In 'The Submission,' Amy Waldman explores the reverberating impact of a fictional terrorist attack on Manhattan, through the lens of a competition to design a memorial. When jurors discover that the winning submission is the work of a Muslim American architect named Mohammad Khan, the decision sparks intense debate and cascades into a widespread controversy. As the narrative unwinds, the novel examines the intricacies of grief, the nature of art, and the complexities of religious and cultural identity. The story dives into the lives of the jurors, especially Claire Burwell, a widow on the panel, as they navigate the charged atmosphere created by the revelation of the architect's identity. 'The Submission' skillfully captures a city and its people striving to find closure and meaning amidst the chaos of differing convictions and emotional responses to a national tragedy.