Not since Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man has a con been portrayed in such an empathetic and yet unsparing manner. At the end of Fisher and Guglielmo's masterfully nuanced portrait, Tania Head's deception of the survivors becomes understandable — even as it remains unforgivable — as a remarkable outgrowth of the capacity of the human psyche to deceive others by deceiving itself first."
"Thought provoking, heart wrenching, and unbelievable - if it weren't completely true. Even knowing the outcome, I could not put the book down, awed by the stunning impact of one woman on so many lives. Tania's story embodies the quote "On 9-11 the best of humanity met the worst of humanity." I could feel the shock, the pain and the struggle the survivors suffered at the hands of a very disturbed woman."
Taut and riveting as a mystery novel, except that it's all true. The tale of Tania Head, the ‘celebrity survivor’ is a fascinating psychological study of the best and worst of human nature. In their deft, compelling narrative, Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. slowly, but inexorably, lift the curtain on one of the saddest, senseless, and yet most spectacular frauds in recent history. You will not be able to put this book down until you finish the last sentence, and when you do, you will shake your head in wonder.
"A riveting real-life mystery, a probe into the inner depths of humanity. This is a page-turner for every American."
Through the prism of a virtually inconceivable web of lies, Robin Gay Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. offer deep and compassionate insight into the true legacy of pain, guilt, and existential challenges facing those who experienced and lived through the terror of the September 11 attacks.
"I finished reading this book weeks ago, but I can't put it down. It continues to haunt me and it will you as well. A story impossible to believe...except it's all true."
Tania Head is one of the most famous September 11 survivors, with an amazing story of perseverance. After escaping the 96th floor of the South Tower and suffering the loss of her fiancé in the North Tower, she helped found the highly influential World Trade Center Survivor Network. But her account, and even her name, turned out to be a complete fabrication when Head is found to be a delusional, pathological liar. In this disturbing, riveting reporting of Head’s tenure as the face of the survivor movement, Fisher (After the Fire) and Guglielmo (a filmmaker) depict a woman who inspires anger and heartbreak but also admiration. Head first appears in 2003, sharing her story with an online support group for survivors. At the time, everyone other than first responders and families of the dead are overlooked; survivors are never allowed private access at the site, given scant attention from the media, and their families, friends, employers, and doctors have little understanding of their grief and guilt. Head, aided by her incredible account and a seemingly indomitable spirit, successfully transforms the network of survivors from a nonentity to one that becomes a very visible force with a say in countless matters pertaining to the World Trade Center. It’s only in 2007, on the eve of the sixth anniversary, after the New York Times decides to profile her, that Head and her story unravel. A documentary made by Guglielmo about Head will debut on television later this year. (Apr.)
What emerges is a biography of one of the most loathsome liars in recent history. The prevailing — and largely unanswered question — remains: Why would someone do something so despicable?
"It's a terrific read. The reporting is tremendous. Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr. have written a detailed and memorable account of the woman who betrayed countless World Trade Center survivors.
"Filmmaker Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr., who became one of Tania’s closest friends, teamed with prize-winning journalist Robin Gaby Fisher to write a compelling insider’s view of this audacious post-9/11 episode and the mysteries that remain about motive and morality. ... A fascinating read."
Taut and riveting as a mystery novel, except that it's all true. The tale of Tania Head, the ‘celebrity survivor’ is a fascinating psychological study of the best and worst of human nature. In their deft, compelling narrative, Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. slowly, but inexorably, lift the curtain on one of the saddest, senseless, and yet most spectacular frauds in recent history. You will not be able to put this book down until you finish the last sentence, and when you do, you will shake your head in wonder.
"I finished reading this book weeks ago, but I can't put it down. It continues to haunt me and it will you as well. A story impossible to believe...except it's all true."
“Alternately heartbreaking and horrifying, The Woman Who Wasn't There is a compelling real-life mystery as disturbing as a psychological thriller. The depths of Tania Head's deception hit me like a punch in the gut.”
"Thought provoking, heart wrenching, and unbelievable... Even knowing the outcome, I could not put the book down, awed by the stunning impact of one woman on so many lives."
“Taut and riveting as a mystery novel, except that it's all true. The tale of Tania Head, the ‘celebrity survivor’ is a fascinating psychological study of the best and worst of human nature. In their deft, compelling narrative, Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. slowly, but inexorably, lift the curtain on one of the saddest, senseless, and yet most spectacular frauds in recent history. You will not be able to put this book down until you finish the last sentence, and when you do, you will shake your head in wonder.”
“Not since Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man has a con been portrayed in such an empathetic and yet unsparing manner. At the end of Fisher and Guglielmo's masterfully nuanced portrait, Tania Head's deception of the survivors becomes understandable — even as it remains unforgivable — as a remarkable outgrowth of the capacity of the human psyche to deceive others by deceiving itself first."
“Through the prism of a virtually inconceivable web of lies, Robin Gay Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. offer deep and compassionate insight into the true legacy of pain, guilt, and existential challenges facing those who experienced and lived through the terror of the September 11 attacks.”
"Filmmaker Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr., who became one of Tania’s closest friends, teamed with prize-winning journalist Robin Gaby Fisher to write a compelling insider’s view of this audacious post-9/11 episode and the mysteries that remain about motive and morality. ... A fascinating read."
"It's a terrific read. The reporting is tremendous. Robin Gaby Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo Jr. have written a detailed and memorable account of the woman who betrayed countless World Trade Center survivors.”
"In this disturbing, riveting reporting of Head’s tenure as the face of the survivor movement, Fisher (After the Fire) and Guglielmo (a filmmaker) depict a woman who inspires anger and heartbreak but also admiration."
"A riveting real-life mystery, a probe into the inner depths of humanity. This is a page-turner for every American."
It's not often that readers encounter a riveting fictional character in a nonfiction book, but that's exactly what happens when they pick up this title. Fisher (After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival) and filmmaker Guglielmo offer a gripping account of one of the most disturbing scams perpetrated in recent U.S. history, bringing readers close to Tanya Head, a walking enigma. Head, claiming to be a 9/11 survivor, brought national attention to fellow survivors of the World Trade Center attacks, but as she helped give hope, courage, and direction to a group of people who needed it, her hidden past threatened to pull everything down. Readers will ride the highs and lows of Head's short but brilliant burst into the national scene. VERDICT This is a fantastic read, cowritten by a man (Guglielmo) whom Head herself asked to film her group for a documentary. The authors' intimacy with their subject makes for a page-turning unveiling of Head's true identity. Recommended for readers who enjoy gripping true crime and tales of deception and survival.—Ryan Claringbole, Chesapeake P.L., VA
The story of the startling disclosure of a 9/11 survivor who wasn't actually there. Fisher (Narrative Journalism/Rutgers Univ.; After the Fire, 2008, etc.) and filmmaker Guglielmo team up to bring readers a page-turning account of Tania Head, a survivor of the World Trade Center attacks. Vivid details place readers at the scene of 9/11 during and after the attacks, which may be painful reading for some readers. Injured when one of the planes struck the 78th-floor sky lobby of the South Tower, Head not only survived this near-death experience but also bore the tragedy of losing her new husband in the collapse of the North Tower. She rose to acclaim in the years after 9/11 by starting the World Trade Center Survivors' Network, where guilt-laden men and women could openly voice their distress about the events of that day. Head also helped lead the campaign to save the Survivor Stairway, "thirty-seven steps that had once connected the plaza outside the towers to the street below," which was used by hundreds fleeing the buildings on 9/11. However, as the narrative progresses, readers begin to see small discrepancies in Head's story, along with her terrible mood swings and violent physical reactions to reliving that fateful day. Under extreme pressure to conduct an interview with the New York Times in 2007, Head broke down, and her elaborate and fake story fully emerged. She soon disappeared. Members of the Survivors' Network were left to wonder why someone would go to such lengths to gain notoriety, especially when it involved so many who had survived real damage on that day. A disquieting retelling of 9/11 by one survivor with a surprising twist.
