Zeitoun
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Product Description
When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a prosperous Syrian-American and father of four, chose to stay through the storm to protect his house and contracting business. In the days after the storm, he traveled the flooded streets in a secondhand canoe, passing on supplies and helping those he could. A week later, on September 6, 2005, Zeitoun abruptly disappeared. Eggers’s riveting nonfiction book, three years in the making, explores Zeitoun’s roots in Syria, his marriage to Kathy — an American who converted to Islam — and their children, and the surreal atmosphere (in New Orleans and the United States generally) in which what happened to Abdulrahman Zeitoun was possible. Like What Is the What, Zeitoun was written in close collaboration with its subjects and involved vast research — in this case, in the United States, Spain, and Syria.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Bad Things Happen to good People--what else is new?
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Comment:
I read Egger's Staggering Genius and What is the What-- after reading Zeitoun I must ask: so what? There is injustice in America; bad things happen to good people. That is what this book is about. I was compelled to finish it--cannot say that about all books. The book "jacket/cover" was different; kind of like holding a children's book. I don't get the fuss or the kudos.
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Summary:
Another fantastic true contempory story; A page turner!
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Comment:
Zeitoun, you are a hero who endured tragic, stupid, beaurocratic politics. I cannot wait for Johnathan Demme's film adaptation of this epic true story of a man who was a good citizen: feeding starving dogs, rescuing stranded hurrican Katrina victims in New Orleans, falsing imprisioned, mistreated, a victim of racial profiling. Johnathan Demme, if you per chance are reading this, please read another book that is also incredible: Operation Sunflower by Josef Morawietz. My hope is that you will contact the author and make a film about his life too. His is an incredible story that I believe has never been told: the perspective of a young man forced into the German Army. How incredible to hear his account of the WWII.
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Summary:
Another Great Eggers Read
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Comment:
In Zeitoun, Dave Eggers takes the reader to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He doesn't narrate the story from the point of view of the government or the many agencies involved. Instead, he tells the story through the eyes of a family that lived through the chaos and the horror.
Abdulrahman Zeitoun immigrated to the United States from Syria, after a decade of working on ships and traveling all over the world. He married Kathy, an American who grew up as a Christian in America, but converted to the Muslim religion. Kathy and Abdulrahman built a life together in New Orleans. They had four children, and worked together in a contracting business. Abdulrahman handled the workers and the actual jobs, while Kathy handled the business side. In addition to the contracting business, they owned several rental houses.
When Katrina headed for New Orleans, and evacuation was recommended, Kathy and the children left, taking refuge with relatives. Although his family begged him to come, Abdulrahman decided to stay behind, ride out the storm and watch over their properties. He expected a storm like most other hurricanes; a few days without power and some cleanup from water damage and structures hurt by falling trees. Of course, Katrina was no ordinary hurricane. Abdulrahman found himself stranded in a city that was flooded beyond belief. It was a city torn by looters and crime; one that the mayor described as "animalistic".
Abdulrahman had bought a canoe years before at a yard sale as a reminder of his seafaring days. He paddled through the neighborhoods near his home, saving several neighbors stranded with no way out, and distributing food and supplies to those he found. As the days went by, Kathy begged him to leave, and the city was under mandatory evacuation. Finally, he began to think about how he would leave and reunite with his family.
Fate intervened before he left. The police came to one of his rental houses, where Abdulrahman and some friends had gathered. All four men were arrested and taken to a holding facility at the city bus station. From there, they were transfered along with other prisoners under the authority of FEMA to a maximum security prison. The second half of the book tells the story of Abdulrahman's imprisonment, and how he was treated there.
Eggers has chosen an effective method of portraying this natural disaster, made worse by human decisions. Viewing the catastrophe through the eyes of a resident provides a different focus than seeing it through the focus of a state or federal agency which is focused on policy and the safety of property and survivors. It provides a window into how quickly government is willing to trample on basic human rights in an effort to restore order. This willingness is chilling, and Eggers portrays it convincingly. This book is recommended for nonfiction readers.
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Summary:
An essential classic
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Comment:
This book belongs on that short shelf of essential classics such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Cry, the Beloved Country. The great tragedy of Zeitoun is that he suffered for doing what all of would hope to do in similar circumstances--the best we can in times of crisis to help our neighbors. The sheer hell that Zeitoun, his family, and the countless, nameless people who suffered during the aftermath of Katrina went through is a modern parable we should all heed. Despite the subsequent governmental neglect and abuse of the city and its citizens, human decency somehow still prevails despite horrific circumstances. Zeitoun will change and haunt anyone who reads the book. And hopefully it will remind people that the tragedy of the Katrina aftermath continues to this day. Dave Eggers tells a profound story that illuminates our national condition. We all should resolve to do something to make the city and its citizens whole again. Not to do so only compounds our national shame.
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Summary:
Amazing Story That Needed to be Told
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Comment:
4 stars means: Great book and I would share it with anyone.
Although a shorter version appeared in the Voices of the Witness Series co-edited by Dave Eggers this one benefits greatly from the lengthening.
Starts out very casual, or at least as casual as any story can when a hurricane is looming off the coast, and develops into a very complex story which brings to bear all the mystery and horror of real life along with the naturally good character of certain human beings.
As far as the story: It is a five star rating. A completely selfless book here on the part of Dave Eggers, one of the best writers of his generation. It is told in a gripping and all encompassing way which centers on the title character but includes many others who at times are left completely out of the loop which as sad as it is in reality, it makes for a more enthralling story.
Prose is very simple and yet literary. A great writing effort on the part of Eggers although you will not see any of the stylistic elements present in A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, you will find it a highly enjoyable read in spite, or because, of this.
Overall and important book, one that once finished makes you want to hand it to the next person so they will understand what you now do. Essential reading for anyone wanting to know more about the people who were caught in hurricane Katrina.
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