith, leadership, and resilience, this unique memoir shares her struggle to rebuild her life and come to terms with being blamed for the unimaginable tragedy that occurred on her watch.
A rising star at thirty-five, Buckingham had served as chief of staff to two consecutive Massachusetts governors before becoming the first woman to head the state’s Port Authority. But her life and career were suddenly derailed. Grappling with issues of trauma, faith, leadership, and resilience, this unique memoir shares her struggle to rebuild her life and come to terms with being blamed for the unimaginable tragedy that occurred on her watch.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 14, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 14, 2020
I was deeply moved by Virginia Buckingham's memoir "On My Watch".
A heartfelt, interesting and beautifully written account of the woman in charge of the Massachusett's Port Authority at Boston's Logan Airport at the time of the 9/11 horrific tragedy.
Two of the hijacked planes that destroyed the Twin Towers departed from her airport. In turn, she was blamed by the media and political leaders for presumed airport security negligence. She was also sued for wrongful death by the family of a 9/11 victim.
This memoir is Virginia's unimaginable journey through blame, self-doubt, trauma, unwarranted guilt and ultimately working through it to find herself again and move forward.
An exceptional read!
A heartfelt, interesting and beautifully written account of the woman in charge of the Massachusett's Port Authority at Boston's Logan Airport at the time of the 9/11 horrific tragedy.
Two of the hijacked planes that destroyed the Twin Towers departed from her airport. In turn, she was blamed by the media and political leaders for presumed airport security negligence. She was also sued for wrongful death by the family of a 9/11 victim.
This memoir is Virginia's unimaginable journey through blame, self-doubt, trauma, unwarranted guilt and ultimately working through it to find herself again and move forward.
An exceptional read!
September 19, 2023
This was my book club pick for September to fit the theme of 9/11. I was looking forward to perhaps a "different" story on the day, but this fell short for me in many ways.
I think ultimately what didn't work for me was the narrator. She seemed unreliable and therefore unbelievable in a lot of things she said. For one, she was the age I am now (36) on 9/11, yet she was CEO of the entire Massport/Logan airport. How does a 36-year-old have that much power already? I think she tried to establish her status by sharing a little about her previous roles in politics, but my gosh, I am basically working in a junior-level position at this point in life. I am nowhere near being given complete authority over an entire major international airport.
Regardless of how she got there, she was still in charge. I fully, 1000% believe that there was nothing anyone (in the US, that is) could have done to prevent these attacks. Not her, not the president, no one but Osama bin Laden himself. These attacks happened, and "worked" (for lack of a better word) because they knew our system, they knew they could do this. If they couldn't do this—that is, use commercial airliners as weapons—then they would have done something else. No amount of machine guns in the airport (which is absolutely insane, by the way) would have prevented this. No one person could have stopped this.
Anyway, I feel like once one person placed the blame on her, she suddenly made 9/11 about her. And that didn't sit well with me. Sure, if someone blames you, you feel guilt. Plenty of people feel survivor's guilt for 9/11, but she really seemed to turn this entire thing into her having to resign from her job, having nightmares, etc. She was not the only one blamed yet she seems to be the only one who has been blamed and has made this all about her. I don't like it.
And I'll give her the benefit of the doubt here and say I feel like she added in little details about her son to sort of, I don't know, add some sort of "innocence" factor in the narrative, but most of what this child said was pretty unbelievable. I had a hard time knowing exactly how old he was at any given time in the book, but I don't think a one or two-year-old on 9/11 would have the wherewithal to say something like, "You no go save people" to their mother. All of what she said he said just seemed too far-fetched to be real, too forced, and just completely unnatural. It frankly made me wonder what else was perhaps somewhat embellished/fabricated to fit her narrative (which is acceptable in memoir writing, technically, but you walk a fine line).
Overall, I'm sorry people blamed her and she felt enormous guilt because of it. But there is no one to blame but OBL and the highjackers themselves. Make and keep 9/11 about the victims and those who died trying to save others, not about you being blamed.
I think ultimately what didn't work for me was the narrator. She seemed unreliable and therefore unbelievable in a lot of things she said. For one, she was the age I am now (36) on 9/11, yet she was CEO of the entire Massport/Logan airport. How does a 36-year-old have that much power already? I think she tried to establish her status by sharing a little about her previous roles in politics, but my gosh, I am basically working in a junior-level position at this point in life. I am nowhere near being given complete authority over an entire major international airport.
Regardless of how she got there, she was still in charge. I fully, 1000% believe that there was nothing anyone (in the US, that is) could have done to prevent these attacks. Not her, not the president, no one but Osama bin Laden himself. These attacks happened, and "worked" (for lack of a better word) because they knew our system, they knew they could do this. If they couldn't do this—that is, use commercial airliners as weapons—then they would have done something else. No amount of machine guns in the airport (which is absolutely insane, by the way) would have prevented this. No one person could have stopped this.
Anyway, I feel like once one person placed the blame on her, she suddenly made 9/11 about her. And that didn't sit well with me. Sure, if someone blames you, you feel guilt. Plenty of people feel survivor's guilt for 9/11, but she really seemed to turn this entire thing into her having to resign from her job, having nightmares, etc. She was not the only one blamed yet she seems to be the only one who has been blamed and has made this all about her. I don't like it.
And I'll give her the benefit of the doubt here and say I feel like she added in little details about her son to sort of, I don't know, add some sort of "innocence" factor in the narrative, but most of what this child said was pretty unbelievable. I had a hard time knowing exactly how old he was at any given time in the book, but I don't think a one or two-year-old on 9/11 would have the wherewithal to say something like, "You no go save people" to their mother. All of what she said he said just seemed too far-fetched to be real, too forced, and just completely unnatural. It frankly made me wonder what else was perhaps somewhat embellished/fabricated to fit her narrative (which is acceptable in memoir writing, technically, but you walk a fine line).
Overall, I'm sorry people blamed her and she felt enormous guilt because of it. But there is no one to blame but OBL and the highjackers themselves. Make and keep 9/11 about the victims and those who died trying to save others, not about you being blamed.
April 8, 2022
3.5 - very well written and interesting to learn about 9/11 from the author’s prospective.
May 16, 2020
On My Watch is an interesting story... for awhile. The first half of the book is fascinating and engaging, as the author Virginia Buckingham describes the horror of the 9/11 attacks from her perspective as CEO of Logan Airport in Boston. Buckingham became the scapegoat for the ordeal by some political figures and reporters who needed someone to blame. She was deeply pained by the attacks, and deeply shamed by the view that it was her failure to put security safeguards in place, that enabled the attacks. Each time she is "exonerated" by a journalist, a commission or a trial, she regains her emotional footing, only to be knocked off balance again the next time someone holds her personally responsible. I usually enjoy a book that includes a psychological study of a public figure, but Virginia's descriptions of her seesawing emotional state is ceaselessly repetitive. She randomly decides to end the story with the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, when she seems to be no better or worse off than she was 6 years prior.
Buckingham seems to feel the need to show the reader how well-connected she is to powerful people, but rather than lending her credibility, her status-seeking makes her seem a bit unlikeable. It also makes the reader question the wisdom of a governor APPOINTING someone with no aviation experience to run a international airport. Buckingham might have approached the story instead by describing the hard work and creative thinking she had to do in order to achieve her great successes.
On the plus side, I enjoyed Buckingham's descriptions of her yearly family icy water swims on New Year's Day, and of her relationship with her supremely patient and supportive husband. I applauded her fortitude in seeking therapy and moving forward in the face of the appalling accusations hurled against her, as well as her ability to reinvent herself in searching for new employment.
This book will be an important part of the 9/11 archives, and will be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in learning about it from a new perspective.
Big thanks to #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of #OnMyWatch for review.
Buckingham seems to feel the need to show the reader how well-connected she is to powerful people, but rather than lending her credibility, her status-seeking makes her seem a bit unlikeable. It also makes the reader question the wisdom of a governor APPOINTING someone with no aviation experience to run a international airport. Buckingham might have approached the story instead by describing the hard work and creative thinking she had to do in order to achieve her great successes.
On the plus side, I enjoyed Buckingham's descriptions of her yearly family icy water swims on New Year's Day, and of her relationship with her supremely patient and supportive husband. I applauded her fortitude in seeking therapy and moving forward in the face of the appalling accusations hurled against her, as well as her ability to reinvent herself in searching for new employment.
This book will be an important part of the 9/11 archives, and will be enjoyed by anyone who is interested in learning about it from a new perspective.
Big thanks to #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of #OnMyWatch for review.
February 13, 2021
I felt a connection to the author of this book. We were both born in the suburbs of central CT - We were both born in 1965 - I was born in August, the author a month later in September. She attended Boston College in MA - I applied to Boston College but was not accepted - I instead attended Bentley College, which was about 20 minutes away from Boston College. My sister did attend Boston College 5 years later.
I too also loved Boston and I stayed there for a year after I graduated. I have visited Marblehead, MA, where the author lived during the tragedy and I have also viewed the beach where she joins in the annual polar plunge. I have flown out of Logan airport, the place where the terrorists boarded the 2 planes that would crash into the World Trade Centers in New York on September 11, 2001.
When I heard about the 9/11 tragedy and found out that 2 of the planes had departed from Logan airport, I never even considered any kind of blame. I felt for the employees of the airport because I could only imagine the pain they were feeling. I felt that if anyone was to blame, it was the US Federal government, the ones who are in charge of the TSA and safety in our country. I would never have thought of blaming the airport, never mind putting the blame on one innocent woman.
This is an honest, painful, soul-searching account of Virginia's struggle to handle the blame that was repeatedly cast on her for years after the tragedy. Some of the reviews felt that she was bragging and 'name dropping' when she describes how she worked for the governor of MA. I don't believe that at all - she just describes her past and her relationships with the politicians and other people of Boston.
I am sure there isn't a day that goes by where she does not think about this tragedy and I wish her peace and tranquility to know that she is not to blame.
I too also loved Boston and I stayed there for a year after I graduated. I have visited Marblehead, MA, where the author lived during the tragedy and I have also viewed the beach where she joins in the annual polar plunge. I have flown out of Logan airport, the place where the terrorists boarded the 2 planes that would crash into the World Trade Centers in New York on September 11, 2001.
When I heard about the 9/11 tragedy and found out that 2 of the planes had departed from Logan airport, I never even considered any kind of blame. I felt for the employees of the airport because I could only imagine the pain they were feeling. I felt that if anyone was to blame, it was the US Federal government, the ones who are in charge of the TSA and safety in our country. I would never have thought of blaming the airport, never mind putting the blame on one innocent woman.
This is an honest, painful, soul-searching account of Virginia's struggle to handle the blame that was repeatedly cast on her for years after the tragedy. Some of the reviews felt that she was bragging and 'name dropping' when she describes how she worked for the governor of MA. I don't believe that at all - she just describes her past and her relationships with the politicians and other people of Boston.
I am sure there isn't a day that goes by where she does not think about this tragedy and I wish her peace and tranquility to know that she is not to blame.
September 21, 2021
When I learned that there was a memoir written by the woman who was the CEO of the Boston airport in 2001, I was interested to hear what her story was. I can't imagine being picked as the scapegoat for a tragedy like 9/11, and the PTSD she describes living with made total sense to me.
I liked these quotes:
We rely on blame—by others and of ourselves—to avoid the truth that our lives and those of our loved ones are fragile. What if, after we came together to address, to the extent humanly possible, our vulnerability to terrorism, we acknowledged our mortality, the fragility of our lives?
“Finding words where words were absent before and, as a result, being able to share your deepest pain and deepest feelings with another human being,” he wrote, is “fundamental to healing the isolation of trauma—especially if other people in our lives have ignored or silenced us. Communicating fully is the opposite of being traumatized.”
I liked these quotes:
We rely on blame—by others and of ourselves—to avoid the truth that our lives and those of our loved ones are fragile. What if, after we came together to address, to the extent humanly possible, our vulnerability to terrorism, we acknowledged our mortality, the fragility of our lives?
“Finding words where words were absent before and, as a result, being able to share your deepest pain and deepest feelings with another human being,” he wrote, is “fundamental to healing the isolation of trauma—especially if other people in our lives have ignored or silenced us. Communicating fully is the opposite of being traumatized.”
April 26, 2020
" On My Watch" authored by Virginia Buckingham. Not at all like any of the other books written about 9/11. We all know where we were when we watched and or heard about this horrific tragedy! We all were forever changed! This book is heartfelt and soul searching account of and by Virginia Buckingham, head of Massachusetts 's Port Authority at Boston's Logan international Airport. It is raw, intensely personable. Factual. And, informative and from an entirely different view. I highly recommend it!
September 19, 2021
A perspective that I myself never considered when thinking of 9/11, the experiences of the female CEO of Massport (The Massachusetts Port Authority), Virginia Buckingham, who was in charge when Flights 11 and 175 left Logan Airport on that fateful day.
The book was a pretty quick read and engaging in many places, but also a bit woe-is-me in others. I feel compassion for her situation, but I also feel she and others in her professional circle bear some responsibility for the events of that day. The book feels like "the lady doth protest too much". And while she expresses guilt for her part in the tragedy, one wonders if it's guilt in response to being blamed or guilt for feeling responsible in some way.
As another reviewer said, Ms. Buckingham does a lot of name dropping and tries to portray herself as a very well connected woman, both professionally and personally. This, for me, made her a bit less likable and a less sympathetic character.
I'm glad I read the book however, because this was one of the few chapters of the 9/11 story that I was not familiar with until now.
The book was a pretty quick read and engaging in many places, but also a bit woe-is-me in others. I feel compassion for her situation, but I also feel she and others in her professional circle bear some responsibility for the events of that day. The book feels like "the lady doth protest too much". And while she expresses guilt for her part in the tragedy, one wonders if it's guilt in response to being blamed or guilt for feeling responsible in some way.
As another reviewer said, Ms. Buckingham does a lot of name dropping and tries to portray herself as a very well connected woman, both professionally and personally. This, for me, made her a bit less likable and a less sympathetic character.
I'm glad I read the book however, because this was one of the few chapters of the 9/11 story that I was not familiar with until now.
May 5, 2020
This memoir tells a side of the 9/11 tragedy I wasn't aware of, only being a child at the time of the attacks.
...
This book isn't just about 9/11 though. It's about trauma, how you deal with it and how you move forward, rather than move ON. How one event can, in a blink of an eye, cause you to lose your sense of self, and the long journey often involved in finding yourself again.
...
It highlights some truly awful parts of humanity, obviously the main part centrally to the book being terrorism, but more importantly and more commonly, the damage that people can inflict on others with just their words. But, juxtaposing this is the fact that words can also bring so much hope, love and light to someone's life.
...
I was deeply moved by the short retelling of the attacks against Ginny's timeline on the day but mainly by Ginny's incredible journey to learn to cope with the unwarranted guilt that was placed on her by others but also herself.
...
Best book I've read this year (and I've read 46 so far!)
...
This book isn't just about 9/11 though. It's about trauma, how you deal with it and how you move forward, rather than move ON. How one event can, in a blink of an eye, cause you to lose your sense of self, and the long journey often involved in finding yourself again.
...
It highlights some truly awful parts of humanity, obviously the main part centrally to the book being terrorism, but more importantly and more commonly, the damage that people can inflict on others with just their words. But, juxtaposing this is the fact that words can also bring so much hope, love and light to someone's life.
...
I was deeply moved by the short retelling of the attacks against Ginny's timeline on the day but mainly by Ginny's incredible journey to learn to cope with the unwarranted guilt that was placed on her by others but also herself.
...
Best book I've read this year (and I've read 46 so far!)
September 5, 2020
Ho scoperto questo libro attraverso un articolo. È la storia della direttrice dell’Aeroporto Logan di Boston, da cui partirono due degli aerei coinvolti negli attentati dell’11 settembre. Nonostante non avesse responsabilità alcuna sulle procedure di sicurezza, è stata presto additata come responsabile di quei due dirottamenti. Il libro racconta in prima persona gli effetti traumatici delle accuse e di ciò che capita quando si cerca un capro espiatorio a tutti i costi. Un racconto intimo, di una persona che ha dovuto ricostruire la sua vita e la sua carriera. E che ancora lotta per riprendersi una parte di vita persa.
January 19, 2021
Not all real life stories fit into a nice mould, some stay soft and continue to be shaped by what happens around them. Its heart wrenching and beautiful at the same time to read how helpful environment and people can mould the story the right way. Its a wonderful memoir of an individual who's life was turned upside down by tumultuous events of 9-11 more so than others, and still it seemed she was all alone in this and still feels it this way many times. However presence of loved ones and kind souls around her helped in the healing process to "move forward"
January 18, 2022
Tough to put in to words how this book moved me.
I cannot imagine the trauma that Ginny Buckingham felt and continues to carry within her. None of what happened on 9/11 was her fault. PTSD is so personal that I cannot figure out how to get through my own experiences. I'm thrilled that her marriage thrived! My only criticism is that she was a little self serving, especially about President Bush. He, too, must suffer from PTSD over 9/11. Stay the course, Ginny. You seem to have always been a stellar worker, a great wife and mom, and a good human being!
I cannot imagine the trauma that Ginny Buckingham felt and continues to carry within her. None of what happened on 9/11 was her fault. PTSD is so personal that I cannot figure out how to get through my own experiences. I'm thrilled that her marriage thrived! My only criticism is that she was a little self serving, especially about President Bush. He, too, must suffer from PTSD over 9/11. Stay the course, Ginny. You seem to have always been a stellar worker, a great wife and mom, and a good human being!
May 30, 2020
An emotional and at times heartbreaking read from someone involved in and directed affected by the tragedy that was/is 9/11. I can't imagine what Virginia goes through every day and the mental demons that she has to deal with, even when they are quiet they are still there.
The book is a page turner, and a very different perspective of what happened on that tragic day. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
The book is a page turner, and a very different perspective of what happened on that tragic day. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC.
September 25, 2020
In this book Virginia Buckingham gives us an important perspective to the national history of 9/11. Being the Director of Massport at the time of the terrorist incident she has an insider’s knowledge of what went on behind the scenes and in the media. While in some ways this book reads like a fast-paced historical account, the authors primary focus is the emotional toil that the events took upon her and the long pathway to healing the trauma. The narrative is heart-wrenchingly honest. Having myself been treated for PTSD, I can well recognize the courage, fortitude , and perseverance that it took to write this account of her healing journey.
February 17, 2021
Some of this book was interesting. I didn't know that people held the head of Boston's Logan airport responsible for allowing the 9/11 hijackers to board from that airport. It was an unfair accusation and it she seemed "detached" while speaking after the attacks, it was because she was trying to hold it together and do her job.
May 28, 2020
Thoughtful memoir about 9/11
Excellent memoir detailing one person's experience dealing with the aftermath of one America's most devastating tragedies. Highly recommended. Profound and heartfelt
Excellent memoir detailing one person's experience dealing with the aftermath of one America's most devastating tragedies. Highly recommended. Profound and heartfelt
August 11, 2020
Virginia Buckingham was the CEO of Logan's airport in Boston when 9/11 happened. How she was used as a scapegoat & the blame was placed on her. She resigned from her job & tried to move on. In my opinion she is not to blamed.
September 12, 2020
Wow!
She was blamed for not stopping 9/11. It was not her fault. The terrorists, if stopped at Logan, would have tried again. She was able to get on with her life, but those events, changed her forever.
She was blamed for not stopping 9/11. It was not her fault. The terrorists, if stopped at Logan, would have tried again. She was able to get on with her life, but those events, changed her forever.
November 15, 2020
This took me longer than planned to read, the subject is heavy. The author's struggle living life with PTSD is a dark place that isn't resolved by the end of the book. This story touches me because of its realness.
March 2, 2024
I certainly remember 9/11 but I don’t remember any of this blaming about the Boston airport. The author did a great job explaining things and especially her feelings at the time and over the years. I hope writing this book has helped her heal at least a little bit more.
September 4, 2024
Apart from the fact that this book gives an inside account of one of the great historical events of the twenty-first century, it is an excellent revelation of the extent to which PTSD can penetrate the soul. I found it compelling.
April 30, 2020
A beautifully written account by the woman in charge of Logan Airport on 9/11. A reminder of how deeply affected so many were, and the path to recovery and hope.
January 14, 2021
Virginia Buckingham's true story in On My Watch: A Memoir was a heartbreaking tale. I highly recommend it. Five stars.
June 11, 2021
Very interesting read about what happens when someone gets blamed for something out of their control. I have great empathy for Viriginia Buckingham and thankful for her sharing her story.
May 15, 2023
Interesting subject, especially as told from a first-person perspective, but the writing is extremely sophomoric. Great literature this is not. Nonetheless, I give her credit for writing it.
September 30, 2025
Well written memoir by someone who was unfairly blamed for the 9/11 terrorist attacks because she was the CEO of Massport.
November 1, 2020
This was a heartbreaking read. Ginny Buckingham was in charge of Boston Logan Airport on 9/11. She was blamed for the attack by the media, the public and families of victims. She was asked to resign from her position so that they didn’t have to fire her. She tells her story of gut wrenching guilt, thoughts of suicide, diagnosis of PTSD and trying to get through daily life. It was hard to read about the way she was treated, but she is a very strong woman.
September 11, 2020
On My Watch by Virginia Buckingham is so much more than “just” another 9/11 memoir, and deserves every five-star review it gets. Stop now and pick up a copy.
On September 11, 2001, the author was the head of the Massachusetts Port Authority, and Boston’s Logan International Airport. Two of the four planes that were hijacked by Islamic extremists that morning left the airport on her watch, and, like countless others, her life was forever changed.
Within hours, America and the world was looking for someone to blame — many inexplicably chose the author.
On My Watch is a powerful and deeply personal memoir about fragility and blame, about self doubt and trauma. Yes, there are nuggets of insight into the tragedy of 9/11, but the focus is on a much more subtle tragedy — what happens when we are faced with the reality that control is a myth?
The author is a superb storyteller and writer. Nearly every scene moves the story forward, informs the overall message and deepens the reader’s understanding and self awareness. The voice is authentic as she grapples — emotionally, intellectually and physically — with the trauma she experienced on that one horrible day, but also on the days, weeks, months and years that followed. She is relentlessly honest in describing her PTSD, in exploring the shattering impact of the press, in being the scapegoat for a nation and individuals desperate to place blame somewhere, anywhere, so they can go back to their comfortable pre-9/11 existences. But the author’s finest and most relatable work is in digging through her own sense of responsibility and the crippling blame it creates.
Structurally, the narrative of Not on My Watch is supported by media sound bytes, which provide an almost visceral gut punch that leaves the reader somehow more vulnerable and more conscious of the power of words — regardless of their source.
This is a great book that speaks to the devastating impact of blame, to great loss and embracing the fragility of moving forward despite the pain.
Again, On My Watch by Virginia Buckingham is so much more than “just” another 9/11 memoir , and deserves every five-star review it gets. Stop now and pick up a copy.
The review is based on an advance copy read.
On September 11, 2001, the author was the head of the Massachusetts Port Authority, and Boston’s Logan International Airport. Two of the four planes that were hijacked by Islamic extremists that morning left the airport on her watch, and, like countless others, her life was forever changed.
Within hours, America and the world was looking for someone to blame — many inexplicably chose the author.
On My Watch is a powerful and deeply personal memoir about fragility and blame, about self doubt and trauma. Yes, there are nuggets of insight into the tragedy of 9/11, but the focus is on a much more subtle tragedy — what happens when we are faced with the reality that control is a myth?
The author is a superb storyteller and writer. Nearly every scene moves the story forward, informs the overall message and deepens the reader’s understanding and self awareness. The voice is authentic as she grapples — emotionally, intellectually and physically — with the trauma she experienced on that one horrible day, but also on the days, weeks, months and years that followed. She is relentlessly honest in describing her PTSD, in exploring the shattering impact of the press, in being the scapegoat for a nation and individuals desperate to place blame somewhere, anywhere, so they can go back to their comfortable pre-9/11 existences. But the author’s finest and most relatable work is in digging through her own sense of responsibility and the crippling blame it creates.
Structurally, the narrative of Not on My Watch is supported by media sound bytes, which provide an almost visceral gut punch that leaves the reader somehow more vulnerable and more conscious of the power of words — regardless of their source.
This is a great book that speaks to the devastating impact of blame, to great loss and embracing the fragility of moving forward despite the pain.
Again, On My Watch by Virginia Buckingham is so much more than “just” another 9/11 memoir , and deserves every five-star review it gets. Stop now and pick up a copy.
The review is based on an advance copy read.
February 23, 2022
I had NO idea the CEO of MassPort was blamed (and sued!) for the attacks on the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. I was appalled to learn of the horrible blame game, both political and social. This is a must-read for the simple fact that it addresses a major cultural downfall of our society, one which has only become a larger problem in the last 20 years. Scapegoating is a practice we need to dismantle immediately.
It was also interesting to read a different experience of the 2001 attacks, and follow the long-term aftermath for one specific person. We often hear "so and so is thriving", "continues to honor such and such"... these things do not happen overnight, and the scars remain. Thank you to Virginia Buckingham for giving us a little glimpse into the humanity of this tragedy.
It was also interesting to read a different experience of the 2001 attacks, and follow the long-term aftermath for one specific person. We often hear "so and so is thriving", "continues to honor such and such"... these things do not happen overnight, and the scars remain. Thank you to Virginia Buckingham for giving us a little glimpse into the humanity of this tragedy.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews