Simon Kennedy's mum 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 mum boarded flight AA777 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, local comedian 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, offering cheques along with solace. Upgrades to fly first class are issued on a regular basis. FBI officials pay cordial visits and invitations constantly flow to official US memorial and anniversary services. However, the aftermath remains and ten years later there is not one hour of the day when Simon is not reminded, in some way, by the media, of the 9/11 attack.