Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Patience and Perseverance: The Quran states: So [O Believers] endure hardship with beautiful endurance. [al-Ma'arij 70: 5] So, patience is beautiful. [Yusuf 12:84] And God is with those who patiently persevere. [al-Anfal 8: 66.]

Quoted from: http://prayertiming.com/iq/quote.php?nNewsId=23133&nCatId=101

The quote above truly reflects the hardship endured by the main character; a man known as Abdulrahman Zeitoun; in this non-fiction narrative book simply entitled Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.

This book captured the essence of hardship endured not only by Zeitoun (as he is known in the book), but also by his families and friends during and after the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina which practically devastated the city of New Orleans in August 2005.

With his family sent to safety and the whole city practically submerged, Zeitoun and his friends emerged as unlikely heroes traversing the bleak watery landscape, helping those in need without fear, favour and definitely with a lot of perseverance and hard work. All went well until those who are sent by the government to assist the local populace arrived and made Zeitoun’s life and those around him a living nightmare.

Suspected as a terrorist (reminds me of the movie entitled “I am Khan” with its quote, “I am Khan and I’m not a terrorist") and jailed without trial; it painted a stark and horrifying truth about America and their paranoia towards anything Islamic after Sept 11. Beyond that, it also unraveled governmental and judicial incompetency on their response to Hurricane Katrina; the very government which embodies the spirit of democracy, justice and civil society torn apart when faced with calamities.

How can Zeitoun begin to trust, respect and love his adopted country anymore after what has happened? Surprisingly, he took it as a test. He regained his faith and most importantly, he perseveres.

As summarized by the Esquire, this book is “a peerless piece of reporting of paranoia, Islamophobia, and an unraveling city”; which is basically the main context of this book.


Personal rating: 8 out of 10

Cons:
1) Confusing plot as the storyline shifted to and fro all the time.

Pros:
1) Realistic and scary. You wouldn't want to be in Zeitoun's shoes.