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As Americans took comfort in finding heroes amid the ashes of September 11, an unlikely one emerged: Lisa Beamer, a pregnant, stay-at-home mother of two in New Jersey whose husband's bravery and rallying cry, "Let's roll," sparked the imagination of a nation. Opening with the events of the Beamer household on September 11 as seen through Lisa's eyes, the narrative flashes back to the childhoods of both Lisa and Todd, with enough details and photographs to satisfy even the most inquisitive reader. As a teenager, Lisa lost her father unexpectedly to an aortic aneurysm, and she grappled with difficult questions about God and suffering. The story of Todd's growing up focuses on his attributes—"strong, athletic, a gamer, the go-to guy"—that would later help him rally other passengers to divert Flight 93 from its path of greater destruction. Lisa is candid about the couple's struggles with Todd's workaholic tendencies, and she doesn't succumb to candy-coating her grief. "The pain is real, but so is the hope," she writes. With a ready-made audience sympathetic and eager to hear from Beamer, her story will likely inspire even the most jaded and cynical reader.

Cindy Crosby is a frequent contributor to Publishers Weekly.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Let's Roll is available at Christianbook.com.

Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Lisa Beamer formed the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, a non-profit public charity created to equip children experiencing family trauma to make heroic choices every day. Proceeds from the book and a CD, Let's Roll: Together In Unity, Faith and Hope, help support the foundation.

Christianity Today sister publication Today's Christian Woman recently profiled Lisa Beamer in "Looking UpHow Lisa Beamer, widowed wife of 9-11's United Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer, finds strength in her faith."

Previous Christianity Today articles on Todd and Lisa Beamer include:

Let's Roll ©®™The widow of Todd Beamer is concerned that the wrong people are embracing America's new creed. (April 8, 2002)

Widow of September 11 Hero Starts FoundationTodd M. Beamer fund established to care for children who lost parents on United Flight 93. (Dec. 3, 2001)

In Perspective: 'Singer of Simple Songs'"Let's Roll" became a rallying cry for Americans and is now the title shared by two songs from very different artists: dc Talk and Neil Young.

Beamer's Faith, Competitive Streak Set Scene for Flight 93 HeroismFriends say Wheaton grad's determination made him a hero. (October 15, 2001)

Active Christian on Flight 93 Hailed as a HeroWheaton College graduate and others "figured out how to do extraordinary things" aboard United plane. (September 17, 2001)

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November 18 2002, Vol. 46, No. 12