Best Selling Books by Amy Waldman

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year An Entertainment Weekly Best Novel of the Year An NPR Top Ten Novel of the Year A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year Esquire Book of the Year A jury chooses a memorial for the victims of a devastating terrorist attack on Manhattan, only to learn that the anonymous designer is an American Muslim -- an enigmatic architect named Mohammad Khan. His selection reverberates across a divided, traumatized country and, more intimately, through individual lives. Claire Burwell, the sole widow on the jury, becomes Khan''s fiercest defender. But when the news of his selection becomes public, she comes under pressure from outraged family members and into collision with hungry journalists, opportunistic politicians, and even Khan himself. A story of clashing convictions and emotions, and a cunning satire of political ideals, Amy Waldman''s The Submission is a resonant novel for our times.

From the bestselling author of The Submission: A young Afghan-American woman is trapped between her ideals and the complicated truth in this "penetrating" (O, Oprah Magazine), "stealthily suspenseful," (Booklist, starred review), "breathtaking and achingly nuanced" (Kirkus, starred review) novel. Parveen Shams, a college senior in search of a calling, feels pulled between her charismatic and mercurial anthropology professor and the comfortable but predictable Afghan-American community in her Northern California hometown. When she discovers a bestselling book called Mother Afghanistan, a memoir by humanitarian Gideon Crane that has become a bible for American engagement in the country, she is inspired. Galvanized by Crane''s experience, Parveen travels to a remote village in the land of her birth to join the work of his charitable foundation. When she arrives, however, Crane''s maternity clinic, while grandly equipped, is mostly unstaffed. The villagers do not exhibit the gratitude she expected to receive. And Crane''s memoir appears to be littered with mistakes, or outright fabrications. As the reasons for Parveen''s pilgrimage crumble beneath her, the U.S. military, also drawn by Crane''s book, turns up to pave the solde road to the village, bringing the war in their wake. When a fatal ambush occurs, Parveen must decide whether her loyalties lie with the villagers or the soldiers -- and she must determine her own relationship to the truth. Amy Waldman, who reported from Afghanistan for the New York Times after 9/11, has created a taut, propulsive novel about power, perspective, and idealism, brushing aside the dust of America''s longest-standing war to reveal the complicated truths beneath. A Door in the Earth is the rarest of books, one that helps us understand living history through poignant characters and unforgettable storytelling.

Quelques années après le 11-Septembre, un jury se réunit pour choisir un projet de mémorial afin de rendre hommage aux victimes. À la stupeur générale, le vainqueur du concours est un musulman, l''architecte Mohammad Kahn. La presse s''empare de cette nouvelle et un débat féroce déchire l''opinion. Familles endeuillées, journalistes, jurés, tous réagissent avec violence. Les uns crient à l''outrage, les autres en appellent à la liberté. Considéré comme Le Bûcher des vanités des années 2000, Un concours de circonstances dresse le portrait d''un pays aux prises avec ses paradoxes. Amy Waldman explore les conséquences médiatiques, politiques et intimes de ce jour funeste qui a transformé à jamais l''Amérique. Amy Waldman est journaliste. Elle a travaillé pendant près de dix ans pour le New York Times et a été correspondante pour The Atlantic. Spécialiste des questions internationales, elle a couvert les événements du 11-Septembre. Un concours de circonstances, son premier roman, a été un immense succès aux États-Unis. " Un rythme et un suspens dignes d''un thriller ". The Daily Telegraph " Le lecteur sort bouleversé de ce roman qui donne une vision juste des réactions viscérales d''une ville, New York, et d''un pays tout entier ". The New York Times

Alguns anos depois dos atentados de 11 de Setembro, um júri reúne-se em Manhattan para escolher o projeto vencedor de um memorial, a ser erigido no ground zero. Perante milhares de participações anónimas, o júri - constituído por artistas, académicos e a viúva de uma das vítimas - chega finalmente a acordo. Abrem o envelope selado que contém a identidade do vencedor. A perturbação é geral: o distinguido é um arquiteto muçulmano chamado Mohammad Khan. O debate que se segue reacende discórdias presentes desde o início do processo de seleção. Ao questionar a legitimidade da dor, a ambiguidade da arte e o significado do Islão, o júri dá início a um conflito que rapidamente se estende ao país. As fugas de informação para os média colocam sob pressão não só os membros do júri - particularmente Claire Burwell, representante dos familiares das vítimas e inesperada apoiante do vencedor - mas o próprio Mohammad Khan, americano, sofisticado, ambicioso, e que se vê pela primeira vez confrontado com a sua herança cultural. Uma luta entre fações, ou diferentes "Américas", na qual está latente a urgência de uma resposta à questão essencial: como manter viva a memória de uma tragédia?

Dit najaar is het tien jaar geleden dat de twin towers instortten. Amerika is een land waar alles mogelijk is en waar iedereen gelijk is. Althans, zo was het tot 11 september 2001. Jaren na de aanslagen schrijft New York een wedstrijd uit: ontwerp een monument voor de slachtoffers, op de plek van Ground Zero. Inzending is anoniem. Een jury bestaande uit kunsthistorici, vertegenwoordigers van de stad en Claire Harwell, die alle nabestaanden vertegenwoordigt, kiest een winnend ontwerp. De winnaar blijkt moslim en de jury raakt verdeeld; de pers en de politiek duiken er meteen op. Claire wordt onder druk gezet door de nabestaanden. Ondertussen voelt de winnaar zich in het nauw gedreven: zal hij zijn inzending terugtrekken of niet? Amy Waldman werkte voor The New York Times van 1997 tot 2006 en voor The Atlantic. Ze woonde een tijdlang in Berlijn; tegenwoordig woont ze in Brooklyn.

«L''idea era semplice: un giardino rettangolare, cinto da un muro, guidato da una geometria rigorosa. Al centro sorgeva un padiglione rialzato, dedicato al raccoglimento. Due canali ampi e perpendicolari dividevano in quattro uno spazio di due ettari e mezzo. All''interno di ogni riquadro i sentieri imponevano una griglia agli alberi veri e d''acciaio, piantati come i filari di un frutteto. Un muro perimetrale bianco, alto otto metri, racchiudeva l''intero spazio. Le vittime sarebbero state elencate sulla facciata interna del muro, i nomi disposti in modo da imitare l''involucro geometrico degli edifici distrutti. Gli alberi d''acciaio reincarnavano gli edifici in senso ancora piú letterale: sarebbero stati costruiti con i loro rottami recuperati». Amy Waldman, Nei confini di un giardino

A sweet and fun story about a little girl going on an adventure on her bike. A guide packed with what to say when you see people in your neighborhood, bike riding etiquette and ways to build community.