Book Review: Zeitoun

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (New York: Vintage Books, 2009. 368 pp)

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Dave Eggers attended the University of Illinois but dropped out to take care of his younger brother in the wake of his parent’s death. These experiences are chronicled in Eggers’ best-selling memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. In addition to published works, he has founded McSweeney’s, an independent publishing house, and 826 National, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center for kids 6-18 in urban areas across the nation.

Mistakes We Knew We Were Making 

Imagine making a colossal mistake. I’m not talking about burning a turkey or showing up late for a date. I’m talking about losing-your-job big. Often times, mistakes at this level drastically affect others. When you disappoint, or even worse, harm others, you better take some time to learn from your mistake. In Dave Eggers’ non-fiction novel, Zeitoun, we learn about a person whose life is irreversibly altered by one of these colossal mistakes.

Eggers’ Zeitoun documents the Hurricane Katrina disaster through the lens of New Orleans resident, Abdulrahman Zeitoun.

The Zeitouns 

Raised in Syria and a devout Muslim, Zeitoun immigrated to the United States in 1988. Married to an American, Kathy Zeitoun, with 5 children, Abdulrahman owns Zeitoun A. Painting Contractors, a successful local business.

“Kathy was one of nine children, and had grown up with very little, and Zeitoun, the eighth of thirteen children, had been raised with almost nothing. To see the two of them now, to stand back and assess what they’d built—a sprawling family, a business of distinct success, and to be woven so thoroughly into the fabric of their adopted city that they had friends in every neighborhood, clients on almost any block they passed—and these were all blessings from God” (14).

While Friday, August 26 2005, begins like any other day. The swirling storm pressing forward through the Caribbean offers only slight unease since the Zeitouns encountered hurricanes before. Even though bunkering during the storm is a necessity, hurricanes provide opportunities for profit as Zeitoun’s clients request houses boarded up.

But, with Katrina gathering steam over the Gulf of Mexico, Kathy assembles the children and evacuates to Baton Rouge as a precaution.

An Emerging Catastrophe 

Photo by NASA

Zeitoun, on the other hand, remains in New Orleans holding down the fort in the hopes of minimizing damage to the Zeitoun’s home as well as their many rental properties. Even though Kathy requests her husband’s presence in the evacuation, she knows the difficulties of convincing this bull-headed man. The notion of her husband weathering this storm is frightening.

“She thought again of her husband. The images she’d seen on the news were absurd, really—the storm looked like a white circular saw heading directly for New Orleans. On those satellite images the city looked so small compared to the hurricane, such a tiny thing about to be cut to pieces by that gigantic spinning blade. And her husband was just a man alone in a wooden house” (57).

For the most part, Katrina passes with no major adverse effects to the Zeitoun house. Only after the storm does the water begin to rise.

“But the water was clean. It was translucent, almost green in tint. He watched it fill his dining room, momentarily struck by the beauty of the sight” (87-88).

With the city 15 feet underwater, Zeitoun undergoes rescue operations. In the first days, he coordinates food delivery and rescue of his neighbors from the safety of his secondhand canoe. He also takes it upon himself to feed the hungry, left behind dogs of his neighborhood. While Kathy and the rest of the country observes the unfolding catastrophe from the newsroom of CNN, Zeitoun finds true purpose in the early post-Katrina days.

 “He was certain he had been called to stay, that God knew he would be of service if he remained. His choice to stay in the city had been God’s will” (110).

But this sense of calling quickly turns to horror when New Orleans police and the National Guard arrest Zeitoun and some of his neighbors for “looting” on Zeitoun’s own property.

More Punishment than Crime 

Confident the misunderstanding would soon be alleviated, Zeitoun’s certainty diminishes when he finds himself and his neighbors thrown in Camp Greyhound, a temporary prison set up at the bus station and his rights in abeyance under the suspicion of ties to Al-Qaeda.

“Zeitoun had long feared this day would come. Each of the few times he had been pulled over for a traffic violation, he knew the possibility existed that he would be harassed, misunderstood, suspected of shadowy dealings that might bloom in the imagination of any given police officer. After 9/11, he and Kathy knew that many imaginations had run amok, that the introduction of the idea of ‘sleeper cells’—groups of would-be terrorists living in the U.S. and waiting, for years or decades, to strike—meant that everyone at their mosque, or the entire mosque itself, might be waiting for instructions from their presumed leaders in the hills of Afghanistan or Pakistan” (212-213).

What Katrina Tells Us about America 

New Orleans Flooding

Zeitoun is a heartbreaking story on multiple levels. For starters, Eggers describes the Katrina aftermath in excruciating detail. Without trying to get too political here, Katrina breaks my heart equally due to the failure of government institutions and individual citizens. While the shocking stories create the buzz, it is equally sad to hear about a man trying his best to help others in the wake of a catastrophe only to become unjustly imprisoned.

Even more, Zeitoun directs us to the unwelcome truth surrounding the American war on terror. Whether we admit it or not, too many Americans associate the acts of radical individuals with an entire people group. Instead of giving people the benefit of the doubt, Zeitoun reminds us of the possibility of targeting innocent people.

We’re all broken. We will make mistakes. But it is important to recognize them quickly, make reparations, and learn to not make the same mistake twice. Even still, some mistakes will change people to the core. We all need to understand the gravity of the choices we make.

If you’re a fan of the non-fiction novel, if you’re interested in the effects of injustice, or if you want to learn more about true stories from Katrina, check out Zeitoun.

Verdict: 4 out of 5

Where were you when Katrina hit? How has the media’s portrayal of the event shaped the way you remember the hurricane? Does Zeitoun’s story enrage you? How do you feel about the engrained prejudices Americans still hold?
Share your thoughts below.
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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Book Review: Acres of Diamonds

Acres of Diamonds: All Good Things Are Possible, Right Where You Are, and Now! By Russell H. Conwell and Robert Shackleton (Lexington: Feather Trail Press, 2009; originally published in 1915. 92 pp)

Born in Massachusetts, Russell Conwell attended Yale University and Albany Law School. Conwell founded Temple University and pastored The Baptist Temple in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

An Inspiring Story 

For some reason, the simplicity of the standard “success story” conjures the hopeful sentiment that such accomplishments could occur in any life. Truthfully, most successful stories begin with an idea, a notion of which all human beings are equally capable. In Acres of Diamonds, Russell Conwell utilizes positive and negative narratives in order to inspire productivity in his community.

In Defense of Wealth 

Simply speaking, Conwell is pro wealth. While many theologians and ethicists warn society about the dangers of increasing riches, Conwell believes that Christians possess an ethical duty to be rich. He writes:

“Money is power, and you ought to be reasonably ambitious to have it. You ought because you can do more good with it than you could without it. Money printed your Bible, money builds your churches, money sends your missionaries, and money pays your preachers, and you would not have many of them, either, if you did not pay them… The man who gets the largest salary can do the most good with the power that is furnished to him. Of course he can if his spirit be right to use it for what it is given to him” (13).

Viscerally, such statements seem disconnected with reality. Many people would love to make as much money as possible but do not possess the opportunities to do so. However, when charitably considered, Conwell’s philosophy seems sensible to a certain extent.

First, Conwell’s opinions resemble pro-business theological arguments. Many Christians affirm profit, arguing that it is an integral piece of the marketplace puzzle. However, profit ought not to be an end; profit ought to be made with the purpose of serving others. How is this position different than Conwell’s where he suggest that the rich can do more good in the world with money? It isn’t.

Russell Conwell

In many ways, Conwell’s theory resembles the first two bullet points in John Wesley’s economic theory: one, gain all you can; and two, save all you can. Once made rich by gaining and saving, a Christian is capable of doing good deeds in the world. This notion of good resembles Wesley’s “give-all-you-can” principles minus the all-you-can part.

The Problem of Systemic Injustice 

Nevertheless, Conwell’s position on wealth is untenable because it disregards the concept of systemic injustice. Certain people who possess the desire and talent to succeed in business will never find the opportunity. In Conwell’s mind, such poverty is attributed to a lack of belief or a lack of trying. Given our economic system, it is important to remember the role of profit and to do good things when in positions of power. But, Christians also ought to campaign against systemic injustice in order to provide opportunity for those with a will but without a way.

Acres of Diamonds inspires people to pursue wealth. I am not convinced this position is correct. Conwell’s writing carries the foundations of prosperity gospel, a worrisome theology which focuses on wealth creation as evidence of faithfulness. Acres of Diamonds is an influential work and therefore ought to be studied. However, if you are uninterested in the relationship between theology and economic theory, avoid this book.

Verdict: 2.5 out of 5

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Posted by: Donovan Richards

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Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 1960. 376 pp)

Born in 1926, Harper Lee is an author best known for her Pulitzer Prize winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Although this novel was her only published work, its longstanding success contributed to Lee winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lee attended Huntingdon College for one year before attending the University of Alabama. In the wake of success, Lee has accepted numerous honorary degrees. She currently splits time between New York City and Monroeville, Alabama.

Just Because We Can Share the Same Water Fountain Doesn’t Mean We Are Sharing the Same Water Fountain

According to a recent New York Times project, North Seattle is predominantly white while South Seattle offers a multi-cultural dynamic. Why is it that 47 years after the “I Have a Dream” speech, a city as liberal as Seattle is still segregated? For most white citizens, the ideals of equality have taken deep roots yet family and daily routines insulate individuals from actively practicing such virtues. On the surface, humanity is created equal but heaven forbid that ethnicities interact!

In light of recent evidence, Harper Lee’s classic novel remains relevant. Set during the Great Depression in a small town of Maycomb, Alabama, To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by the protagonist, Scout Finch. Living with her brother Jem and widowed father, Atticus – a lawyer of high esteem – the books narrates a story of innocence lost and racial relations in the Deep South.

Those Were the Days When Kids Actually Played Outside

Scout and Jem spend summer vacations utilizing the neighborhood as a playground with their friend, Dill. Lee brilliantly channels the mind of youth in her descriptions of these summers. Fascinated with their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley, the children continually devise plans to see the man in his native habitat and concoct expansive stories about the source of his reclusive nature. Reading these sections reminded me of my youth and the fear of jumping a neighbor’s fence to retrieve baseballs. With innocent minds, the most miniscule task could be infinitely dreadful, and dangerous actions seemed commonplace and of no need for worry.

Lee summarizes the children’s age of innocence well when she writes,

“For reasons unfathomable to the most experienced prophets of Maycomb County, autumn turned to winter that year. We had two weeks of the coldest weather since 1885, Atticus said. Mr. Avery said it was written on the Rosetta Stone that when children disobeyed their parents, smoked cigarettes and made war on each other, the seasons would change: Jem and I were burdened with the guilt of contributing to the aberrations of nature, thereby causing unhappiness to our neighbors and discomfort to ourselves” (85).

Racial Injustice

In the same season, the court appoints Atticus to defend Tom Robinson, an African-American man accused of raping a white woman from an abusive family not popular with many folks in Maycomb. In the racially segregated South, such actions became the talk of the town and eventually spilled over to the lives of Jem and Scout.

As the plot unfolds, themes of prejudice and injustice threaten to fracture the children’s innocence.

Throughout the story, the moral compass of Atticus Finch provides a beacon for his children. Despite the misgivings of the townspeople, Atticus not only educates his children on the importance of racial equality, he also allows his children to live out these ideals when they visit African-American churches and communities.

Incarnational Living

In an era ripe with continued underlying segregation, To Kill a Mockingbird reminds us of the importance of incarnationally engaging in relationships with all cultures. Despite the fact that the grievous injustices represented in the book no longer exist, the insulated, mono-cultured lives of most individuals reinforce the idea that other cultures ought to remain other.

How should someone engage with other cultures? Should people of one culture move into the neighborhoods typically dwelt by other cultures? Should people serve or work in multi-cultured organizations? While I am unaware of the perfect answer to that question, I realize it is important to do something.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic work worth every ounce of the label “masterpiece.” I am truly grateful to have read it at an older age because I believe I gleaned more from it now than I would have understood as a teenager. For those who have yet to read this book, please read it soon.