Carry the One by Carol Anshaw

This book garnered lots of early praise as one where a tragic opening scene is followed by a thought-provoking study of how different individuals cope with tragedy.  Carmen marries Matt in the opening chapter, and when a car full of drunk - and drugged - wedding guests kill a young girl walking on the street on their way home from the wedding, all of these characters lives become knit in a variety of ways. The story begins in 1983 and follows the characters up through - you guessed it - 9/11.  I would call the events believable, the characters a bit shallow, and the prose clear and fresh.