Zeitoun

If you wanted to know what conditions are like at refugee camps in countries where war is prevalent, look no further than the graphic, yet poetic descriptions in “Zeitoun.”

Author Dave Eggers chronicles the life of one Syrian-American construction worker with the heart of gold as he stays behind in New Orleans to salvage his house, business and properties during Hurricane Katrina.

The lead character, Abdulrahman Zeitoun is Muslim. His wife Kathy, after a failed marriage, converted to Islam. Their faith and relationship give a glimpse into what kind of life they lead, a happy, pure and understanding life, but one where their faith is the cause of concern; in their business and with Kathy’s family.

The stage is set just days before Hurricane Katrina hits. Everyone else is in panic, including Kathy, but Zeitoun doesn’t seem phased by it. Kathy and their four children leave, but Zeitoun, to the dismay of Kathy, decides to stay and look after their properties.

As the storm comes, Zeitoun, an established construction worker is able to salvage most of the valuables in his house. Only about a foot of water encompasses the city, and slowly drains. When the levees break, even Zeitoun couldn’t predict what would happen.

Very soon, the city is engulfed by 15 feet of water. Zeitoun, carrying a deep nostalgia of being at sea as a young man, find his aluminum canoe and embarks on his own version of Homer’s “Odyssey.” Instead of encountering sirens and one-eye monsters on his way to Ithaca, Zeitoun encounters helpless neighbors, friends and dogs as he paddles throughout the city in hopes of salvaging some valuables from his other properties.

During his quests, Zeitoun helps as many people as humanly possible. He gives his food and water to strangers and dogs. Zeitoun tells himself this was God’s plan. It was in God’s plan for him to stay behind and help as much as he could. He has a new, fresh sense of belonging; purpose. Soon after, Zeitoun succumbs to the same fate many of God’s messengers faced.

He and his three friends were arrested, humiliated, interrogated and forced to live in make shift cells that the author compares to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. The day he was arrested was the first day Zeitoun was unable to contact his wife, and the author foreshadows a series of unbearable and drastic conflicts.

After about a week, his wife presumes he’s dead. His children notice their mothers’ worries and Kathy tries to imagine life without Zeitoun. Hell. Zeitoun encounters his own hell, thanks in large part to failed efforts by President George W. Bush’s administration and the Federal Emergency Management Authority. Eggers, however, doesn’t impose his personal views. He lets his writing explain how flawed the system became during Hurricane Katrina.

Zeitoun was a Muslim. A Syrian. That was enough to put him in prison.

In large part, the book provides insight into a weak moment in America’s history but a strong moment for one particular family.