Our government obviously fell down on the job and failed its citizens when they needed it the most. This book fairly placed the blame for this on our leaders, who failed to address a problem of huge proportions, nothing like our country has seen before. However, since Dr. Dyson really only addressed the issue of poverty in the black community, what this reviewer believed would be a general historical account of a major disaster was revealed to be a racial and political statement. The author appears to be as agenda driven as those he criticizes. While the book certainly raises issues that need to be thought about and discussed, it is definitely more about those issues than the storm itself .

The narrator has a beautiful, deep and mesmerizing voice. However, many common words were mispronounced. I grew up with relatives born and raised in deep southern Louisiana, and am familiar with their unique varied accents, yet I had a hard time discerning if Mr. Barnes’ pronunciations were intentional due to regional dialect, or if he was quoting words spoken by victims.

In summary, it’s my opinion that this book doesn’t explore the whole of the disaster. There is value in the recitation of the plight of citizens who were hit hardest by Katrina, but if we’re not careful, blame will fuel the fires of the racial line which divides the American people, a line that many are trying to erase.