Columbian immigrant Eddie Torres began his dream job at Cantor Fitzgerald on September 10, 2001. The next day, September 11th, he kissed his pregnant wife goodbye and happily joined his fellow employees in the north tower of the World Trade Center. That was the last contact between Eddie and his widow, Alissa.
American Widow is a graphic novel memoir of Alissa
Torres’ account of 9/11, a comic-book style rendering featuring the talented
work of comic book artist/illustrator Sungyoon Choi. Although the book covers Mrs. Torres’ painful shock over losing her husband, the lonely birth of her son and the bureaucratic nightmares that followed, it fails, in this cartoon style, to fully express the unimaginable pain she must have experienced during this very public tragedy.
Alissa Torres has written multiple essays regarding her 9/11 experience. Her emotionally charged chronicles easily convey the passion lacking from this graphic novel, showcasing her feelings in a more realistic and raw manner. She is obviously a gifted writer; American Widow may have had more punch written in the traditional method. However, fans of graphic memoirs might find this re-telling adequate to the tale.