9/11 and the Art of Happiness

Comedian Simon Kennedy's mother Yvonne was one of 10 Australians to die during the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the only one to die outside of New York, in the attack on the Pentagon.

9/11 and the Art of Happiness is their story; a thoughtful, reflective and, at times, amusing memoir about the life-changing impact a global political event has on the individuals and their families who are caught in the maelstrom.

Political posturing and the outbreak of war make it easy to forget that the real story of the 9/11 terrorist attacks is the sum of the individual family histories that were altered forever within the space of 24 hours. On 11 September 2001, Simon Kennedy's mother boarded flight AA77 to begin her return to Australia after completing a much-planned holiday of America. All passengers on board were killed in the foiled attempt to crash into the Pentagon.

In 9/11 and the Art of Happiness: An Australian Story, Simon Kennedy remembers his mum and reveals unheard of details about the trauma family members endure in the aftermath of a global terrorist attack. Disbelief mingles briefly with false hope; Airline officials are in constant attention; FBI officials pay cordial visits; Invitations constantly flow to official US memorial and anniversary services, and a confronting trip to Guantanamo Bay to witness the 9/11 trials.

However, the aftermath remains and years later there is not one hour of the day when Simon is not reminded, in some way, of the 9/11 attack.