Monday, August 30, 2010

How could this happen in America?

Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers
Recommend: Yes
To whom: Everyone
Why: Amazing true story about a hero that Americans should celebrate

How could this happen in America?

Those are the words New York Times book reviewer Timothy Egan wrote in response to Abdulrahman Zeitoun’s experience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Those same words ran through my mind while I read this incredible book, Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of non-fiction.

I knew that FEMA’s handling of Hurricane Katrina was flawed and broadly criticized; FEMA Director Mike Brown resigned as a result. I’d heard Kanye West’s infamous statement: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” I’d seen images of unfathomable destruction and chaos. But I had never heard of “Camp Greyhound,” a makeshift prison in downtown New Orleans where Zeitoun was caged like an animal and denied a phone call to his family after his wrongful arrest for looting. Of course I'd also never heard of Zeitoun, a true American hero, who should have been praised for his actions in New Orleans, not detained.

It’s been five years since Katrina, but if you read Zeitoun you’ll remember this story for many years to come.

Egan concludes: “... my guess is, 50 years from now, when people want to know what happened to this once-great city during a shameful episode of our history, they will still be talking about a family named Zeitoun.”

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