Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

This book is a true story of one family, caught between America’s two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home.

The conditions of the arrest and the details of the imprisonment were very hard to read. That while the world is watching in horror of this massive natural disaster no one knew what was taking place on the ground and in the criminal justice system.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons but one of the main reasons is that I watched Katrina like many of us, on the television.  What I saw was the devastation from the rooftops and some structural damage. But this book took me on the ground and allowed me to experience the devastation in a different way. I also knew nothing about the military presence and how it was structured during and after hurricane Katrina.  The book also exposed me to some of the flaws with FEMA that in some cases, failed many of the people.

Overall, I think it is a book worth reading despite the recent events surrounding the main character. Which I will leave you to discover on your own.

Happy Reading!

Belinda