One of my favourite detective series is set in New Orleans and the city has always fascinated me. I read several books about the impact of Hurricane Katrina and how people ‘lived’ through it. This book is a bit different as it’s written by someone who spent time in among and helping in the rebuild of the city. It is a harrowing read and a brilliant read but it shows the exploitation and political game playing of officials and people with power.

Ms Fouts tells the stories of the immigrant labourers and day workers who came to make money to feed their families. They weren’t the one making profit from misery. They were the ones trying to ameliorate the misery but they were treated very badly. Some of it seems quite shocking until you remember America elected a felon to the White House.

Over time those workers started to band together - across the races - and protect each other. They set up their own ‘safe zones’ for restaurants and food trucks and helped train and educate the staff and the labourers.

This is a hard read and at times it is heartbreaking but ultimately it is a hugely positive story of the way humanity can be when it really matters. It is a testament to these ‘small’ people who were visible on the ground and made a difference.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

This was a very good book. It was well-written. At times, it was hard to read, but the resolve of people's will to survive was astonishing.

I am always curious to see the viewpoints of others when it comes to recovery on disasters and how it's handled. This was an interesting read. As someone who was a cleanup and rebuilder of the Katrina Hurricane it was nice to see accurate depiction of what happened and the struggle of the comeback. Great job!