Zeitoun

by: Dave Eggers

"In this nonfiction book that reads like a novel, author Dave Eggers tells the story of Syrian-American New Orleans resident Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a general contractor and married father of four. As Katrina hits New Orleans, Zeitoun’s family leaves the city, but he stays behind to guard their home, watch over his contracting projects, and help his neighbors. His reward for this generosity of spirit, however, is to be arrested by overzealous local police and National Guardsmen who assume because of his name that he is a terrorist. Zeitoun is then detained for almost a month in the bizarre and secretive bureaucratic maze that has developed in response to 9/11. Written in spare but elegant—almost poetic—prose, Eggers' book chronicles the best and the worst of human nature in a time of catastrophe."

Reviewed by: George Williams - Spartanburg, SC

The Art of Racing in the Rain

by: Garth Stein

"Stein’s novel is from the point of view of Enzo, a dog. If you think that you might need a box of Kleenex by your side, keep reading. Though it is adult fiction with adult issues, it is filled with humor, love and fun. The chapters are short, and the story moves quickly. Being a perceptive dog, Enzo learns from Denny (his loving owner) and from TV. Denny is a high-end race car mechanic and driver. I am not a racing fan, but Enzo’s thrill as he rode with Denny on a practice ride around the track was thrilling for me, too. Enzo often wants to help Denny, but his lack of opposable thumbs is frustrating for him. But through well-timed gestures, Enzo finds ways to heal family turmoil. Since reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, I find myself looking at dogs differently.
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Reviewed by: Cathy Terrell - Spartanburg, SC

Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer

by: Novella Carpenter

"I have a farm on a dead end street in a ghetto,” writes Novella Carpenter. This captivating memoir of Carpenter’s adventures in becoming an urban farmer will enchant anyone who loves to eat, fantasizes about growing her own food, or just takes voyeuristic pleasure in learning about lives very different from her own. In the backyard of a run-down double-decker near downtown Oakland, Carpenter and her boyfriend raise and harvest (or butcher) fruits, vegetables, rabbits, chickens, bees, and pigs. There’s nothing sentimental or pastoral about Farm City; the grittiness of daily life in an urban ghetto is ever-present in the gang of street-toughs who menace Novella a block from home and in the periodic police raids to roust Bobby, the grizzled homeless veteran who assembles makeshift homes in the neighborhood. Often humorous, sometimes filled with pathos, Carpenter’s memoir will engross you to the end."

Reviewed by: Melissa Walker - Spartanburg, SC