Greenwich Reads 'Zeitoun' Together

The "gripping and powerful story" of a family's experiences of loss and survival during Hurricane Katrina has been selected for the 2nd annual Greenwich Reads Together program.

Since its release 2 years ago Zeitoun has been honored with numerous awards, including being named a winner for an American Book Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and it is now the book that Greenwich Reads Together, a community-wide reading event that engages all of Greenwich in exploring a single book. The selection of Dave Eggers' bestseller about one family's experiences in New Orleans was unveiled at Greenwich Library Wednesday.

Greenwich Reads Together is a private-public partnership that will include several programs for children and adults and culminate with a presentation by Eggers in April. The book was selected from dozens of suggestions submitted by the community.

Greenwich librarian Marianne Weill, one of five librarians on the selection committee, said, "We had the best 30 or 40 book discussions. This is a gripping, powerful story about a family during Hurricane Katrina. ... what it means to be an American ..."

Library Director Carol Mahoney described 'Zeitoun' as a "magnificent book ... it's really incredible and has real life lessons." She added, "Greenwich Reads Together is an activity that pulls us together to build a common experience."

In his rich baritone voice, library security director Walter Argueta, read excerpts from the book about Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a prosperous Syrian-American and father of four, chose to stay through the storm to protect his New Orleans house and contracting business. After a week of traveling the flooded streets in a secondhand canoe, helping residents, he disappeared. Eggers spent 3 years exploring Zeitoun's family roots and history in Syria, Spain and the U.S., as the basis for the book.

Children's librarian Alice Sherwood, another selection committee member, said the committee selected the children's best-seller "Ninth Ward" by Jewell Parker Rhodes for children in grades 4 and up. "It is the story about the devastation in the Ninth Ward (of New Orleans" told through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. Kids will get a real sense of what it like — even adults should read it."

The reading experience will include multiple opportunities for the community to engage. Discussions, programs and lectures based on "Zeitoun" are scheduled to take place for the two weeks from April 15 through April 29. The activities are being planned by the Greenwich Reads Together Steering Committee whose members represent the Greenwich Library, the Greenwich Arts Council, Greenwich Historical Society, Greenwich Alliance for Education, Greenwich Pen Women, Greenwich Public Schools and private schools, and Friends of Greenwich Library. During last spring’s inaugural Greenwich Reads Together initiative, 20 community organizations and more than 2,000 residents participated in programs planned around the "Book Thief."

The final schedule will be announced by March and information is available at the library which has copies of the book.

Corporate support for Greenwich Reads Together has been donated by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, the Verizon Foundation and JP Morgan. At yesterday's announcement, Daniel Fitzpatrick, regional management director for BNY Mellon Wealth Management, said, “I can think of no better program that supports the reading of good literature and brings together the community.”