Zeitoun - David Eggers

Throughout the afternoon, Kathy tried to convince her husband to come with them. When had officials suggested an all-city evacuation before? she asked. Wasn't that reason enough to go?
Zeitoun agreed that it was unusual, but he had never evacuated before and he saw no need to do so now. Their home was elevated three feet above the ground, and rose two stories on top of that, so there would be no danger of getting stuck in an attic or on a roof, even if the worst happened. Zeitoun could always retreat to the second floor. And they lived nowhere near any levees, so they wouldn't get any of the flash flooding that might hit some of the other neighborhoods. It was East New Orleans, or the Lower Ninth, with its one story houses so close to the levees, that were in gravest danger.

A wonderful story told in an engaging, easy to read, style. The book does an excellent job of bringing the Katrina disaster into the perspective of an individual family. Zeitoun, the central character in this non-fiction account, is a compelling person who makes the reader feel better about being human. At the same time, much of what happens during this historic event is an extremely disappointing comment on human behavior.

I liked very much how Eggers kept this book so personal. The Katrina disaster is told through the eyes of one family. Zeitoun, being a Syrian immigrant, is tested and tortured not only by Katrina, but also by America's inept handling of terrorism. This is an important story to be told and is a good read for all American. You will find yourself unable to stop reading once begun.