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Many Rivers to Cross
Hurricane Katrina struck the Louisiana Gulf Coast in late August of 2005. In the aftermath of the category-three hurricane, the churning waters of Lake Pontchartrain tore through the levee system of New Orleans, causing unprecedented flooding and stranding those who had failed to evacuate in time. Images of desperate men and women clinging to rooftops and praying for rescue filled every news station. It is in this setting that Thomas Zigal’s new novel unfolds.
With water rapidly rising to alarming heights and contaminated by filth, the only way in or out of New Orleans is by boat. Hodges Grant, a veteran of Vietnam, must ply the fetid waters in a homemade craft in order to reach his stranded daughter and two grandchildren. Accompanied by his grandchildren’s good-for-nothing father Duval, Hodges enters into the treacherous wreckage left by the storm. The city appears to be deserted except for a few police out to commandeer civilian boats―by force, if necessary.
Deirdra, or Dee as she is known, was hardly daunted by the idea of a hurricane. There had been too many false alarms in the past from government officials. Still, for the sake of her two children, Dee had attempted to evacuate, only to turn back as gangs of armed highjackers pulled hapless drivers from their cars in gridlocked traffic. Now she and her children are stranded in their attic as the water laps at the hatch. They can only hope for Hodges’s swift arrival.
Hodges’s son PJ and eight thousand other inmates remain incarcerated in the Orleans Parish Jail as the waters begin to rise. Abandoned by the guards, the inmates must break through the bars of their cells or drown. They discover armed guards calmly waiting in boats outside; they pull a few inmates to safety and threaten to shoot those who rush for the fence.
As the waters advance through the city of New Orleans, so does Zigal’s story. Told through the eyes of each member of the Grant family, Zigal weaves a tale bound by terror, loss, perseverance, and survival.
With water rapidly rising to alarming heights and contaminated by filth, the only way in or out of New Orleans is by boat. Hodges Grant, a veteran of Vietnam, must ply the fetid waters in a homemade craft in order to reach his stranded daughter and two grandchildren. Accompanied by his grandchildren’s good-for-nothing father Duval, Hodges enters into the treacherous wreckage left by the storm. The city appears to be deserted except for a few police out to commandeer civilian boats―by force, if necessary.
Deirdra, or Dee as she is known, was hardly daunted by the idea of a hurricane. There had been too many false alarms in the past from government officials. Still, for the sake of her two children, Dee had attempted to evacuate, only to turn back as gangs of armed highjackers pulled hapless drivers from their cars in gridlocked traffic. Now she and her children are stranded in their attic as the water laps at the hatch. They can only hope for Hodges’s swift arrival.
Hodges’s son PJ and eight thousand other inmates remain incarcerated in the Orleans Parish Jail as the waters begin to rise. Abandoned by the guards, the inmates must break through the bars of their cells or drown. They discover armed guards calmly waiting in boats outside; they pull a few inmates to safety and threaten to shoot those who rush for the fence.
As the waters advance through the city of New Orleans, so does Zigal’s story. Told through the eyes of each member of the Grant family, Zigal weaves a tale bound by terror, loss, perseverance, and survival.
- GenresFiction
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2013
3 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Zigal
19 books7 followersTHOMAS ZIGAL is the author of the critically acclaimed Kurt Muller mystery series set in Aspen, Colorado. He is a graduate of the Stanford Writing Program and has published short stories and book reviews in literary magazines and fiction anthologies for the past 30 years. He grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast and in Louisiana and now lives in Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 26, 2015
Adjectives that describe this book: gripping, vivid, hard to put down. I loved it and became very attached to the characters, who are multi-layered and very real. Tom Zigal beautifully captures the mayhem, chaos and lawlessness after the Katrina hurricane in New Orleans. For all the horrors, there were heroes, too, and without any sentimentality, he tells the story in a compelling and readable way. A must-read.
April 12, 2023
really good
I am from Houston and witnessed Katrina and the Hurricanes that had come after. That is what drew me to the book. As I read, I loved the characters and their strength. They lived through an hellish situation.
A really good read.
I am from Houston and witnessed Katrina and the Hurricanes that had come after. That is what drew me to the book. As I read, I loved the characters and their strength. They lived through an hellish situation.
A really good read.
February 9, 2017
An excellent novel set in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Thomas Zigal does a great job of weaving a story of believable characters through the tragic circumstances of Katrina. I highly recommend this book.
October 20, 2013
Great book. Just finished. Every word and step is put right in this long journey through the flooded New Orleans during Katrina. The book follows three story lines in more or less alternating chapters. This builds the suspense. I was gripped by one story line but wanted to zip through the chapter so I could get back to the other lines.
Dee is a young mom with two kids who did not get out in time and her house is surrounded by rising water. Hodge is her father who recruits her Ex to help him manage a johnboat. He is a vet and determined to get and protect his child and grandchildren. PJ is his other son, his story starts in jail cell about to go underwater.
Everything about the characters and the events rings true and is completely believable.
Dee is a young mom with two kids who did not get out in time and her house is surrounded by rising water. Hodge is her father who recruits her Ex to help him manage a johnboat. He is a vet and determined to get and protect his child and grandchildren. PJ is his other son, his story starts in jail cell about to go underwater.
Everything about the characters and the events rings true and is completely believable.
November 23, 2013
Ranks this among the books to read to truly understand the aftermath of Katrina on both the city of New Orleans and the people who survived the storm, the floods, the deprivations, the long and still unfinished revival. Tom Zigal's eye for the detail of the days following the storm is clear and and precise, and his sense of the voice of the people of the city is well-tuned. These were harrowing weeks, and as one who was there at that time, I can attest to Zigal's fidelity to the nuances as well as the massive forces of nature, evil and heroism. A pleasure to read and uplifting despite the tragedies.
August 27, 2016
Fantastic Book!!!! My book club has chosen this book for our May meeting, I feared the book would be a dry documentary about hurricane Katrina.
Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a very touching and heart felt book! I am very excited, the author Tom Zigal will be joining us for Book club. can not wait to meet him!
Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a very touching and heart felt book! I am very excited, the author Tom Zigal will be joining us for Book club. can not wait to meet him!
December 6, 2014
I'm so glad this is our May book club pick. An amazing story about a family struggling to survive in NOLA the day after Katrina, will make for thought-provoking discussion fodder.
The author, Tom Zigal, will be joining us for the discussion. I can't wait! This is a must read.
The author, Tom Zigal, will be joining us for the discussion. I can't wait! This is a must read.
February 15, 2015
** DISCLAIMER ** The author is a friend.
Setting that aside, this is a wonderfully well written novel of redemption, loss, and the human spirit. The events of the 3 post-Katrina days in New Orleans will shake you to the bone and cause you to question how this could have happened in America.
Setting that aside, this is a wonderfully well written novel of redemption, loss, and the human spirit. The events of the 3 post-Katrina days in New Orleans will shake you to the bone and cause you to question how this could have happened in America.
June 6, 2016
Another important novel from Zigal, both entertaining and heartfelt. A writer of social conscience who never risks boring the reader. If you love NOLA, you will love this realistic portrait of a great city and the heroic people who keep its heritage alive.
February 23, 2015
I have never read a story about Hurricane Katrina before. I really enjoyed it and thought the author did a great job being balanced in this political minefield of a setting/event. I recommend it!
October 16, 2019
Compelling narrative, beautiful writing; fluid and lyrical. Powerful novel with lots of heart.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews