Zeitoun is quite possibly the most terrifying book I have ever read.Dave Eggers is one of my favorite authors, so I thought Zeitoun would be the perfect choice for my first selection. Eggers is known for a variety of things - editing McSweeney's, writing screenplays (Away We Go, Where the Wild Things Are), and books (memoir, fiction, and my favorite - What is the What -a nonfiction/fiction hybrid).
What is the What is a brilliant and frightening look at a real-life Sudanese refugee. Zeitoun offers a just as frightening story a bit closer to home - New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. And unlike What is the What, this one's all true.
Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a Muslim man from Syria, who runs a contracting business with his American Muslim wife, Kathy. Together they have 3 daughters, plus a son from Kathy's previous marriage. The two are upstanding citizens and make a strong family. Due to the nature of their business, when Katrina approaches, Zeitoun (as he is known) feels unable to leave New Orleans. So Kathy takes the kids and heads out to stay with family, while Zeitoun tries to protect their house and help those in need.
What follows is an incredible account of the storm, as well as the unbelievable mismanagement of those left behind. We've all heard the horror stories of how unprepared and irresponsible FEMA was. I was prepared for reading about elderly couples trapped in their attics, starving dogs unable to escape, houses completely flooded, and even for the roving gangs of armed men, looting and killing. What I was not prepared for were the tragic stories of innocent men and women arrested in their own homes, not granted phone calls or even told of the charges against them, being imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay-style cages, efficiently and impressively built while victims drowned and starved in their homes.
Eggers worked on this book for 3 years, interviewing those involved to weave the story. Obviously we can't be 100% sure that everything happened exactly as was written, but even if it was mostly true, and it certainly appears to be, this is a truly shocking horrific event. I couldn't believe that these things were happening in modern-day America and that I hadn't heard more about it.
It was also interesting timing. I read this book while I was home for Christmas. Surrounded by gifts and holiday cheer, the devastation and terrible treatment these men received hit home even harder. While I was excited about a new dress, I was reading about a family who had lost everything they owned and didn't know if they would ever lay eyes on each other again. Zeitoun is a great reminder of the important things in life, as well as a reminder that, in today's society of fear, none of us is as free as we like to think.
Erin,
ReplyDeleteI too, LOVE Eggers; What is the What haunted me for weeks andA Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is still one of the best books I've ever read. I've been meaning to read Z and your post told me everything I need to know. Thanks for a great account of your experience and for not giving anything away. Your summation at the end of how it effected you is how I've felt during Eggers other works and I'm sure I'll come out with something similar from this one as well. We all need that and he's got great delivery.
-V
I am also a big Eggers fan and am definitely looking forward to reading this. I feel he's come quite a long way from AHWOSG.
ReplyDeleteI know you all will probably disagree, but I've always thought Eggers was a bit pretentious. I started to read AHWOSG, but was put off by his writing style. Seemed like he thought he was pretty hot shit. BUT, with that said, Erin, your review has made me really interested in reading Zeituon. This is exactly what I was hoping for when we started this blog-- insights and reactions that would make me eager to read things I never would have picked up or found on my own. Thanks!!
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ReplyDeleteI don't agree exactly, but I can absolutely understand why you'd think that. AHWOSG isn't exactly the most self-deprecating title. But I feel like he's matured quite a bit since then and his recent work is about things much bigger than himself. I think you should check out What or Zeitoun and you'll be pleasantly surprised.