Like every time a crime was committed by a muslim, that persons faith was mentioned, regardless of its relevance. Given what you know about what happened to zeitoun, would you choose to stay. In eggers book, zeitoun was depicted as a good man who was wrongfully arrested while helping his neighbors in postkatrina new orleans. The zeitoun familys story was chronicled in the 2009 nonfiction book zeitoun, written by dave eggers. Zeitoun, dave eggers postkatrina hero, faces murder solicitation. For days he traversed an apocalyptic landscape of flooded streets by canoe. But resident abdulrahman zeitoun, though his wife and family had gone, refused to leave.
Hurricane katrina is bearing down on the new orleans and while his wife and children evacuate for a safer place, zeitoun stays in the city to watch after his home and business. Eggers has bottled up the feeling of post katrina despair better than anyone else. Juggling these contradictions, eggers captures the puzzle of america. Here he chronicles the kafkaesque tribulations of syrianamerican abdulrahman zeitoun in the wake of hurricane katrina. Billy sothern, author of down in new orleans zeitoun is a gripping and amazing story that highlights so much about the tragedy of katrina, post911 life for arabs and muslims, and the beautiful nature of american multicultural society. His wrenching story of 23 days without a court hearing became the plot of dave eggerss book zeitoun, and turned him into a new orleans hero. Perseus publishingwhen hurricane katrina struck new orleans, abdulrahman zeitoun. With his wife, kathy, an american who converted to islam as an adult, and their children, zeitoun feels a strong connection to his adopted city and country. Told with eloquence and compassion, zeitoun is a riveting account of one familys unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water. Eggers has bottled up the feeling of postkatrina despair better than anyone else. Abdulrahman zeitoun, owner of a painting contractor business, lives in new orleans, louisiana with his wife kathy and their four children. January 31the new orleans man whose posthurricane katrina heroics and tribulations were chronicled by bestselling author dave eggers in the book zeitoun was convicted last year of.
Abdulrahman zeitoun is the reallife hero of dave eggerss new book. Abdulrahman zeitoun is a syrian american who has built a successful business in new orleans. Zeitoun was the main character of the firstyear common reading zeitoun. Zeitoun, a highly trusted and successful building contractor and manager in new orleans, attempts to keep his properties safe during the. In postkatrina new orleans, a syrianborn painting contractor assisting in the rescue efforts finds hes suspected of being a. Friday, august 25, 2005, is a normal day for the family. Dave eggers is the new york times bestselling author of the critically lauded a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. Zeitoun summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. A new york times notable book an o, the oprah magazine terrific read of the yeara huffington post best book of the year a new yorker favorite book of the year a chicago tribune favorite nonfiction book of.
Dave eggers has just won the american book award for. Abdulrahman zeitoun a new orleans painting contractor who became. Kathys son from her first marriage, zachary, is already there. Eggers honors that steady spirit of the zeitoun family and all rebuilding new orleanians with this heartfelt book, so fierce in its fury, so beautiful in its richly nuanced, compassionate telling of an american tragedy, and finally, so sweetly, stubbornly hopeful. This narrative nonfiction book chronicles the story of abdul zeitoun in the days before and weeks after katrina. For more information and updates about how new orleans is addressing the covid19 outbreak including restaurants that are currently open for takeout and. The couple bickers, with kathy growing frustrated by zeitouns. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Zeitoun quotes by dave eggers goodreads share book. The calls from orleans parish prisons victimnotification system came roughly every hour on wednesday, the day after her exhusband. At night, zeitoun sleeps in a tent on the flat part of his roof. It tells the story of abdulrahman zeitoun, the syrianamerican owner of a painting and contracting company in new orleans, louisiana, who chose to ride out hurricane katrina in his uptown home. Abdulrahman zeitoun is a successful syrian immigrant, married to an american woman who has converted to islam, living in new orleans.
Zeitoun book washington county cooperative library. He protected neighbours properties, fed trapped dogs and rescued survivors. About the book abdulrahman zeitoun is a syrianborn entrepreneur who runs a busy painting company in new orleans. This guide is intended to enhance your groups reading and discussion of dave eggerss zeitoun, a harrowing nonfiction account of what happened to one man, and his family, in the chaotic aftermath of hurricane katrina.
After hurricane katrina flooded new orleans, abdulrahman zeitoun canoed through the city, rescuing neighbors and bringing them bottled. Zeitoun, a syrian immigrant and american citizen, chooses to ride out the storm in order to protect his house. Abdulrahman zeitoun is a reallife hero a local businessman who in the aftermath of katrina paddled from house to house in a canoe, offering help to his neighbours. Abdulrahman and kathy zeitoun run a housepainting business in new orleans. Zeitoun feels obliged to stay in new orleans for the same reasons that ahmad wants to see the worldhe must bear witness. Kathy zeitoun decries exhusbands acquittal on charges he. The urge to document and the compulsion to bear witness are important themes in the book. Sameer rahim finds strength and hope in the story of zeitoun by dave. His story is a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit. She had last seen him on 27 august, when she and their four. The amazing true story of zeitoun us news the guardian. In postkatrina new orleans, a syrianborn painting contractor assisting in the rescue efforts finds hes suspected of being a terrorist.
Eggerss riveting nonfiction book, three years in the making, explores zeitouns roots in syria, his marriage to kathy an american who converted to islam and their children, and the surreal atmosphere in new orleans and the united states generally in which what happened to abdulrahman zeitoun was possible. Zeitoun themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Zeitoun, 54, is back where he was seven years ago in a new orleans jail on three charges of soliciting murder, said remi braden, a police spokeswoman. Zeitoun is an inspiring, tragic and powerful book that will endure decades from now about how america failed at helping new orleans and the residents of the city during and after hurricane katrina.
War on terror, katrina intersect in zeitoun abdulrahman zeitoun was arrested just after hurricane katrina hit new orleans. A film version of a book about a mans truelife experiences in postkatrina new orleans would seem sufficiently pregnant with artistic possibility. Writer and philanthropist dave eggers nonfiction book zeitoun is very much a story set among one group of us havenots, namely, those citizens of new orleans that were either unable or unwilling to leave the city at the time of hurricane katrina during 2005. If possible, go to a place of worship for all three religions. At the end of the book is a listing of foundations and projects to help the rebuilding of new orleans. Still, jonathan demme plans to take his adaption of zeitoun, the bestselling dave eggers work, one step further by making it as an animated feature. But the book also shows that there is always a human component to such tragedies as well. Zeitoun is certainly aware of this, and he holds great respect for nature, understanding the powerful forces of water that both killed his older brother who drowned many years earlier and wrought such devastation on new orleans. In many ways, her and zeitoun s story is a classic american dream narrative, in which their perseverance, luck, and willingness to work hard have allowed them to become successful and to make a home for themselves in new orleans. By day, hes out among the killing waters that buried new orleans, polluted. Zeitoun is a nonfiction book written by dave eggers and published by mcsweeneys in 2009. There are two kinds of vocabulary words in this book. Zeitoun, dave eggers postkatrina hero, faces murder. In august of 2005, as hurricane katrina approaches, kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving zeitoun to watch over the business.
It tells the story of abdulrahman zeitoun, the syrianamerican owner of a painting and contracting company in new orleans, louisiana, who chose to ride out hurricane katrina. Given what happens to him, do you think that zeitoun would choose to stay in the city again. Zeitoun is set in new orleans, louisiana, and begins with the protagonist abdulrahman zeitoun known by his last name and his wife kathy preparing to send their children nademah, aisha, and safiya to school. A new york times notable book an o, the oprah magazine terrific read of the year a huffington post best book of the year a new yorker favorite book of the year. Why do you think zeitoun chose to stay in the new orleans.
Imagine charles dickens, his sentimentality in check but his journalistic eyes wide open, roaming new orleans after it was buried by hurricane. The fact that zeitoun is a middle eastern immigrant makes their story even more inspiring, and makes it even more tragic later when he is the victim of so much discrimination. Disgraced katrina literary hero abdulrahman zeitoun ordered. Zeitoun is a poignant, haunting, ethereal story about new orleans in peril. In august of 2005, as hurricane katrina approaches, kathy evacuates with their. In the aftermath of hurricane katrina he paddled from house. It tells the story of abdulrahman zeitoun, the syrian american owner of a painting and contracting company in new orleans, louisiana, who chose to ride out hurricane katrina. For his trouble, he was arrested as a suspected terrorist. Hes proud to be a builder and to help restore new orleans in whatever way he can.
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