Zeitoun

Over spring break, I decided to forgo the usual "light" reading and hit something a little more serious. But, at the same time, I needed something with a bit of literary flare. Dave Eggers's 2009 book "Zeitoun" was the cure for what ailed my reading needs. The book traces the story of how Hurricane Katrina affected Abdulrahman Zeitoun and his family (specifically, his wife).

Before the storm, Zeitoun owns a flourishing painting company as well as rents out some properties. As the city is evacuated, he refuses to leave with his family - claiming that he needs to look after his property and business. Although he survives the initial flooding, he repeatedly refuses to abandon his city despite his wife's fears of the widespread violence. He keeps in touch with his family for several days as they make their way to safety.

Then, he disappears. He stops calling his family. No one can reach him. Even his brother in Spain and his family in Syria are contacting agencies in an effort to locate him, with no luck. As days pass, his wife braces for the worst and begins planning a life without her husband. Then, she gets an anonymous phone call telling her that her husband is alive, but in prison.

Turns out that he had been arrested by a pseudo-military group for looting, but had gotten stuck in a broken judicial / prison system which required no trials or due-process - and had no official record of his arrest. Eventually, though a little perseverance (and some emotional arm-twisting), the husband and wife are reunited and live happily-ever-after (almost).

In the tradition of Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood," Eggers wrote "Zeitoun" from the angle of fiction. This allowed him to use literary devices - suspense, rising action, flashbacks - to tell what was already a fantastic story. The beauty of the prose was effectively able to disguise the massive amount of research that went into writing the book. Eggers was able to balance writing the story from two perspectives - Zeitoun and his wife Kathy - while also including the opinions and views of others involved in the events. Eggers also interwove flashbacks to Zeitoun and Kathy's pasts

Hidden underneath the narrative of the story is an expose of the complete breakdown of the political and judicial system in the wake of the catastrophe. Zeitoun, because of his Syrian hertiage, was treated like a terrorist, was convicted of a crime without being told of his charges, and was not even allowed a phone call to tell his family he was alive. When, after some legal pressure he was given a bail hearing, his location was still considered "classified information" - so although there was a bail amount, his wife had no way of setting him free.

At the heart of such a powerful story, though, are two simple themes - a struggle with faith and the strength of love to overcome obstacles. After the storm, as Zeitoun is able to bring aid to his stranded neighbors, he begins to feel that his presence was part of a divine plan, but after his arrest he begins to question how his predicament was allowed to happen if he had been doing the work of God. Of course, his wife's love for him compels her to keep searching for her husband, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of his death. When Zeitoun is finally released, the police refuse to give back his ID and the usually docile Kathy literally accosts the District Attorney until his wallet is given back (although mysteriously missing the money and credit cards).

As usual with items published by McSweeneys - I recommend this book!