Zeitoun

By: Dave Eggers

Narrated by: Firdous Bamji

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

In his new nonfiction book Zeitoun, New York Times best-selling author Dave Eggers tells a Hurricane Katrina story unlike any written before.

When HurricaneKatrina struck New Orleans, Abdulrahman Zeitoun - a prosperous Syrian-American and father of four - chose to stay through the storm to protect his house and contracting business. In the eerie days after the storm, he traveled the flooded streets in a secondhand canoe, passing on supplies and rescuing those he could. A week later, on September 6, 2005, Zeitoun abruptly disappeared.

Eggers's riveting work, three years in the making, follows Zeitoun back to his childhood in Syria and around the world during his years as a sailor. The book also traces the story of Zeitoun's wife Kathy - a boisterous Southerner who converted to Islam - and their wonderful, funny, devoted family. When Zeitoun vanishes, Kathy is left to make sense of the surreal atmosphere (in New Orleans and the United States generally) in which what happened to Abdulrahman Zeitoun was possible.

©2009 Dave Eggers (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Imagine Charles Dickens, his sentimentality in check but his journalistic eyes wide open, roaming New Orleans after it was buried by Hurricane Katrina ... Eggers's tone is pitch-perfect - suspense blended with just enough information to stoke reader outrage and what is likely to be a typical response: How could this happen in America?" (Timothy Egan, The New York Times)

Kafka never had it this bad

Anyone who doubts that a police state is possible in America should read this book. All it takes is for something to be declared an emergency and civil rights go out the window. This book describes in detail the real life story of how the US Government destroyed the lives of the Zeitoun family. Nothing in Kafka compares to the faceless bureaucracy the Zeitouns had to fight. I am still waiting to hear the Government come forth with anything resembling an adequate apology. I am still waiting for the individuals responsible to bear any of the consequences for their actions. Sadly, as I write this, time has shown that the consequences for the Zeitouns ran much deeper than Mr. Eggers guessed at when he wrote this book. Abdulrahman Zeitoun has paid a terrible price for the way the US Government has treated him.

Phenominal

I am half way into this book. The author does a great job in getting you sucked into the story and really caring about the characters. I listened to this book based on the rave reviews from fellow listeners. I feel like i lived through this dramatic event with the protagonist. A gifted writer. A talented reader also gives a great layer and depth to the text adding to the enjoyment. 60 minutes will go by at a clip and it feels more like 15. Great job. Post 9-11, this is a great reminder that we were all once foreigners and that we are all Americans, and though most of us did not grow up in Syria, we are all able to identify with the fears and aspirations of the main charachters.

Captivating!

What a captivating story! I had no idea any of this happened after hurricane Katrina!

Much better than expected

I'm part of a reading group and this was the voted on title this month. I hesitated on listening but now can't put my iPhone down. Two-thumbs up!!

what it was really like after Katrina

Can't recommend this enough. So amazing, the things that went on after Katrina, the red tape and failures of common sense. a well written account of one man's experience, truly horrible, but makes for engrossing reading.

Eye Opening

Interesting story about the experience of one individual during Hurricane Katrina. Disturbing on many levels as far as events that happened that the general public may not be aware. It showed me aspects of this event that I was never even thought possible in the United States

One of the best books I have listened to

This was one of my favorite books. I have given it to many people. We all have heard so much about Katrina, this story puts a face to the events and adds the additional element of telling a us more about being Muslim in America. A must read.

It Sounds So Accurate

I was not there, but takes of Katrina have filled our TV news programs. When I saw the storm approaching on TV, I was at the Red Cross giving blood. I told my companions New Orleans knows how to handle storms. I relive my comment often. I thought I was correct in my assumption. I remember black family’s labeled looters while a white family doing the same thing were call brave heroes. I saw New Orleans long before the storm. It’s a magical city. Harry Connick, Jr. gave his shirt to a naked black man he carried from an abandoned house.

Food for thought

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Well, after I read it, I definitely would have. But I have since read that the main character was arrested for beating his wife, and I wonder if the whole story was a sham.

What did you like best about this story?

Regardless of whether the main character was accurately portrayed, the story made me realize how vital our legal intrastructure is, and how we have to have emergency preparedness to make sure people's rights are respected during disasters.

Excellent and unexpected

Excellent historic with very little fiction. Full of surprises and a unique view of a well publicised disaster.