Zeitoun

Dave Eggers (2008)

THE A5 BOOK REVIEW

Zeitoun is the true story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, one of the survivors of the disastrous Hurricane Katrina that destroyed New Orleans in 2005.  Zeitoun, a Muslim Syrian-American owner of a contracting company, chose to stay in his home during the hurricane to watch over his job site and rental homes.  After the hurricane, he traveled through the area by canoe rescuing people and pets, but he was arrested and accused of looting and terrorist activities.  He was incarcerated for weeks in a maximum security prison and denied both medical attention and the chance to contact his family.  Dave Eggers tells an enthralling and very disturbing story of an innocent man’s experience, trapped by anti-Islamic sentiment and a tragic loss of due process in the midst of the chaos of a government not prepared or appropriately willing to cope with disaster.  Zeitoun is perhaps not fairly described as a travel book, but it is an eloquent and multiple award-winning account of a very troubled time in America’s history. 
Click here to see reviews and prices for this book on Amazon.

OTHER A5 RECOMMENDED TRAVEL BOOKS - DAVE EGGERS

photo of Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is a prolific and popular award-winning author, known also for his philanthropic work around the importance of writing.  He is perhaps best known for his first book, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, his own story as a twenty-one-year old forced to take care of his young brother when his parents died.   Click here to learn more about Dave Eggers.

GREAT QUOTES:

“Every time a crime was committed by a Muslim, that person's faith was mentioned, regardless of its relevance. When a crime is committed by a Christian, do they mention his religion? ... When a crime is committed by a black man, it's mentioned in the first breath: 'An African American man was arrested today...' But what about German Americans? Anglo Americans? A white man robs a convenience store and do we hear he's of Scottish descent? In no other instance is the ancestry mentioned.”
- Dave Eggers, Zeitoun

“His frustration with some Americans was like that of a disappointed parent. He was so content in this country, so impressed with and loving of its opportunities, but then why, sometimes, did Americans fall short of their best selves?” 
​- Dave Eggers, Zeitoun

INTERESTING LINKS:

  • Read the 2009 New York Times review by Timothy Egan.
  • ​Hurricane Katrina, the storm that struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, stands out as one of the biggest natural disasters in recent history in the United States.  The storm itself, with a Category 3 rating, did a great deal of damage, but the aftermath was absolutely catastrophic.  Several levee breaches led to massive flooding, and many believe that the federal government was especially slow to meet the needs of those people affected.  Thousands of people lost their homes, and experts estimate that there was over $100 billion in damage.  For more information, check out the description and photos at History.com.

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