The true story of one family, caught between America's two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina. Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home. Told with eloquence and compassion, Zeitoun is a riveting account of one family's unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water.

Author biography

Dave Eggers is the author of six previous books, including A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius; You Shall Know Our Velocity, winner of the Independent Book Award; and What Is the What, a finalist for the 2006 NBCC Award and winner of France's Prix Medici. In 2002, he co-founded 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center for young people.