Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath (Voice of Witness) [Paperback]

Lola Vollen (Editor), Chris Ying (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1932416684 | ISBN-13: 978-1932416688

Hurricane Katrina inflicted damage on a scale unprecedented in American history, nearly destroying a major city and killing thousands of its citizens. With far too little help from indifferent, incompetent government agencies, the poor bore the brunt of the disaster. The residents of traditionally impoverished and minority communities suffered incalculable losses and endured unimaginable conditions. And the few facilities that did exist to help victims quickly became miserable, dangerous places. Now, the victims of Hurricane Katrina find themselves spread across the United States, far from the homes they left and faced with the prospect of starting anew. Families are struggling to secure jobs, homes, schools, and a sense of place in unfamiliar surroundings. Meanwhile, the rebuilding of their former home remains frustrating out of their hands. This bracing read brings readers to the heart of the disaster and its aftermath as those who survived it speak with candor and eloquence of their lives then and now.

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: McSweeney's (October 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932416684
• ISBN-13: 978-1932416688
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #655,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye of the Storm, November 12, 2008

By 

EGD (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath (Voice of Witness) (Paperback)

Another terrific installment in the stellar Voice of Witness series, Voices from the Storm tells the inside story on Hurricane Katrina from those who lived it at ground level. Those of us who experienced Katrina through television and radio must surely recall the frustrated rants of Mayor Ray Nagin or the tragic incompetence of FEMA, foreboding reports of levee breaks and the tales of floating bodies. But even accompanied by real-time video of the sunken city by helicopter, no distant news account could have captured the five senses of Katrina as the gripping, first-person accounts of survival told in Voices from the Storm do.

Masterfully edited, Voices from the Storm assures us that really, things were much worse than we thought. Experience the Superdome, where over 50,000 desperate people lived five days in darkened chaos, huddled in 90+ degree heat without adequate food, water, or sanitation facilities, and no medical care to speak of. Smell the greasy, putrid water as it rises higher and higher, forcing families to attics, balconies, and rooftops. Sense the dread and anxiety as New Orleans descends into a law-free zone. Feel the insect bites and the rats brush against your scalp as you sleep your third consecutive night on the surface of I-10. Wrestle with rage as you read of redevelopment plans that recolor the demographic of a once-great city. By the time your through, you'll appreciate the hurricane but understand the crime.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wake Up, October 17, 2010

By 

Mary L. Sahd "mary lou" (lancaster, pa usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath (Voice of Witness) (Paperback)

As an American, you think you are safer than other people in 'less developed' countries when disaster strikes. We think our governing agencies will be there to help us. Well after reading this book and especially after reading "Zeitoun", both about Katrina----you will never think that again. I will now make sure that I am prepared to care for myself & family as much as possible in an emergency because our government can't be trusted to do so. And, above all, it's a reminder of just how dangerous it is to be poor in this country. The way people were treated in New Orleans after the storm is nothing short of sickening. This book made me very, very angry and very, very sad. It should be required reading for every American.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Thrown off, April 27, 2009

By 

Teach (Birmingham, AL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices from the Storm: The People of New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath (Voice of Witness) (Paperback)

I found this book very interesting, if more than a little discombobulating with the shift from individual to individual mandated by the chronological approach. What troubled me the most about this book was the selection of narrators. Were they really representative of the population of New Orleans? Or were they chosen because of the dramatic nature of their stories?