Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Zeitoun is a moving true story that takes place in the time of Hurricane Katrina. Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his family run a house-painting business in New Orleans. As Hurricane Katrina approaches, Zeitoun’s wife, Kathy, evacuates with their four young children. Zeitoun stays put to watch over the business, and in the days that follow he travels the city by canoe, assisting neighbors, feeding abandoned pets, and simply surviving. However, when Zeitoun is suddenly arrested in his home, it brings home his struggle in being swept up in the war on terror and the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina. I couldn’t put this book down, and I continue to think about the story and its themes to this day. —Mike Olin, dean of advising and co-curricular programs