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)

a good read!

Great book! I suppose one reason I say that is because I usually don't find myself drawn to non-fiction; it's just not compelling reading in general. HOWEVER, this book reads like a novel. I think it's in the category called "creative non-fiction." So the power of the story combined with the fact that it's TRUE make it a knock out. Another thing that makes the story so powerful is the way Eggers builds suspense. It starts in the beginning, but also there is a switch that takes place about half way through the book, and then the suspense and the drama really take off!! I also like the way the book makes such a powerful statement about parts of our country, but it does it through telling the story of ONE FAMILY. It is such a human, not a political, story, and that made all the difference for me. I previously read Eggers memoir and didn't like it, so I was pleasantly surprised with this one!

Enjoyable non-fiction

This book felt like very different three stories in one, and I liked all three. The first is the story of Zeitoun, a man from Syria who finds a home in America. I liked hearing about what it was like being a Muslim in America. The second story deals with his ordeal in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Zeiloun remained in the city after sending his family away, trying to look after his clients (he's a landlord and contractor). This was a fascinating narrative. Zeitoun uses his canoe to assist many in that time of great need. The final segment is the story of this innocent man's arrest and the accusations of terrorism for being a Muslim and Syrian in a city when most had left. It puts a human face on the incompetence of the government in the aftermath of Katrina. Each of the stories engaged me equally. The performance was nothing special but did not hurt the telling of this very interesting story. I felt I learned a lot and enjoyed the experience immensely.

ZEITOUN

“Zeitoun” is a return to Katrina. It reminds one of the horror, the destruction, and the ineptitude of government. It is also a story about injustice and prejudice in America. Dave Eggers tells a story that speaks to America’s conscience—its idealism, and its reality.

Zeitoun’s life in America had been a fulfillment of the American Dream but the dream became a nightmare because of Katrina and America’s bureaucratic response to disaster. Prejudice rises as control of nature declines. Because Zeitoun is unknown to his captors, the color of his skin became more important than who he is or what he does. He became “other” rather than “one of us”. He was no longer an American to his captors; i.e. he was a “Syrian terrorist”, a “Muslim cultist”, an “Other”.

Listening to a Zeitoun’ interview in August of 2010, one believes Zeitoun still believes in the American Dream. However, in August of 2012, Zeitoun is arrested for battery and accused of contracting to have his now ex-wife, Kathy, murdered. One wonders if the trauma of the Katrina disaster is to blame for the destruction of his marriage and his spiral into spousal abuse. Tragedy seems to be following Zeitoun like Katrina’s hurricane with rising water that may still consume him.

Zeitoun

Excellent story with a dream-like quality. And that it was a true story made it all the more interesting. I enjoyed the narration. Great voice!

Great story

Major event, detailed reporting, great writing, terrific characters -- this is what nonfiction is supposed to be.

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.