Author: Tom Piazza Publisher: Harper ISBN: 978-0-06-123861-1
“City of Refuge“ is likely to become a classic of the future, and that statement is one powerful endorsement of the strength and scope of this novel. Its narrative voice is on a par with Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath,” which documented the Great Depression. In this case, author Tom Piazza (a music writer of note) has crafted the definitive tale of the destruction and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the city and lives of those who call New Orleans home. Piazza not only chronicles the events surrounding the hurricane, but speaks to its effect on the human spirit.
Three characters dominate the story: Craig Donaldson, a Michigan transplant who has found in New Orleans a city that reflects who he is; SJ Williams, a lifelong New Orleans resident whose life is defined by his years in the Lower Ninth Ward; and the city itself, which seems an organic being, as real and changing as any character in the novel. The story follows the lives of the two families (Donaldsons and Williamses) as they prepare, take refuge, and finally relocate outside New Orleans (one family to Chicago and the other to Houston) following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent collapse of the New Orleans levees.
What this wide-ranging saga does so effectively is place the reader directly in the vortex of the storm (not only the physical hurricane, but all the disappointment and heartbreak that is left in its path). Reading “City of Refuge” is to relive the events of Hurricane Katrina: the flooding, the Superdome, the helicopter rescues, the evacuation of people who had never stepped outside of New Orleans to cities across the country, the debate over rebuilding, and so much more. It also conveys the joy and spirit of the city, enabling readers to understand just why New Orleans is such a powerful draw and how the city has hung on, one stubborn citizen at a time.
There are few superlatives that can be heaped upon the novel that adequately do justice to the scope and depth of the writing here. This is an important book. It’s a book that anyone who cares about New Orleans should read. It’s a tale that has the legs to stand up over decades of time to sing and dance and celebrate the song that is New Orleans.
The above review was contributed by: Christine Zibas. Christine has spent all of her life in love with books, and most of her life working with words. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Western Illinois University and did advanced studies in politics and publishing at WIU, Oxford University, George Washington University, and Stanford.
For many years Christine was an editor in the think tank world, editing books and reports on international relations and military studies. She worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. and the Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, where she served as director of publications. In London she was the editor at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
City within a City: A Gangster's Story
Click Here To Purchase City Within A CityAuthor: Sherry Clark ThomasISBN-10: 1432702912 ISBN-13: 978-1432702915 Joe Thomas was a mean and bad guy.
(No rating)
8-14-2008
Views: 3510
City of the Dead
Click Here To Purchase City of the Dead Author: T. L. HIGLEYISBN: 3:978-0-8054-4731-6 Story teller par excellence, T.L. HIGLEY transports the reader into the revived world of Ancient Egypt within the City of the Dead.
(No rating)
9-6-2008
Views: 4789
Angel in a Foreign City
Click Here To Purchase Angel in a Foreign City Author: Moti ShapiraISBN: 9781419671005Publisher: BookSurgeAfter reading, Ange
(No rating)
4-2-2008
Views: 4494
City of Tears by Eric Balkan
The Following review was contributed by: Molly MartinThe Kaskir nomads have been beleaguered by other nomads, the imperial army along with anyone else who has happened to come along. Their villages have been exhausted, children kidnapped until they are now very nearly at the end of their rope. Ailana, wife of the Kaskir chief’s son, is resolute in her determination to be reunited with her children once again. Turan Khan, Jersak nomad ruler, is every bit as determined in his pursuit to...
(No rating)
10-11-2004
Views: 3580
Interested in Knowing More About The Big Apple-New York City?
Norm Goldman, Editor of Bookpleasures.com and Sketchandtravel.com interviews New York City expert, Meryl D.Pearlstein. To read what Meryl has to say about her home town CLICK HERE
(No rating)
6-10-2006
Views: 5735
Retribution City of God Series by Randall Ingermanson
The following review was contributed by:
NORM GOLDMAN Editor of Bookpleasures.com
Retribution City of God Series is Randall Ingermanson’s third historical fiction in his time travel series.
As a result of a bungled physics experiment, Israeli scientist Ari Kazan and his wife Rivka, find themselves back in time during the era of the Jerusalem Church, 57 A.D.
Jerusalem is seething with a great deal of tension, wherein on the one hand you have the harsh treatment of the Jews at the...
(No rating)
1-1-1970
Views: 4204
Montreal The Unknown City by Kristian Gravenor & John David Gravenor
Over the past several years there have been a multitude of guidebooks concerning Montréal. However, there are very few that would not only interest the tourist but also the native Montréaler.
Kristan Gravenor and John David Gravenor have published a book entitled Montreal The Unknown City that they have described as making you feel that you have been in the city since “they sold tomatoes in paper bags where skyscrapers now stand.”
Little unknown intimate gems are exposed that even I, as a...
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1-1-1970
Views: 3245
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