Author Topic: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online  (Read 80931 times)

JoanP

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Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« on: August 07, 2010, 09:24:54 AM »

The Book Club Online is  the oldest  book club on the Internet, begun in 1996, open to everyone.  We offer cordial discussions of one book a month,  24/7 and  enjoy the company of readers from all over the world.  everyone is welcome to join in.

 
 SEPTEMBER BOOKCLUB ONLINE

Zeitoun ~  by David Eggers
 
 
       
" In Zeitoun, Dave Eggers expertly captures the Zeitoun family’s story of perseverance through forces of nature and man. This book is a testament to the city of New Orleans and the survivors of Hurricane Katrina who carry on and strive to rebuild. Zeitoun is narrative nonfiction at its storytelling best and Eggers valiantly provides writing worthy of the source material."   Mike Sullivan  About.com Book review

"It’s the stuff of great narrative nonfiction"  Timothy Egan ~ New York Times Book Review
 
Will you be joining us in September?  

 
Discussion Leaders:   Ella & JoanK

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2010, 11:00:40 AM »

     Re: ZEITOUN by Dave Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #34 on: August 07, 2010, 06:21:52 AM » Quote Modify  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all watched this disaster on TV for days and in this book  Dave Eggers has written about one family that endured and suffered, a family with the name of Zeitoun.

Eggers is a journalist, taught journalism at the University of California-Berkeley Graduate School, has written several books and is a catalyst for many charitable foundations; the book is so well written that we know you will enjoy reading it.

JOIN US IN SEPTEMBER!
 

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2010, 02:53:07 PM »
Time to pull up our chairs and talk about another fascinating book. So grab some cold lemonade, and let's go.

We met Dave Eggers a few years ago as a teenager, struggling to raise his brother after their parents died when we discussed "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". Now that he's grown u,p he's still writing about families in crisis, but not his own. Meet Zeitoun and his family, ordinary people caught in extraordinary events, when hurricane Katrina destroys their world around them.

I couldn't put this book down: I'm sure you'll feel the same way. The promise we saw in the teenager is still there, but with a new mature voice, a perfect voice for telling this story. Lets share this together.

JoanP

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2010, 05:02:11 PM »
Count me in - Peak hurricane season begins in September, doesn't it?

Here's the book description that grabbed my attention -

"An American epic. Fifty years from now, when people want to know what happened to the once great city of New Orleans during a shameful episode of our history, they will still be talking about a family named Zeitoun."  I don't  remembering connecting the word "shameful" to the unfortunate results of the hurricane and its aftermath...  This should be interesting.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2010, 08:47:20 PM »
Oh, good, JOANP!  We are happy to welcome our first participant!

New Orleans was hit again with a disaster, man made this time, with the oil spill.  How much can one city take in a period of five years!

JOANK (remember we have two Joans here) said, this is a real page-turner of a book, but I haven't read his memoir, THE HEARTBREAK book, so I shall look forward to reading that!

But I guarantee you will love this book!

kidsal

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2010, 02:01:26 AM »
OK, count me in!

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2010, 09:37:45 AM »
You are in, KIDSAL.  Delighted to welcome you. 

This book is still #7 or 8 on the NYT's bestseller paperback list and the fact that it is in paperback makes the price, for those who are buying, very gratifying.

But for others, as the book has been out for awhile, you should have no trouble finding it at your local library.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2010, 10:22:42 AM »
A BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Eggers

Just 40 years old, so handsome, and so literary!  His book WHAT IS THE WHAT was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circele Award; I have an idea that his next book will win it.  

He's a winner!  A fellow who seems to have it all!  

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2010, 10:43:18 AM »
And while I have time this morning, I will put place a couple of other sites of interest in our story.  We can put these in the heading later.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/lgcolor/sycolor.htm - Map of Syria where Zeitoun was born and raised.

http://www.cafe-syria.com/History.htm - History of Syria

This site mentions an exhibition of Syrian antiquities that will be traveling:

"The exhibition will open in Basel, Switzerland, and then move to Quebec from May 30, 2000, to Jan. 7, 2001. It then moves to Edmonton and on to the United States in June 2001: San Jose until September, New York’s American Museum of Natural History from October to January and Denver until May 5, 2002"

Anybody heard anything about this?

And one more site of a place which is often in Zeitoun's dreams  The island where his grandparents lived and he played with his older brother:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arwad

pedln

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2010, 11:48:01 AM »
Well, I hope I can join you.  I suggested it to my library, but don't know whether they'll get it or not.  Then I ordered one of those new Kindles, to be shipped (2-day) Aug. 27, thinking that Zeitoun would be my first book to put on it, and I would have it for our NY trip.  Now my Amazon order shows shipping about Sept. 29, so we shall see.   I simply cannot buy a hard copy of it.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2010, 12:13:03 PM »
Hi PEDLIN, it would be nice to see you here!  My library has 43 copies of it, so I just assumed most libraries would also have bought a number of the books; Eggers being a well-known author.

You can buy the paperback from our Amazon ad above for $8.95 or $9.95.  I know you are going to NY with several other members of our site for 4-5 days.  Maybe you can get it for your Kindle, my daughter had it on her Kindle when she went on vacation this summer.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2010, 12:57:49 PM »
JABLEH, SYRIA, the city of Zeitoun's birth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jableh

The house on the left is the Zeitoun family home, I believe.  The picture is identical to the one on the book.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2010, 01:13:08 PM »
There's just no end to it:  Below are just a few of the hundreds of photos of HURRICANE KATRINA:

http://www.katrinadestruction.com/images/v/hurricane/

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2010, 05:20:10 PM »
Hi, JoanP, Kidsal, Pedlin. WELCOME, WELCOME!

My library has an estimated waiting list of 43 days, so if you're planning on a library book, maybe you'd better check.

And I see I was wrong: I said Eggers was 16 when he wrote "Heartbreaking work---", but the review says 21. Pactically an old man. Were any of you in that discussin?

Mippy

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2010, 06:30:17 AM »
Good morning, all!
This looks like an excellent choice, and I'll try to join in.   Sep is looking like a very busy month, with several days out for travel and, more importantly, the re-start of Latin          
class Sep 15th.   But being busy is good, so I'll try.

This is the first time I'll try a book discussion using my Kindle.  By the way, it was a
gift in June and I do love the instant delivery feature.  For this, I'm going to try the annotation feature ... or whatever its called ...  but good old place marks or sticky notes will be missed.   Technology marches on!  
quot libros, quam breve tempus

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #15 on: August 09, 2010, 08:54:19 AM »
Yes, MIPPY, and technology is marching faster, it seems to me. One new gadget follows another within a month or two.  Good for a capitalist society I suppose.  I haven't tried a Kindle yet, may someday but I don't travel much anymore, so I'm not sure of the need.

I do hope you can join in what is going to be a fascinating story and discussion!  Being busy is good, do we all agree?  But time out for books indeed!

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2010, 03:09:10 PM »
Hey, Mippy -- great to see you! I'm getting more and more tempted to buy a kindle -- the new multi-task thingies have driven the price down, and it's harder to get to the library in my new condo. Let us know how well it works.

mrssherlock

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2010, 06:16:50 PM »
Mark
Jackie
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke

Aberlaine

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2010, 08:52:43 PM »
I've ordered it from my local library.  I'm going to try to read it along with the group.

Nancy

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #19 on: August 10, 2010, 02:09:02 AM »
HI. ABERLAINE. Glad to see you. Pull up a chair!

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #20 on: August 10, 2010, 08:27:54 AM »
WELCOME MIPPY, NANCY AND JACKIE!  I hope you will join us September lst!

What do you remember about Hurricane Katrina?  The Levee failures, FEMA, the lack of control, the Superdome, the tragic pictures.  Has the city been healed yet?  People back in homes?


On BookTV Sunday there was an author talking about how history should be written and he believed it should be written as a story told through the eyes of one family or one character to make it come allive to the reader.

This book is good history!

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #21 on: August 10, 2010, 02:01:29 PM »
Tavis Smiley ran programs about New Orleans on Public Television. Did anyone see them? I just saw a bit of one.

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2010, 02:10:48 PM »
Here is incredible youtube footage of the storm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s76Qn7bpCsQ&feature=related


Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2010, 02:35:10 PM »
OH!  That was such a frightening video, JOANK!  I couldn't watch too long, it looked like that boat went under....

And Zeitoun (our husband and father in the book) was in a canoe!  But that was after the brunt of the storm, don't you think?

So much to discuss here. 

One paragraph that caught my eye this morning:

"Downtown, hundreds of people were walking to the Superdome carrying coolers, blanket, suitcases.  Zeitoun was surprised.  Previous experiments using the stadium as shelter had failed."

The people of New Orleans knew that?  That it had failed as a shelter before?  But those who were going there were the vulnerable, the poor, those had no other option.  Those were the people of New Orleans that were affected so much by this hurricane.

Do you think all the people are out of the trailers that FEMA provided?



Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #24 on: August 10, 2010, 02:42:02 PM »
If this were just a book about the hurricane, it would not have been a bestseller. 

So what is it?  The excellent writing?  The characters?  The fact that this is a story about a Muslim family?

To quote Vanity Fair"s James Wolcott:  "It's unmistakably a narrative feat, slowly pulling the reader into the oncoming vortex without literary trickery or theatrical devices, reminiscent of Mailer's Exectioners's Song, but less craftily self-conscious in the exercise of its restraint.  Humanistic, that is, in the highest, best, least boring sense of the word."

High praise!

serenesheila

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #25 on: August 11, 2010, 12:50:35 AM »
I just downloaded our book to my Kindle.  So, count me in, too.  ELLA, I love my Kindle.  I am house bound, due to my health.  One of the features I enjoy the most, is how light weight it is.  Doesn't bother my arthritic hands.  This is my second Kindle.  When I gave the first one to my dil, Amazon put all of the books in the first Kindle, and transferred each of them to the second Kiindle. Most of the books are $9,95.  It only takes about one minute, between ordering a new book, for it to download to my Kindle.

Sheila

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - Proposed for September
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2010, 11:15:28 AM »
WELCOME SHEILA!

The Kindle -  I must get one someday soon.  How easy it makes it to get a book and read it.  I have arthritic hands, knees, back, neck, don't you think I need one?  My daughter read this book on her Kindle while on her vacation and she loved the book.

I'm so happy you will be joining us!

Aberlaine

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #27 on: August 13, 2010, 06:38:37 AM »
My library called yesterday.  The book is in and waiting for me to pick it up.

During the days before and following Hurricane Katrina, I watched the news non-stop.  I felt so helpless watching people deal with that disaster.  I also watched Spike Lee's documentary, When The Levees Broke.  That, and the anniversary of 9/11 caused me to go into a deep depression.  I finally got over it with the help of several great doctors.  I sure hope this book has a happy ending or I might have to stop reading it.

Nancy

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #28 on: August 13, 2010, 02:01:00 PM »
Should I tell you?

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #29 on: August 13, 2010, 04:44:24 PM »
Nancy, you go get it, but don't read it until Sept. lst and we will all read it together.  We'll be posting a schedule in the heading later.........

It would be difficult to put this book into any category at all, except to say that it is a true story, well-written and is very thought-provoking.  As all good books should be.

Has any one read the book HELP by Kathryn Stockett?  I've been carrying it around with me and people see it and tell me how wonderful it is; it has some similarity to ZEITOUN.  But I don't want to discuss this ahead of our schedule.   

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #30 on: August 15, 2010, 09:57:34 PM »
I recommended the book to a friend whose husband comes from Syria. I hope she will join us.

Meanwhile, we usually try to think of some appropriate virtual drinks and snacks to bring to our virtual meetings. If any of you have been to New Orleans, what would be appropriate there?

JoanP

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #31 on: August 15, 2010, 10:33:20 PM »
First thing in the morning, I'll be here with the beignets and a big jug of chicory coffee - for dunking,  New Orleans style of course!  You'd better get here early though, they'll be gone long before noon!



JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #32 on: August 15, 2010, 10:47:24 PM »
Wow! What is a beignet? they look yummy.

kidsal

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #33 on: August 16, 2010, 07:28:56 AM »
FEMA apparently has improved.  They just delivered drinking water to my hometown - Ames, Iowa.  They lost all of their drinking water to flooding and breakage of water mains.  They managed to get the lines fixed today.

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #34 on: August 16, 2010, 10:21:12 AM »
That's good to know, KIDSAL!  It took a disaster, though, and the public to make it happen! 

JOANP, I want to know what a "beignet is also!  Is that cocoanut on top of a doughnut?  Whatever, I agree, JOANK! 

Ella Gibbons

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #35 on: August 16, 2010, 10:48:08 AM »
Oh, JOANP, clever!  Have you been to New Orleans or just read about these delicious pastries?

"Unique specialties include beignets (locally pronounced like "ben-yays"), square-shaped fried pastries that could be called "French doughnuts" (served with café au lait made with a blend of coffee and chicory rather than only coffee); Po' boy and Italian Muffuletta sandwiches; Gulf oysters on the half-shell, fried oysters, boiled crawfish, and other seafood; étouffée, jambalaya, gumbo, and other Creole dishes; and the Monday favorite of red beans and rice. (Louis Armstrong often signed his letters, "Red beans and ricely yours".) Another New Orleans specialty is the Praline (locally /ˈprɑːliːn/), a candy made with brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, butter, and pecans." - Wikipedia


There is a beautiful picture on that web site of the skyline of New Orleans, a bridge and the Mississippi River.  So peaceful looking, so calm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Orleans

As we read the chapters in this book we'll try to study the various sections of New Orleans; those most susceptible to flooding and what has been done, what could be done.  

And the history of the city.

Who has been there?  

JoanP

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #36 on: August 16, 2010, 11:05:40 AM »
No, not coconut, Ella - you couldn't dunk the beignet if it was covered in coconut.  :D  That's confectioner's sugar you see - it dissolves in the chicory coffee when you dunk it!  The beignet is a square piece of dough, fried and covered with powdered sugar - they're served warm.  Heavenly!  Real diet breakers - you can't just have one!  Maybe a cyber beignet has fewer calories, BUT I'm not even sure of that!   t
They're served warm.  Heavenly! JoanK, you'll have to set your alarm in CA if you want to get in on these.

We went down to New Orleans two years after Katrina, stayed in Old Town right across the street from where Frances Parkinson Keyes lived and wrote her "Dinner at Antoine's"  My father gave me that book many many years before and I've kept it.  Of course we had dinner at the famous Antoine's - it had recently reopened, but not as many hours as before.  Had a long talk with the waiter who told of moving his mother and family to Texas  after the flood so he could work to support everyone.  He had just returned the week before we arrived.
Frances P. Keyes home was open as a museum - this was a treasured memory - The caretaker lived in the museum - had known the author and continued to keep up her home after she left it.

Slowly things were coming back - in Old Town.
 
The fine homes on higher dry land all looked great - but oh, the abandonned houses es in the devastated areas needed so much work. So many of them! To me, they looked as if they ought to be razed, but the owners' whereabouts were unknown.  There were markings on the homes where bodies had been found.  
What gave hope was the number of volunteer crews working on the houses.  So many young people...  Jimmy Carter was there when we went through.
  
 

JoanK

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #37 on: August 16, 2010, 03:28:54 PM »
I'm not surprised Jimmy Carter was there. His work on housing is outstanding!

Aberlaine

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #38 on: August 16, 2010, 07:54:13 PM »
I have my book and am eagerly awaiting the reading schedule.  In the meantime, I'll listen to the books I've downloaded to my mp3 player.

Oh, another thing.  When I went to the library to pick up the book, the librarian asked where I had found out about it.  She had never heard of it before.  So I gave her our website address.  She was eager to look us up.  I think we might be getting a new member soon.


Nancy

PatH

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Re: Zeitoun ~ David Eggers - September Book Club Online
« Reply #39 on: August 16, 2010, 11:13:02 PM »
JoanK's enthusiastic review convinced me.  The book is on the way from Amazon.com.

I don't have to go far to get Beignets; there's a modest Louisiana restaurant less than 2 miles from my house, and if I have room after eating a catfish or soft shell crab po'boy, I can get them for dessert.  The dough isn't quite like a cakey doughnut, but close.  Really good.