Zeitoun

Zeitoun is a nonfiction narrative recounting the trials and ordeals of the Zeitoun family during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Abdulrahman Zeitoun is a Syrian American who has built a successful business in New Orleans. With his wife, Kathy, an American who converted to Islam as an adult, and their children, Zeitoun feels a strong connection to his adopted city and country. He’s proud to be a builder and to help restore New Orleans in whatever way he can. His company, Zeitoun Painting Contractor LLC, has jobsites all over the city, and while Kathy takes care of logistics, Zeitoun is often out in the field helping his workers with projects. It’s the price of their success, this constant dedication, always looking out for their clients as well as the properties they rent out to tenants. Given all of the responsibility, Zeitoun never really wants to leave the city. There have been numerous storms before and Zeitoun has weathered them all. This new storm, called Katrina, will be no different. As it approaches, Zeitoun is sure it will be like all of the others, no real cause for alarm. As the hours and days pass, however, Katrina proves to be a storm unlike any the city has seen before.