Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Called - Jefferson

Title: Called: Hello, My Name Is Mrs. Jefferson. I Understand Your Plane Is Being Hijacked. 9:45 Am, Flight 93, September 11, 2001


Author: Lisa D. Jefferson
Genre: Memoir
Rating
2/5- Just okay.  Choose with extreme prejudice.

Book Source: Purchased

 
Recommended if you like: Stories about 9/11,  memoirs


 

What Its About:  
Lisa Jefferson, a GTE Airphone supervisor, was taken by surprise on September 11, 2001 when an employee informed her that a man on the telephone system was informing them that he was on a plane that had been hi-jacked. She took over the call, thinking there must be a misunderstanding, and soon found herself speaking directly with Todd Beamer.

Beamer, one of several passengers including Mark BinghamTom Burnett and Jeremy Glick, who formed a plan to take try to recover the plane from the hijackers, shared with Jefferson what was occurring and explained the plan. She spoke and prayed with Todd, a Christian, until, during his final moments, she heard him state the now infamous words "Let's roll!" shortly before the plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field.

Jefferson recalls these moments with Todd and hearing the doomed passengers on Flight 93 and discusses how this event greatly effected her life.








The Bottom Line: 
Overall, Jefferson's story is very interesting and touching. However, her story only represents about half the book. And, her interaction with Flight 93 was considerably less. She shares quite a bit about how her life was changed after this event. Already a Christian, this event seems to have strengthened her belief in God... that's it. The remainder of the book was input from others who lost loved ones on 9/11.  While valuable stories, I was interested in hearing much more about Jefferson's experiences, more of her conversation with Beamer, and felt cheated when it was cut short.

To be fair, such a dramatic event probably made it difficult to remember many specifics... but  overall, I just felt cheated. Well written though, this one's worth it if you are really into stories of 9/11, otherwise there are better accounts of that day out there.


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