When Hurricane Katrina was barreling down on New Orleans in August, 2005 a prosperous businessman, married with 4 children, Abdulrahman Zeitoun, was preparing to stay and ride out the storm. His wife and kids left to Baton Rouge to weather the storm safely with family. Somewhere along the seemingly simple story of survival and heartbreaking destruction, Zeitoun ends up being held without bail and a phone call charged with a crime he did not commit. His wife and family are completely cut off from any contact with him and assume him dead. Oh and yeah, he's a Syrian Muslim in a post 911 world.
Zeitoun takes you through the harrowing tale of a man who feels like he was put on earth by God to help people. He takes that job seriously during the aftermath of Katrina saving residents of his neighborhood and feeding dogs abandoned by their owners. Then somehow through the fear and mismanagement of a post-apocalyptic Katrina scenario, Zeitoun is wrongfully seen as criminal, even a terrorist.
The Rumpus has a long interview with Eggers about Zeitoun.
I highly suggest this book. All proceeds of this book go to a fund set up by Eggers, Zeitoun, and the publishing company to help victims of Katrina, racial profiling and human rights injustices, and New Orleans Islamic faith organizations.
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