A review by janewhitehurst
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

5.0

I always enjoy Dave Egger's writing and Zeitoun is no exception to the rule. Telling the story of a Syrian-born man, his wife Kathy, and their 4 children before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina hit their home of New Orleans, the non-fiction book reads like a novel. I was captivated by the narrative and found I couldn't put it down. I had to know what happens to Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his family. When the storm strikes, Kathy and the kids evacuate. Since they own a business and several rental properties, Zeitoun decides to stay behind to take care of it all. The narrative follows what happens when the levees break and chaos descends on the city of New Orleans. It also shows the bizarre, militaristic government response to the disaster and shines a light on an element of the history that I hadn't known. Excellent.