Valet Reader

I can admit that Dave Eggers has not been one of my favorite writers. Sure, he’s got a great deal of talent yet somehow I just haven’t fully enjoyed the books of his which I’ve read. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t great.

However, I truly enjoyed Zeitoun. If you weren’t already aware this is another one of Egger’s narrative non-fiction novels much like What is the What. This story though takes place immediately before, during and after hurricane Katrina in late August and September of 2005. When all this turmoil and destruction was taking place in New Orleans I was actually in New Zealand. And similar to the reaction by the people there of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, for which I was also in New Zealand, the people there were concerned for my well being and that of my family and friends. Quite simply, it’s amazing how a natural disaster, exacerbated by the human infringment on and of nature, can cause such a humanitarian response around the world. This of course was proven to me futher during the 2007 Southern California wild fires (which were fairly close to my home) when friends from around the world contacted me to express their concern for my family and friends once again.

Lets get back to Zeitoun. Basically the story is about a muslim man and his family living in New Orleans. When the storm approaches, the man (who goes by his last name which oddly enough is Zeitoun) decides to remain behind and weather the storm while his wife and four children evacuate. Why does he stay behind? Well, I would guess there is some sense of stubborness (which is not said outright) but also his interest and desire to protect his livelihood.

What occurs in the aftermath of the storm is the brunt of the story. It involves Zeitoun’s actions and responses to a natural catastrophe the likes of which has not been seen in sometime in the United States as well as the consequences of not leaving with his family. Having lived in California most my life I’ve seen some pretty nasty affects of earthquakes, but it pales in comparison to what happened in Louisiana. I don’t really want to actually tell you what he does or what his wife and children do as that honestly would spoil the whole book so I won’t.

The other fascinating aspect of the story is the detailed background Eggers provides us of Zeitoun’s adolescence. His upbringing in Syria, his love and devotion to his family, his life at sea and his eventual landing in the US. It was this, more than anything, that made me want Zeitoun and his family to come out of this disaster intact and whole. It wasn’t only Zeitoun we learned about though, we hear about his parents, his siblings and his extended family. From his eyes and his stories we hear about his family, how they grew up and why he is so close to them.

There are certainly a lot (and I mean “a lot”) of elements that I’ve left out of my review. The reason being that I really didn’t want to spoil anything for you. The story goes much beyond the storm in examining all walks of life during times of incredible duress. Go pick it up or come by and borrow it (if you know where to find me, muahahaha).

Hope no one finds this weird but this was the Zeitouns home, obviously a shot from Google Maps, but i’m sure you can imagine what it would like if the whole bottom floor were underwater (the address was in the book, I swear, I’m not into stalking).

Now, don’t quote me here but, I believe this is one of the properties the Zeitoun’s own/ed and has a significance in the book (and again, the address was in the book, I promise).

Satellite view of the Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility in St. Gabriel Lousiana. You’ll understand once you read the book.