The Submission

Former New York Times journalist Amy Waldman's first novel, The Submission, records the shockwaves set off by a committee's unwitting decision to award the prize for a 9/11 memorial to Mohammed Khan, an aspiring architect with a strong ego who also happens to be an American citizen and a nonpracticing Muslim. When the committee tries to take back the award after discovering the identity of their recipient, the action sets off a chain of events prompted by a concern for the general public that's quickly poisoned by personal interest. Waldman peoples her book with an array of types: grieving widows, frightened citizens turned paranoid bigots, careerist politicians, and heartless journalists, and she deftly moves the plot from crisis to crisis, examining the ways in which her characters use the events surrounding 9/11 to give shape and meaning to their lives—for better or worse. She also digs deeply into issues on both sides, among them honoring the victim's families versus professing tolerance in the face of rising resentment to Khan and what he represents. However, what's problematic about The Submission is that Waldman is so careful to be respectful to every point of view that she doesn't leave room for surprise in her story, which renders the whole thing oddly flat. Satisfying fiction about 9/11 remains elusive—but you can't fault Waldman for trying.