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Below the Water Line: Getting Out, Going Back, and Moving Forward in the Decade After Hurricane Katrina
Lisa Karlin's memoir describes her family’s hurricane evacuation experiences and all that followed in the decade after Hurricane Katrina. In August 2005, Lisa, her husband, thirteen-year-old daughter, eleven-year-old son, and two dogs evacuated New Orleans for what they thought would be a two-day “hurrication.” Her day-by-day account of the weeks that follow vividly chronicles the unprecedented displacement of thousands of Americans, and on a personal level, describes how her family makes the trifecta of major life decisions: where to live, where to work, and where to enroll their children in school. Lisa Karlin provides a personal commentary on how everyday life has been impacted by Katrina’s aftermath and how, a decade later, there are still lingering effects of one of the most devastating events in American history.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
367 pages, Paperback
First published July 20, 2015
21 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Karlin
1 book11 followersLisa Karlin is an oncology nurse and author who resides with her family in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 27, 2015
The journal of Lisa Karlin and her family's experience during and after the widespread devastation caused by Katrina highlights the best and the worst in Americans. From looting, prejudice, and ignorance, to bravery, empathy, and generosity, disasters of Katrina's scale run the gambit of humanity.
The author herself is nonjudgmental, for the most part. She allows the reader to interpret events for themselves. One exception, and rightly so, was the well publicized comment of Barbara Bush suggesting that New Orleans refugees housed in the Houston Astrodome were "underprivileged anyway, so this is working very well for them." The author's reaction was to defend the dignity of people who had lost everything, including loved ones against the ugliness of those without human decency. Other than that, most incidents were presented simply--fear, struggle, mistakes, and breakdowns, to ingenuity, toughness, and a determination to return to normalcy.
Another insight gained by Karlin's experience is the thinness of the veneer of our civilization. Citizen complacency and a poor excuse of a government increased the cost of the disaster in human lives, as well as property and materials. It seems we never learn, as people are just as willing today to vote politicians into office who have no experience with government, and little regard for planning or due diligence. Unfortunately, those who suffer are often those with the least resources.
Lisa Karlin's family was fortunate in that both parents were educated and were highly employable. They had the support of friends and family, money in the bank, and credit cards. Even then, the danger and stress was immense. I admire how quickly they were able to settle themselves, all while fulfilling their duties as parents, professionals, and dog owners(!) and then turned to help others less fortunate. This is the way civilization should work, and I commend everyone who maintained their humanity in the face of disaster.
September 7, 2015
Like most others living in the UK I remembered that the southern states of the USA had suffered the devastating effects of three hurricanes “some time ago” and, also like most people, I remarked that I was surprised to hear on the radio that it was as long as ten years ago. When I started reading Lisa Karlin’s amazing account of how it had affected her and her family I noticed that the date was rather spookily the same as in the title of her first chapter: “Just an Ordinary Day”, August 27! It gave me cause to remember the date Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Monday August 29 2005, which the author describes as Day 2 of her account. And so it began and Lisa Karlin continues her narrative in a carefully considered and colourful way, sometimes humorous, often ironical, but on the whole never judgemental despite the many disappointment and tragedies her family experience and witness. The early very sobering privations that Lisa and her family suffer are well illustrated by their visits to motels and garage rest-rooms/toilets.
Neither Lisa nor her surgeon husband, Rich, could be considered to be poor and down-at-heel, as they seem to have sufficient wealth and capital resources to withstand some of the very expensive events and incidents that befall them and their two kids – not forgetting their two dogs. It was also gratifying to see how their friends and family offered help and support to them over and over again. But what struck me was how Lisa often demonstrated her deep understanding of the misery that others, much less fortunate than her, would be suffering by helping them with offers of money or practical support. And it was most heartening to read how she did this without any hint of a “lady bountiful” attitude, often helping to cover any sense of the recipient’s embarrassment by a forgiven and gentle “white lie”. An incident in a supermarket, when Lisa buys some items and deposits them in another, obviously more needy, mother’s shopping trolley illustrated this well. The author scatters plenty of humorous incidents throughout her account and often raised more than a smile for this reader. For example there was the time she had a problem with the heated driver’s seat of her Chevy car, that one day resulted in the author attending her daughter’s soccer practice with “Northern Bath Tissue”, from a protective piece of cardboard, imprinted on the seat of her trousers! The various anecdotes about their dogs, particularly the “Jack Russell Terror”, were hilarious but perhaps not to the family at the time.
The book is very well written and has some of the pace and characterisation that one would look for in a gripping novel. Karlin is to be congratulated on this and I hope that she is able, one day, to devote her literary skills to produce works of fiction. Despite the many unfortunate and distressing events Lisa Karlin still manages to look for a happy ending and a positive outcome where ever possible. I found the whole book most illuminating in many ways: in the frightening power of, and damage caused through, hurricanes and in the relentless never-say-die attitude of the human spirit when it looks as though all may be lost. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about the stark day-by-day realities to be found in accounts of human frailty, inner strength, generosity and political ineptitude that can result from such disastrous and tragic phenomena.
I received a free copy of Below the Water Line in return for my honest and non-reciprocal review.
Neither Lisa nor her surgeon husband, Rich, could be considered to be poor and down-at-heel, as they seem to have sufficient wealth and capital resources to withstand some of the very expensive events and incidents that befall them and their two kids – not forgetting their two dogs. It was also gratifying to see how their friends and family offered help and support to them over and over again. But what struck me was how Lisa often demonstrated her deep understanding of the misery that others, much less fortunate than her, would be suffering by helping them with offers of money or practical support. And it was most heartening to read how she did this without any hint of a “lady bountiful” attitude, often helping to cover any sense of the recipient’s embarrassment by a forgiven and gentle “white lie”. An incident in a supermarket, when Lisa buys some items and deposits them in another, obviously more needy, mother’s shopping trolley illustrated this well. The author scatters plenty of humorous incidents throughout her account and often raised more than a smile for this reader. For example there was the time she had a problem with the heated driver’s seat of her Chevy car, that one day resulted in the author attending her daughter’s soccer practice with “Northern Bath Tissue”, from a protective piece of cardboard, imprinted on the seat of her trousers! The various anecdotes about their dogs, particularly the “Jack Russell Terror”, were hilarious but perhaps not to the family at the time.
The book is very well written and has some of the pace and characterisation that one would look for in a gripping novel. Karlin is to be congratulated on this and I hope that she is able, one day, to devote her literary skills to produce works of fiction. Despite the many unfortunate and distressing events Lisa Karlin still manages to look for a happy ending and a positive outcome where ever possible. I found the whole book most illuminating in many ways: in the frightening power of, and damage caused through, hurricanes and in the relentless never-say-die attitude of the human spirit when it looks as though all may be lost. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about the stark day-by-day realities to be found in accounts of human frailty, inner strength, generosity and political ineptitude that can result from such disastrous and tragic phenomena.
I received a free copy of Below the Water Line in return for my honest and non-reciprocal review.
July 31, 2015
Many thanks goes out to Centennial Publishing and Netgalley for this review copy.
If you mention the name Hurricane Katrina to anyone in the USA, unless they are a child, it will immediately bring a sense of recognition to their face. The destruction that that hurricane brought in its wake, was unlike anything this country has ever experienced.
BELOW THE WATER LINE tells one family's story, on a day by day account, as they were driven from their New Orleans home by the hurricane and the many hardships and living hells that they endured. Not only did they deal with Katrina, but the area also dealt with hurricane Rita (2005) and Gustav (2011). Both of those hurricanes paled in comparison to the destruction of Katrina, but they still did substantial damage to an already suffering area.
From my outsiders perspective, I can't even imagine what this family, and other families, went through (and continue to go through) even worse situations from these hurricanes. It's not like everything was over and went back to normal as they got back to the city. It's literally taken YEARS for things to begin to recover and reach some sort of normalcy once again. Having myself visited New Orleans earlier this year, even 10 years after the hurricane, I saw with my own eyes how portions of the city have never recovered. It's hard to fathom something so destructive, that its presence is still felt a full decade later.
Some may question "why would you continue to stay in such a hurricane prone area?" And author Lisa Karlin answers those questions in the final chapter when she says, "Love of New Orleans doesn’t just happen here, it stays with you long after a visit and you carry it with you, wherever you go." My family fell in love with the city while we were there earlier this year, and this quote rings so true to our experience of the city.
This book tells it all, taken from Karlin's own diary that she kept throughout the ordeal. Her family went through an unbelievable trial of hardships, but they persevered and became stronger because of it. This book is well written and insightful for anyone that wants to read about just how terrible hurricane Katrina really was. I give this book a 4/5!
If you mention the name Hurricane Katrina to anyone in the USA, unless they are a child, it will immediately bring a sense of recognition to their face. The destruction that that hurricane brought in its wake, was unlike anything this country has ever experienced.
BELOW THE WATER LINE tells one family's story, on a day by day account, as they were driven from their New Orleans home by the hurricane and the many hardships and living hells that they endured. Not only did they deal with Katrina, but the area also dealt with hurricane Rita (2005) and Gustav (2011). Both of those hurricanes paled in comparison to the destruction of Katrina, but they still did substantial damage to an already suffering area.
From my outsiders perspective, I can't even imagine what this family, and other families, went through (and continue to go through) even worse situations from these hurricanes. It's not like everything was over and went back to normal as they got back to the city. It's literally taken YEARS for things to begin to recover and reach some sort of normalcy once again. Having myself visited New Orleans earlier this year, even 10 years after the hurricane, I saw with my own eyes how portions of the city have never recovered. It's hard to fathom something so destructive, that its presence is still felt a full decade later.
Some may question "why would you continue to stay in such a hurricane prone area?" And author Lisa Karlin answers those questions in the final chapter when she says, "Love of New Orleans doesn’t just happen here, it stays with you long after a visit and you carry it with you, wherever you go." My family fell in love with the city while we were there earlier this year, and this quote rings so true to our experience of the city.
This book tells it all, taken from Karlin's own diary that she kept throughout the ordeal. Her family went through an unbelievable trial of hardships, but they persevered and became stronger because of it. This book is well written and insightful for anyone that wants to read about just how terrible hurricane Katrina really was. I give this book a 4/5!
October 16, 2015
This is a highly engaging, heartening and immaculately edited book written in clear and concise language. It appears to be thoroughly researched and gave me the clear sense that the author has achieved exactly what she set out to (I also appreciated the understated sense of humour throughout). It is also a timely reminder of just how precariously balanced civilisation is, and how quickly a situation can descend into chaos when suitable checks, balances and contingency plans are not in place (and perhaps sometimes in spite of them).
Generally speaking, the author presents us with facts and her own personal experiences of the disaster, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. While I appreciated this approach for the most part, I found myself wanting something slightly broader scope in certain chapters, and would be interested to hear more of the author's own philosophical take on the events. This is nitpicking however - it's very hard to find fault with a book that manages to hit its marks so consistently.
Generally speaking, the author presents us with facts and her own personal experiences of the disaster, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. While I appreciated this approach for the most part, I found myself wanting something slightly broader scope in certain chapters, and would be interested to hear more of the author's own philosophical take on the events. This is nitpicking however - it's very hard to find fault with a book that manages to hit its marks so consistently.
February 12, 2019
Having just toured New Orleans, my interest was piqued. Author has published her journal writings. Quick read.
August 14, 2015
Title: Below the Water Line
Author: Lisa Karlin
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 80,000 words (estimated)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Below the Water Line is a refreshing, thoughtful, easy-to-read take on the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. Though author Lisa Karlin provides a serious, sobering, personal account of the tragedy, the narrative remains light, with regular doses of dark humor, irony, and vivid first-hand accounts of people coping and enduring some of the worst conditions wrought by natural disaster.
There is no whining, no finger pointing, no second guessing of elected officials. Though I sense there must have been times when Karlin was tempted to bring a condemning editorial voice to the suffering she and her family endured, she never exercised that power. Her restraint makes Below the Water Line a powerful testimonial and an important touchstone for thoughtful contemplation of the event.
Because Karlin refused to impose a philosophical framework on the account, the reader is given enormous latitude to put the event in perspective. For me, that perspective is historical and cultural. Near the end of the book, the author raises the question that will surely be on many people's minds after they read of the pummeling New Orleans received from three major hurricanes over a period of less than ten years: Why return to a city built on land below sea level? Karlin doesn't answer the question directly, though she does invoke some of the cultural elements unique to New Orleans. But she goes no further. I took her silence on the issue as an invitation, which I readily accepted. New Orleans for more than three centuries has been a commercial and cultural hub of North America. To my mind, we may question the value of rebuilding other coastal cities, but it would be unthinkable to allow New Orleans to be swallowed by the ocean.
As far as I can tell, Karlin imposes little if any retroactive justification for her family's sometimes illogical and even dangerous behavior. As they are escaping Katrina, they make what I consider a sensible decision. They're going north, to Memphis, far away from the battered Gulf coast. But then as they approach Tennessee, for reasons never explained, they decide to turn back toward the coast. They end up moving into a coastal city that only weeks later will find itself in the crosshairs of a second devastating hurricane, and Karlin makes yet another baffling, erratic decision, this time to return to New Orleans, which of course is being hit by the hurricane she thought was headed toward her temporary refuge city. It apparently never crosses her mind (or at least is never recorded in the narrative) to head north, away from destruction and chaos, even when family and friends all over the continent offer free lodging. I feel myself judging her, but it takes a while to realize the author, in refusing to justify her actions, is giving me the power to judge--or to understand, empathize, and wonder at the unfathomable depth of this tragedy.
This is not the account of a down-on-her-luck housewife. Karlin is a globetrotting expert in nursing and her husband is a well-to-do surgeon. Often in her account of the aftermath she frets about money, but then on the next page she's sipping margaritas or a nice glass of Merlot or purchasing a carload of garden soil 'just in case'. But as she notes several times, sometimes brutally, sometimes in matter-of-fact fashion, the suffering imposed by Katrina was not attenuated by gender, race, income, or education.
I enjoyed the Jack passages sprinkled throughout the first three quarters of the book. The little 13-pound Jack Russell Terrier--called Jack--had a fighting spirit that caused temporary injury to a couple of the family members, probably due to the long, endless hours of captivity in the family car. But the rambunctious little dog's story had a happy ending, too.
Below the Water Line has been professional edited, no doubt at great expense to the author, but every penny she paid was well spent. This book could have been depressing and hard to read. Instead it is light, breezy, thoughtful, and so compelling that I read from cover to cover in two long sessions that seemed short. About 92% of the time I find self-published works not only poorly edited, but rife with spelling, usage, and grammar errors that render the book virtually unreadable. Karlin's personal account is so well written that I managed to find only two very small grammatical errors and no proofreading errors at all. Most indie works are a chore to read. This one was a joy.
I received a free copy of Below the Water Line in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.
4.5 Stars.
Author: Lisa Karlin
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 80,000 words (estimated)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Below the Water Line is a refreshing, thoughtful, easy-to-read take on the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. Though author Lisa Karlin provides a serious, sobering, personal account of the tragedy, the narrative remains light, with regular doses of dark humor, irony, and vivid first-hand accounts of people coping and enduring some of the worst conditions wrought by natural disaster.
There is no whining, no finger pointing, no second guessing of elected officials. Though I sense there must have been times when Karlin was tempted to bring a condemning editorial voice to the suffering she and her family endured, she never exercised that power. Her restraint makes Below the Water Line a powerful testimonial and an important touchstone for thoughtful contemplation of the event.
Because Karlin refused to impose a philosophical framework on the account, the reader is given enormous latitude to put the event in perspective. For me, that perspective is historical and cultural. Near the end of the book, the author raises the question that will surely be on many people's minds after they read of the pummeling New Orleans received from three major hurricanes over a period of less than ten years: Why return to a city built on land below sea level? Karlin doesn't answer the question directly, though she does invoke some of the cultural elements unique to New Orleans. But she goes no further. I took her silence on the issue as an invitation, which I readily accepted. New Orleans for more than three centuries has been a commercial and cultural hub of North America. To my mind, we may question the value of rebuilding other coastal cities, but it would be unthinkable to allow New Orleans to be swallowed by the ocean.
As far as I can tell, Karlin imposes little if any retroactive justification for her family's sometimes illogical and even dangerous behavior. As they are escaping Katrina, they make what I consider a sensible decision. They're going north, to Memphis, far away from the battered Gulf coast. But then as they approach Tennessee, for reasons never explained, they decide to turn back toward the coast. They end up moving into a coastal city that only weeks later will find itself in the crosshairs of a second devastating hurricane, and Karlin makes yet another baffling, erratic decision, this time to return to New Orleans, which of course is being hit by the hurricane she thought was headed toward her temporary refuge city. It apparently never crosses her mind (or at least is never recorded in the narrative) to head north, away from destruction and chaos, even when family and friends all over the continent offer free lodging. I feel myself judging her, but it takes a while to realize the author, in refusing to justify her actions, is giving me the power to judge--or to understand, empathize, and wonder at the unfathomable depth of this tragedy.
This is not the account of a down-on-her-luck housewife. Karlin is a globetrotting expert in nursing and her husband is a well-to-do surgeon. Often in her account of the aftermath she frets about money, but then on the next page she's sipping margaritas or a nice glass of Merlot or purchasing a carload of garden soil 'just in case'. But as she notes several times, sometimes brutally, sometimes in matter-of-fact fashion, the suffering imposed by Katrina was not attenuated by gender, race, income, or education.
I enjoyed the Jack passages sprinkled throughout the first three quarters of the book. The little 13-pound Jack Russell Terrier--called Jack--had a fighting spirit that caused temporary injury to a couple of the family members, probably due to the long, endless hours of captivity in the family car. But the rambunctious little dog's story had a happy ending, too.
Below the Water Line has been professional edited, no doubt at great expense to the author, but every penny she paid was well spent. This book could have been depressing and hard to read. Instead it is light, breezy, thoughtful, and so compelling that I read from cover to cover in two long sessions that seemed short. About 92% of the time I find self-published works not only poorly edited, but rife with spelling, usage, and grammar errors that render the book virtually unreadable. Karlin's personal account is so well written that I managed to find only two very small grammatical errors and no proofreading errors at all. Most indie works are a chore to read. This one was a joy.
I received a free copy of Below the Water Line in exchange for a non-reciprocal review.
4.5 Stars.
August 25, 2015
If you have watched the news at all this weekend, I'm sure you have heard that it is the 10-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to believe it has been that long and yet, it is likely that the majority of our country has forgotten about Hurricane Katrina, but for residents of New Orleans, there are still reminders of the destruction and devastation the storm left behind. Karlin and her family survived, but still find remembering the horrific details of those days, weeks, months and years after Katrina to be extremely emotional. In BELOW THE WATER LINE, Karlin details with notes from her journal, the day to day struggles of living through Katrina and what she left behind. The book reads much like a novel and you have to remind yourself, these are real people in a very real situation.
Karlin's details about the days of evacuation and sitting in a rain-soaked motel room, not moving on a grid-locked highway, and traveling home to find destruction all around you. If you have ever been through a natural disaster, you will understand her feelings of despair and overwhelming anxiety about where to begin again. Her details of flooded homes after Katrina reminded me much of what fellow Cedar Rapids residents went through after the Flood of 2008. In fact, being in our old neighborhood this last weekend reminded me of much of the same feelings Karlin described about her neighborhood ten years after Katrina.
I found much of the government response to Katrina shocking and disappointing. I think most of us felt Katrina victims were being taken care of and sadly, that was not the truth in New Orleans. Karlin and her family were better off financially than most, yet still were completely swamped by the amount of money it took to pay for their Houston apartment during the evacuation period, their second home they purchased while trying to get through the repairs of their damaged home and pay for those repairs and the daily bills of a home owner. Her husband, a surgeon, took on another position to help at a hospital north of New Orleans that was inundated with new residents from Hurricane Katrina hit communities. Karlin, a nurse, was able to continue her job training oncology centers and was thankful they were still able to work and provide for their needs. Her humbleness regarding necessities vs wants was brutally honest and one that many of us, in this land of excess, can learn from.
I did find one part of the book upsetting where Karlin talks about a high school being used as a morgue and moves right on to her frustration with no power or radio without a pause. I'm sure it was more about details rather than emotion at that point. Other times her emotions show as she writes that while traveling between Houston and New Orleans, she felt like she was going between the United States and a developing country.
Amid all the loss and destruction faced by thousands in the Gulf Coast area after Hurricane Katrina, there is much hope. Recovery hasn't happened over night and there are still places that may never return to "Before Katrina" times. But while driving through an area, a lone sunflower emerges from the rubble and debris, Karlin realizes there is still hope for her beloved home.
Karlin's details about the days of evacuation and sitting in a rain-soaked motel room, not moving on a grid-locked highway, and traveling home to find destruction all around you. If you have ever been through a natural disaster, you will understand her feelings of despair and overwhelming anxiety about where to begin again. Her details of flooded homes after Katrina reminded me much of what fellow Cedar Rapids residents went through after the Flood of 2008. In fact, being in our old neighborhood this last weekend reminded me of much of the same feelings Karlin described about her neighborhood ten years after Katrina.
I found much of the government response to Katrina shocking and disappointing. I think most of us felt Katrina victims were being taken care of and sadly, that was not the truth in New Orleans. Karlin and her family were better off financially than most, yet still were completely swamped by the amount of money it took to pay for their Houston apartment during the evacuation period, their second home they purchased while trying to get through the repairs of their damaged home and pay for those repairs and the daily bills of a home owner. Her husband, a surgeon, took on another position to help at a hospital north of New Orleans that was inundated with new residents from Hurricane Katrina hit communities. Karlin, a nurse, was able to continue her job training oncology centers and was thankful they were still able to work and provide for their needs. Her humbleness regarding necessities vs wants was brutally honest and one that many of us, in this land of excess, can learn from.
I did find one part of the book upsetting where Karlin talks about a high school being used as a morgue and moves right on to her frustration with no power or radio without a pause. I'm sure it was more about details rather than emotion at that point. Other times her emotions show as she writes that while traveling between Houston and New Orleans, she felt like she was going between the United States and a developing country.
Amid all the loss and destruction faced by thousands in the Gulf Coast area after Hurricane Katrina, there is much hope. Recovery hasn't happened over night and there are still places that may never return to "Before Katrina" times. But while driving through an area, a lone sunflower emerges from the rubble and debris, Karlin realizes there is still hope for her beloved home.
August 27, 2015
I was listening to the morning news while finishing up my review of this book when I happened to overhear the newscaster mention it was the 10th anniversary since Hurricane Katrina made landfall.
I’m sure everyone remembers that day. Whether you were in the path of the storm or not, all eyes and ears were tuned to the storm.
I live on the Gulf Coast and have been through many hurricanes. We were hit by Ivan the year before Katrina. I ran from that storm and when they allowed us back in, I held my breath as I neared my home. I knew something was wrong when I could see our pool. Shouldn’t have been able to. Luckily it was because of the many downed trees. I lost nine, with the huge pecan tree taking out my porch and the neighbors barn. I had to cut a path though the branches to enter my house. I was lucky.
The people in Louisiana were not so lucky. The storm and it’s surge were bad enough. But when the levees broke, it was a disaster of epic proportions.
I was fascinated to read of this families ordeal, from the night of the storm up til now. Imagine running from the storm, finding a safe place to wait it out, and seeing the devastation after those levees broke. Not knowing if your house is even still there. Not being allowed back in. And seeing all of those people, trapped and helpless.
Not only did these people have to leave their home, they had to find somewhere else to live and find a school for their two young children. Even once they are allowed home and find their house still intact, they can’t stay there. There’s no running to the grocery store, because they are closed or gone. No schools for the same reason.
Relying on friends, family, and the kindness of strangers, they found adequate housing and food. Now, they just have to figure out what comes next.
I couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like. Sure, they didn’t lose their home, but they now had no jobs, not much money, and had to keep paying the bills, plus pay for two homes.
And the ripples of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt. I’ve seen footage of the progress that’s been made on rebuilding. But I know a few families that never went back. They lost everything.
I’ll be visiting New Orleans next month for the first time since Katrina. I’ve never been there before so I can’t see a before and after, but I’m sure I’ll see plenty of the after evidence even after 10 years.
I was riveted from beginning to end, and applaud Lisa Karlin and her family for sharing their story.
I received this book for my honest review.
I’m sure everyone remembers that day. Whether you were in the path of the storm or not, all eyes and ears were tuned to the storm.
I live on the Gulf Coast and have been through many hurricanes. We were hit by Ivan the year before Katrina. I ran from that storm and when they allowed us back in, I held my breath as I neared my home. I knew something was wrong when I could see our pool. Shouldn’t have been able to. Luckily it was because of the many downed trees. I lost nine, with the huge pecan tree taking out my porch and the neighbors barn. I had to cut a path though the branches to enter my house. I was lucky.
The people in Louisiana were not so lucky. The storm and it’s surge were bad enough. But when the levees broke, it was a disaster of epic proportions.
I was fascinated to read of this families ordeal, from the night of the storm up til now. Imagine running from the storm, finding a safe place to wait it out, and seeing the devastation after those levees broke. Not knowing if your house is even still there. Not being allowed back in. And seeing all of those people, trapped and helpless.
Not only did these people have to leave their home, they had to find somewhere else to live and find a school for their two young children. Even once they are allowed home and find their house still intact, they can’t stay there. There’s no running to the grocery store, because they are closed or gone. No schools for the same reason.
Relying on friends, family, and the kindness of strangers, they found adequate housing and food. Now, they just have to figure out what comes next.
I couldn’t begin to imagine what it was like. Sure, they didn’t lose their home, but they now had no jobs, not much money, and had to keep paying the bills, plus pay for two homes.
And the ripples of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt. I’ve seen footage of the progress that’s been made on rebuilding. But I know a few families that never went back. They lost everything.
I’ll be visiting New Orleans next month for the first time since Katrina. I’ve never been there before so I can’t see a before and after, but I’m sure I’ll see plenty of the after evidence even after 10 years.
I was riveted from beginning to end, and applaud Lisa Karlin and her family for sharing their story.
I received this book for my honest review.
July 15, 2015
A stunning first-hand account of one family’s experiences during and after hurricane Katrina
When Lisa Karlin first heard about the approaching hurricane Katrina, she felt sure it would change course and spare New Orleans, just like all the other hurricanes for the past 40 years had done.
But when the first ever mandatory evacuation orders are given for The Big Easy, it soon becomes overwhelmingly clear that she, and her family, need to get out fast.
Packing the car with basic necessities, Lisa, her husband, two kids, and two dogs, head out in hopes of finding a safe place to wait out the storm. What follows next could never have been anticipated, as the author recounts her personal story of surviving through, and rebuilding after, this unprecedented natural disaster.
Lisa Karlin offers readers a fascinating inside look into the fears, struggles, tragedy, and incredible resilience of the human spirit behind hurricane Katrina and the people of New Orleans. For those of us who knew of Katrina only through the reports and images on TV, we cannot begin to imagine the full extent of what the people in the region went through, but this book offers readers the opportunity to accompany the author and her family through their own unforgettable and emotional experiences both during the storm, and in the wake of Katrina.
Karlin writes with a raw honesty that brings the full reality of the book to life. Written in the present tense, I couldn’t help but feel that I was right there, watching and feeling the events unfold, as I read this incredible book.
Below The Waterline is a powerful and compelling story that will leave you in awe of the strength of the infamous hurricane that affected so many lives, as well as the equally powerful acts of kindness and compassion of the people who pulled together to help one another during this difficult time. An absolute must-read!
Rating: 5 stars
I have received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Check out this review on my blog: EpicBookQuest.com
August 20, 2015
In Below The Water Line, author Lisa Karlin provides the reader with a personal first-hand account of her family's experience of living through the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005.
The memoir is taken from the author's journal entries of her family's experiences before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina hit their home in New Orleans. The journal entries spans a decade since the devastating storm changed their way of life.
This is a heartfelt and thoughtful personal commentary of how the Karlin family's daily life was impacted by the devastation of the hurricane, their struggle to start over and move forward, and how the lingering effects of their traumatic experience still remain a decade after the hurricane.
I recall the entire media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, with its vivid photographs and videos of the massive destruction, and the trauma that was wrought upon the people of Louisiana, and even a decade later it still leaves me speechless and saddened that so many people were affected by this horrific act of nature. Author Lisa Karlin takes the reader along on her family's emotional journey, you can't help but get swept up in their story as they struggled to survive and move forward after the storm, it gave me goosebumps and simply stirred my soul. As a born and bred resident of a southern shore area of NJ, I can sympathize and relate to the author's experiences, as some of our shore towns felt the devastating effects from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. There are simply no words that can be said that will ever take away the trauma of living through such a horrific event, there will always be a lingering painful memory, but the family's ability to overcome the challenges, deal with the changes, and be able to move forward is truly inspirational.
Below The Water Line is a wonderful testament to one family's strength and determination to overcome and move forward from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
The memoir is taken from the author's journal entries of her family's experiences before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina hit their home in New Orleans. The journal entries spans a decade since the devastating storm changed their way of life.
This is a heartfelt and thoughtful personal commentary of how the Karlin family's daily life was impacted by the devastation of the hurricane, their struggle to start over and move forward, and how the lingering effects of their traumatic experience still remain a decade after the hurricane.
I recall the entire media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, with its vivid photographs and videos of the massive destruction, and the trauma that was wrought upon the people of Louisiana, and even a decade later it still leaves me speechless and saddened that so many people were affected by this horrific act of nature. Author Lisa Karlin takes the reader along on her family's emotional journey, you can't help but get swept up in their story as they struggled to survive and move forward after the storm, it gave me goosebumps and simply stirred my soul. As a born and bred resident of a southern shore area of NJ, I can sympathize and relate to the author's experiences, as some of our shore towns felt the devastating effects from Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. There are simply no words that can be said that will ever take away the trauma of living through such a horrific event, there will always be a lingering painful memory, but the family's ability to overcome the challenges, deal with the changes, and be able to move forward is truly inspirational.
Below The Water Line is a wonderful testament to one family's strength and determination to overcome and move forward from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Pump Up Your Book.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
August 9, 2015
Addictive read and a must read for all my fellow Nola neighbors. Emotions surfaced and pride in my beloved Nola was deepened. This book will make one laugh, cry and identify. Love, love, loved it!
December 3, 2019
Unreal
This is a very moving story about a family who lived in New Orleans and their tribulations they went through with Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to fathom unless you are going through it. My husband and I moved to SWFL Florida in 2004 just before hurricane Charlie hit Port Charlotte, and then proceeded to suffer through three more hurricanes that year that all affected us. We moved back to Kansas as Hurricane Katrina moved over Florida. Hurricanes are a different breed of storm. You know about them a week ahead of time and can be prepared, just to have them wobble and hit elsewhere. What happened in NOLA was a complete and total lack of preparedness by the local and state government. They were clearly warned. Many blame the US government for their lack of action, but the state must call it in. You can't help but notice the digs towards President Bush and FEMA. Yes, FEMA"s response wasn't great, but Ray Nagin should shoulder the blame first and foremost, then their Governor. I hope many lessons were learned. I'm dumbfounded that there weren't contingency plans in place. Sounds like it was attempted with the drill the week before, but come crunch time, everyone left. I could go on and on, but won't. This is a touching story. These folks had money put away for a rainy day. Most did not. We never know when disaster is just around the corner. Don't rely on help from the government, learn to be self-sufficient and you and your neighbors help each other
This is a very moving story about a family who lived in New Orleans and their tribulations they went through with Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to fathom unless you are going through it. My husband and I moved to SWFL Florida in 2004 just before hurricane Charlie hit Port Charlotte, and then proceeded to suffer through three more hurricanes that year that all affected us. We moved back to Kansas as Hurricane Katrina moved over Florida. Hurricanes are a different breed of storm. You know about them a week ahead of time and can be prepared, just to have them wobble and hit elsewhere. What happened in NOLA was a complete and total lack of preparedness by the local and state government. They were clearly warned. Many blame the US government for their lack of action, but the state must call it in. You can't help but notice the digs towards President Bush and FEMA. Yes, FEMA"s response wasn't great, but Ray Nagin should shoulder the blame first and foremost, then their Governor. I hope many lessons were learned. I'm dumbfounded that there weren't contingency plans in place. Sounds like it was attempted with the drill the week before, but come crunch time, everyone left. I could go on and on, but won't. This is a touching story. These folks had money put away for a rainy day. Most did not. We never know when disaster is just around the corner. Don't rely on help from the government, learn to be self-sufficient and you and your neighbors help each other
January 7, 2024
Great Read
Great story! This story was easy to follow. I really enjoyed reading from someone’s perspective who didn’t lose everything, but still lost so much, and how that lose effected them long term.
Great story! This story was easy to follow. I really enjoyed reading from someone’s perspective who didn’t lose everything, but still lost so much, and how that lose effected them long term.
May 31, 2020
Awesome book
I loved this book. It was easy reading and very well written. I felt like I was there with this family during Katrina, but thankful that I wasn't!
I loved this book. It was easy reading and very well written. I felt like I was there with this family during Katrina, but thankful that I wasn't!
August 24, 2021
Must Read
I have been reading quite a few books on weather disasters. Some have been done well, others not so much. Lisa makes this disaster real to all who read her story.
I have been reading quite a few books on weather disasters. Some have been done well, others not so much. Lisa makes this disaster real to all who read her story.
August 30, 2022
Fabulous, wonderfully written and documented book. Thank you mrs. Karlin for sharing so much of you and your family’s experience.
April 7, 2024
A journal recap of a privileged woman writing her story for family history.
May 7, 2024
I felt like this was an honest and sometimes raw account of what the media didn’t tell us about Katrina.
February 11, 2017
In the interest of full disclosure, I don't usually like memoirs and - unfortunately - Below the Water Line reminds me exactly why I don't usually like memoirs. I bought this book likely by accident while Black Friday shopping. I skimmed the book's write up, thought it was about how the city of New Orleans had recovered from Katrina and just added it to my cart. It wasn't until I was several chapters into the book that it was clear that Below the Water Line was a personal account of the author's experience, but I decided to finish out the book.
First, I want to make clear that I mean no disrespect to those who suffered in and as a result of Katrina. However, the author had my sympathy toward the beginning of her account (especially when she and her family were stuck in the flooding motel, unknowingly enduring Katrina at a category 3), but shortly after that began to grate on my nerves. And, by the end of Below the Water Line, I could hardly stand to finish the book I was so irritated and upset.
The author spends a good portion of the middle-ish part of the book essentially in a woe-is-me state, and I could hardly believe it. She and her family got out, and - even though they spent an upsetting and scary few days in the flooding motel - no one was hurt. They were largely out of harm's way, and they knew it. They had relatives, friends, acquaintances, and people they didn't personally know (someone in their support system knew them) offering assistance of all kinds. They found out relatively quickly that not only was their house in one of the few neighborhoods that did not flood, but the house itself sustained relatively little damage. Both the author and her husband were highly skilled workers wih marketable skills that would be in demand and could be used anywhere (medical field - 1 nurse and 1 surgeon). The author doesn't get sympathy from me for the supposed hardship of not bring able to enroll her two kids in private school, 'having' to move around, or having a tree in the pool. For most of the major pieces that I think epitomize Katrina, she was a spectator like most of the world. She wasn't there, and saw most of city and the hurricane's aftermath through the scope of the media from a safe distance, just like most everyone else. She and her family remained totally physically unscathed and largely financially unscathed (they enough funds/credit to buy a second house after having rented an apartment in Houston for months), and this was not the case for large numbers of other Katrina survivors (such as the hundreds of families that were still living in FEMA trailers - which were only supposed to be used for 18 months - FIVE YEARS post-Katrina).
That's not to say that Below the Water Line was all bad. Some parts of book were touching in ways that made me cry (John hoarding food in the immediate aftermath of running out of food while sheltering at the motel) and some in ways that made me want cheer people on (the hairdresser in Texas that touched up her highlights at no charge). By the end of the book, however, I was more than sick of the author. I realize that there are a lot of readers who reviewed this book who likely vehemently disagree, but - overall - I am of the opinion that Below the Water Line is not worth the read.
First, I want to make clear that I mean no disrespect to those who suffered in and as a result of Katrina. However, the author had my sympathy toward the beginning of her account (especially when she and her family were stuck in the flooding motel, unknowingly enduring Katrina at a category 3), but shortly after that began to grate on my nerves. And, by the end of Below the Water Line, I could hardly stand to finish the book I was so irritated and upset.
The author spends a good portion of the middle-ish part of the book essentially in a woe-is-me state, and I could hardly believe it. She and her family got out, and - even though they spent an upsetting and scary few days in the flooding motel - no one was hurt. They were largely out of harm's way, and they knew it. They had relatives, friends, acquaintances, and people they didn't personally know (someone in their support system knew them) offering assistance of all kinds. They found out relatively quickly that not only was their house in one of the few neighborhoods that did not flood, but the house itself sustained relatively little damage. Both the author and her husband were highly skilled workers wih marketable skills that would be in demand and could be used anywhere (medical field - 1 nurse and 1 surgeon). The author doesn't get sympathy from me for the supposed hardship of not bring able to enroll her two kids in private school, 'having' to move around, or having a tree in the pool. For most of the major pieces that I think epitomize Katrina, she was a spectator like most of the world. She wasn't there, and saw most of city and the hurricane's aftermath through the scope of the media from a safe distance, just like most everyone else. She and her family remained totally physically unscathed and largely financially unscathed (they enough funds/credit to buy a second house after having rented an apartment in Houston for months), and this was not the case for large numbers of other Katrina survivors (such as the hundreds of families that were still living in FEMA trailers - which were only supposed to be used for 18 months - FIVE YEARS post-Katrina).
That's not to say that Below the Water Line was all bad. Some parts of book were touching in ways that made me cry (John hoarding food in the immediate aftermath of running out of food while sheltering at the motel) and some in ways that made me want cheer people on (the hairdresser in Texas that touched up her highlights at no charge). By the end of the book, however, I was more than sick of the author. I realize that there are a lot of readers who reviewed this book who likely vehemently disagree, but - overall - I am of the opinion that Below the Water Line is not worth the read.
August 26, 2015
Just reading the excerpt brought back many memories. We that live in the Southern states have seen and participated in our fair share of hurricane evacs (evacuations), only to return as the hurricane scurried off to another state. The decision whether to evacuate or not weighs heavily on the individual mind, especially when children or elderly are involved.
Growing up, we never evacuated. My dad was a Louisiana State Trooper and as we all know, they are the last to leave the highways. They are busy until the last evacuee has made his way to a safe distance. Something to actually remember. It's not only your safety you should worry about when deciding when to evacuate. After you are long gone, it is those same law enforcement officers and emergency personnel who are still trying to make their way back to a safe harbor after making sure YOU are safely on your way. Don't be selfish. I thought those times were over for me until as an adult, I married a Louisiana State Trooper.
Before Katrina hit, we were all glued to our television sets, as the author said, wearing out the remote to see which channel would give the latest and greatest and hope against hope, that one of them would say, "You're good. Stay put." But that didn't happen and when so many did not heed the advice to leave, a disaster was imminent.
It was the hurricane I spent on an offshore supply boat loaded down with pipe for weight and sunk to sit on the bottom of the bayou alongside two more offshore supply boats. They were tied together and sat side by side in Bayou Lafourche. It became a community shelter of sorts. From the wheelhouse, safely tucked behind hurricane proof glass (we hoped) we watched transformers blow and our world go black. We watched the trees blow, illuminated by the giant spotlights on the boats. That is where I sat and watched and waited and prayed to see two familiar headlights coming down Louisiana Highway 1. I was watching for my husband to make his way back to me after being turned loose by the Troop and told to find safe shelter.
Lisa Karlin has managed to capture exactly what it was like to be a refugee, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She takes you along on her family's evacuation journey and then their journey to regroup and rebuild a new normal. Having seen some of the devastation first hand, her descriptions of the storm ravaged area brought those memories back that lay forgotten in the recesses of my mind.
There were many times throughout the book that I found myself looking up and to the outside to make sure we weren't back there, in that time. I found myself thinking that I had to check our staple and did we have extra water on hand, dog food, fuel; was the generator in working condition. The book brought back memories of seeing the houses with the markings on television. I saw the helicopters dropping sand bag after sand bag to plug the levee, the people stranded on the interstate and the bridges. This was how real and authentic the author's accounting of the last ten years is in the book.
Below the Water Line made me laugh and made me cry. It is a wonderful and heartfelt story of the author's journey through a turbulent time. It is well written and I am giving it five stars. For those of you who have forgotten Katrina or are interested in an accounting of what it was like to be "one of those people from Louisiana" this would be a good book for your to read.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Growing up, we never evacuated. My dad was a Louisiana State Trooper and as we all know, they are the last to leave the highways. They are busy until the last evacuee has made his way to a safe distance. Something to actually remember. It's not only your safety you should worry about when deciding when to evacuate. After you are long gone, it is those same law enforcement officers and emergency personnel who are still trying to make their way back to a safe harbor after making sure YOU are safely on your way. Don't be selfish. I thought those times were over for me until as an adult, I married a Louisiana State Trooper.
Before Katrina hit, we were all glued to our television sets, as the author said, wearing out the remote to see which channel would give the latest and greatest and hope against hope, that one of them would say, "You're good. Stay put." But that didn't happen and when so many did not heed the advice to leave, a disaster was imminent.
It was the hurricane I spent on an offshore supply boat loaded down with pipe for weight and sunk to sit on the bottom of the bayou alongside two more offshore supply boats. They were tied together and sat side by side in Bayou Lafourche. It became a community shelter of sorts. From the wheelhouse, safely tucked behind hurricane proof glass (we hoped) we watched transformers blow and our world go black. We watched the trees blow, illuminated by the giant spotlights on the boats. That is where I sat and watched and waited and prayed to see two familiar headlights coming down Louisiana Highway 1. I was watching for my husband to make his way back to me after being turned loose by the Troop and told to find safe shelter.
Lisa Karlin has managed to capture exactly what it was like to be a refugee, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She takes you along on her family's evacuation journey and then their journey to regroup and rebuild a new normal. Having seen some of the devastation first hand, her descriptions of the storm ravaged area brought those memories back that lay forgotten in the recesses of my mind.
There were many times throughout the book that I found myself looking up and to the outside to make sure we weren't back there, in that time. I found myself thinking that I had to check our staple and did we have extra water on hand, dog food, fuel; was the generator in working condition. The book brought back memories of seeing the houses with the markings on television. I saw the helicopters dropping sand bag after sand bag to plug the levee, the people stranded on the interstate and the bridges. This was how real and authentic the author's accounting of the last ten years is in the book.
Below the Water Line made me laugh and made me cry. It is a wonderful and heartfelt story of the author's journey through a turbulent time. It is well written and I am giving it five stars. For those of you who have forgotten Katrina or are interested in an accounting of what it was like to be "one of those people from Louisiana" this would be a good book for your to read.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2015
On August 30, 2005, Lisa Karlin takes out her journal and starts to write, as she says, "partly to capture...information, but also to keep me busy and distract me from thinking the worst about our family's future." The Karlin family includes Lisa, an oncology nurse, her surgeon-husband Richard, their son and daughter, and two dogs. In less than three days, they go from thinking of Hurricane Katrina as giving them a short vacation from their everyday lives, to considering whether they will ever be able to return to their home in New Orleans. It will be months before they do, and years before they recover, if one can call it that.
As I read Karlin's memoir, Below the Water Line, I was transported back to the day my daughter and her best friend evacuated Ocean Springs, Mississippi with their five dogs and came to stay with us in Southwest Arkansas. So many people across the South took in friends and relatives after Katrina, and this book will resonate with them, as it did with me, by bringing back the harshness of those days.
A lifelong journaler, Karlin escapes into writing to help her deal with the terrible ordeal her family faces. In the end, they do have a home to go back to, but no jobs, no school, no stores, and few friends. She knows they are luckier than many, but it is still a very traumatic time for them.
Evacuation does not come easily, and she and her family find themselves in the small town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, instead of either Houston or Dallas, their preferred destinations. Conditions in the town soon become primitive, and Karlin writes honestly of the various ways in which they and others stranded with them cope, or fail to cope. After several days, they are able to make their way to Houston, where they will spend the next several months, as she and her husband commute to temporary jobs around the country. When they are finally able to return to New Orleans, it is to a vastly different city, as much changed as they are themselves.
This book gave me a new insight into the aftermath of Katrina. I admit that, as mother to a Mississippi evacuee, I had felt little compassion for New Orleanians because of the things that happened in that city after Katrina, and because of what I saw as an erroneous impression by most Americans that Katrina only impacted the Big Easy. "People chose to live below the water line," I thought. "What did they expect? And what about people elsewhere? Why doesn't anyone care about them?" When my daughter returned home, it took her about three weeks to locate any friends or co-workers who did not lose just about everything they had. All my sympathies lay with those people. Lisa Karlin brings the reality, the horrible reality, of that time in New Orleans home to me, and I readily admit I was wrong. Katrina impacted more people than I had been willing to admit. Karlin's family are survivors. I admire them for their tenacity, and I admire Karlin for having the strength to share the ups and downs of life after Katrina.
If you shared the experience of Katrina, you should read this book. And if you did not, you should read this book, so that you can give thanks you were spared.
by Janet Brantley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
As I read Karlin's memoir, Below the Water Line, I was transported back to the day my daughter and her best friend evacuated Ocean Springs, Mississippi with their five dogs and came to stay with us in Southwest Arkansas. So many people across the South took in friends and relatives after Katrina, and this book will resonate with them, as it did with me, by bringing back the harshness of those days.
A lifelong journaler, Karlin escapes into writing to help her deal with the terrible ordeal her family faces. In the end, they do have a home to go back to, but no jobs, no school, no stores, and few friends. She knows they are luckier than many, but it is still a very traumatic time for them.
Evacuation does not come easily, and she and her family find themselves in the small town of Brookhaven, Mississippi, instead of either Houston or Dallas, their preferred destinations. Conditions in the town soon become primitive, and Karlin writes honestly of the various ways in which they and others stranded with them cope, or fail to cope. After several days, they are able to make their way to Houston, where they will spend the next several months, as she and her husband commute to temporary jobs around the country. When they are finally able to return to New Orleans, it is to a vastly different city, as much changed as they are themselves.
This book gave me a new insight into the aftermath of Katrina. I admit that, as mother to a Mississippi evacuee, I had felt little compassion for New Orleanians because of the things that happened in that city after Katrina, and because of what I saw as an erroneous impression by most Americans that Katrina only impacted the Big Easy. "People chose to live below the water line," I thought. "What did they expect? And what about people elsewhere? Why doesn't anyone care about them?" When my daughter returned home, it took her about three weeks to locate any friends or co-workers who did not lose just about everything they had. All my sympathies lay with those people. Lisa Karlin brings the reality, the horrible reality, of that time in New Orleans home to me, and I readily admit I was wrong. Katrina impacted more people than I had been willing to admit. Karlin's family are survivors. I admire them for their tenacity, and I admire Karlin for having the strength to share the ups and downs of life after Katrina.
If you shared the experience of Katrina, you should read this book. And if you did not, you should read this book, so that you can give thanks you were spared.
by Janet Brantley
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women
September 11, 2022
Found this book bc of the 5 days at memorial show/book, after reading that book I wanted to read more. The author did a great job in my opinion of conveying just how awful the situation was. Living not very far from a Louisiana border myself I wasn’t aware just how awful it was for so many people. It was very informative and written in a way I enjoyed reading it very much.
August 5, 2015
There have been a multitude of books written about Hurricane Katrina and its devastating damage to New Orleans. Below the Water Line tells the story from a unique perspective.
The evacuation: Lisa and Rich, having been through this nightmare before, packed up what they could and headed West for Houston. There was gridlock on the highway, as thousands of cars shared their destination. Consulting the map, they altered their course and made for Mississippi and Florida. Gas stations closed; grocery stores empty; no vacancy at motels; cell phones in to and out of the New Orleans area code jammed;near 100 degree temperatures. A handful of Cheerios for breakfast. Rationing of bottled water. And, also, the unbelievable kindness of friends and strangers along the way who have a guest room and a/c and a working shower and are willing to share. "Want" disappeared from their vocabulary -- replaced by "need".
Interim housing: Eventually, the family did end up in Houston, a six-hour drive from NOLA. When they were allowed back in the city, they found that their home had not flooded. But, there were hundreds of trees down, trees had fallen on the house, there were no utilities, and cell phones still did not work.
Schooling: The children, Sam and John, were placed in a school in Houston, and later transferred back to New Orleans when their school was able to open. Only a small step up from a one-room schoolhouse. Sam's friend Katrina changed her name to Katie.
Work: Rich is a surgeon; Lisa is an oncological nurse. Rich's office has sustained damage; hospitals are rebuilding; he finally finds a job two hours away. There is no mail delivery, so they don't know what bills are due, and where to send the payments. Their bank has flooded, and there is a particularly poignant chapter detailing the retrieval of the soaked contents of the safe deposit box.
In recovery mode: No one says they've fully recovered. Most emphatically state that they'll never fully recover from the repeated battering, which is as much psychological as it is physical. People talk about repairing their houses, only to have them damaged again by yet another hurricane. The cost of insuring our homes has skyrocketed, and some find their homes uninsurable."
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest weather event in American History, followed by Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Ike. Why do people live there, in a city below sea level? Why do they keep going through the destruction and repair process over and over again?
Lisa Karlin takes us through the painful journey back to "normal" during the ten years after the hurricane. This is a book you won't want to miss.
I read this E-ARC courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher
The evacuation: Lisa and Rich, having been through this nightmare before, packed up what they could and headed West for Houston. There was gridlock on the highway, as thousands of cars shared their destination. Consulting the map, they altered their course and made for Mississippi and Florida. Gas stations closed; grocery stores empty; no vacancy at motels; cell phones in to and out of the New Orleans area code jammed;near 100 degree temperatures. A handful of Cheerios for breakfast. Rationing of bottled water. And, also, the unbelievable kindness of friends and strangers along the way who have a guest room and a/c and a working shower and are willing to share. "Want" disappeared from their vocabulary -- replaced by "need".
Interim housing: Eventually, the family did end up in Houston, a six-hour drive from NOLA. When they were allowed back in the city, they found that their home had not flooded. But, there were hundreds of trees down, trees had fallen on the house, there were no utilities, and cell phones still did not work.
Schooling: The children, Sam and John, were placed in a school in Houston, and later transferred back to New Orleans when their school was able to open. Only a small step up from a one-room schoolhouse. Sam's friend Katrina changed her name to Katie.
Work: Rich is a surgeon; Lisa is an oncological nurse. Rich's office has sustained damage; hospitals are rebuilding; he finally finds a job two hours away. There is no mail delivery, so they don't know what bills are due, and where to send the payments. Their bank has flooded, and there is a particularly poignant chapter detailing the retrieval of the soaked contents of the safe deposit box.
In recovery mode: No one says they've fully recovered. Most emphatically state that they'll never fully recover from the repeated battering, which is as much psychological as it is physical. People talk about repairing their houses, only to have them damaged again by yet another hurricane. The cost of insuring our homes has skyrocketed, and some find their homes uninsurable."
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest weather event in American History, followed by Super Storm Sandy and Hurricane Ike. Why do people live there, in a city below sea level? Why do they keep going through the destruction and repair process over and over again?
Lisa Karlin takes us through the painful journey back to "normal" during the ten years after the hurricane. This is a book you won't want to miss.
I read this E-ARC courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher
July 27, 2015
4.5 stars! What a positive thing to do when everything in your life feels negative. Write a journal and then write a book. I really liked this story even though I'm one of the Houstonians who saw firsthand how some of the Katrina victims treated volunteers. Upset because they just got sandwiches at the Astrodome, that was just sad and I know not typical of all the evacuees.
I feel this story was well written and I'm surprised that the author was only drinking one bottle of wine a day. HA!! I did the evacuation for Rita and I feel the author's pain. Took us like twelve hours to make a three hour trip to Temple (where we ended up) and I lived on the Northwest side of town. Not fun at all!!
Anyways, back to the story. This family (as well as others, I'm sure) deserve a medal or something for putting up with what they did. I could not imagine my house being damaged three times in a dozen years. It was good to see all the people that did help and the sacrifices that people made. I didn't know about Betty White flying out the penguins, that was very charitable of her.
I felt this book was very entertaining, informative and emotional. I want to thank Centennial Publishers and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.
I feel this story was well written and I'm surprised that the author was only drinking one bottle of wine a day. HA!! I did the evacuation for Rita and I feel the author's pain. Took us like twelve hours to make a three hour trip to Temple (where we ended up) and I lived on the Northwest side of town. Not fun at all!!
Anyways, back to the story. This family (as well as others, I'm sure) deserve a medal or something for putting up with what they did. I could not imagine my house being damaged three times in a dozen years. It was good to see all the people that did help and the sacrifices that people made. I didn't know about Betty White flying out the penguins, that was very charitable of her.
I felt this book was very entertaining, informative and emotional. I want to thank Centennial Publishers and Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.
August 16, 2015
XXX This book was listed as a Goodreads Giveaway, and though I was not chosen to receive a free paperback, Lisa Karlin was generous enough to send me a Kindle copy at no charge. I am really excited to read this memoir - New Orleans holds a bright spot in my Southern soul. Thank you, Ms. Karlin!
This is a memoir that will break your heart and still give you faith in the kindness of strangers. I could not put it down until the Karlin family was safely settled into the year 2014. There is a lot out there about Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, etc, but this is the best I have found. Lisa Karlin kept a journal throughout the years of erratic weather on the Louisiana Gulf coast from 1995 to the present, and her story puts you right there, stuck in gridlocked traffic in the middle of nowhere, with two kids, two dogs, a dwindling fuel supply, 100 plus degrees of humid heat, an overheated engine - and no place to go.
She also makes you understand the loyalty and love that keeps her and her family in New Orleans. I found Below the Water line very insightful and heartwarming. I am very glad that I was able to read it.
This is a memoir that will break your heart and still give you faith in the kindness of strangers. I could not put it down until the Karlin family was safely settled into the year 2014. There is a lot out there about Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, etc, but this is the best I have found. Lisa Karlin kept a journal throughout the years of erratic weather on the Louisiana Gulf coast from 1995 to the present, and her story puts you right there, stuck in gridlocked traffic in the middle of nowhere, with two kids, two dogs, a dwindling fuel supply, 100 plus degrees of humid heat, an overheated engine - and no place to go.
She also makes you understand the loyalty and love that keeps her and her family in New Orleans. I found Below the Water line very insightful and heartwarming. I am very glad that I was able to read it.
August 19, 2015
Biographies are usually not my thing, I'm a scifi/fantasy reader by nature, but I decided to give this a try as I was interested in the subject matter. Needless to say, I was impressed.
The way this book was written is the big draw honestly. The author's style drove the story, and really conveyed the emotions she and her family felt during this time in their lives. Worry, stress, persistent frustration and disbelief - I felt it all as I put myself in her shoes. Not only was the book about this on family's experience, but the community's response of frustration and desperation was portrayed skillfully as well.
What the rest of the nation were shown of Katrina is vastly different from what people lived, and this book is an excellent example of that.
The way this book was written is the big draw honestly. The author's style drove the story, and really conveyed the emotions she and her family felt during this time in their lives. Worry, stress, persistent frustration and disbelief - I felt it all as I put myself in her shoes. Not only was the book about this on family's experience, but the community's response of frustration and desperation was portrayed skillfully as well.
What the rest of the nation were shown of Katrina is vastly different from what people lived, and this book is an excellent example of that.
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September 23, 2015Lisa Karlin's book isn't just about the hours, days, weeks and months after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. While Lisa is able to take the reader through the moments she went through with her family, but Lisa also shows the human spirit and the will to live.
Having been through Katrina myself, I found this to be the type of reading that let the past wash over me, and remind me that I am much stronger for the experience. Even if you've never been through a hurricane, or have been fortunate enough to not experience any type of trauma, reading this book will take you through the hardship to the other side. You can't help but consider the strength of the human spirit and the marvellous way people come together during hard times.
Having been through Katrina myself, I found this to be the type of reading that let the past wash over me, and remind me that I am much stronger for the experience. Even if you've never been through a hurricane, or have been fortunate enough to not experience any type of trauma, reading this book will take you through the hardship to the other side. You can't help but consider the strength of the human spirit and the marvellous way people come together during hard times.
September 22, 2023
The one thing in life that is constant is change.In this heartfelt account, Lisa Karlin shares her family’s escape from New Orleans and how they survived hurricane Katrina.The family finds ways of coping with the lack of water, electricity and gridlock. The story continues as they try to rebuild their lives and cope with the changes forced upon them. I am not certain if anyone can really recover from a situation like Katrina. What I found with this book was that this family stuck together, dealt with the changes and came out stronger on the other side.
December 16, 2015
Hurricane Katrina is no stranger. The public has been hearing about it for 10 years, especially here in the South.
However, I've never read such a fascinating perspective as that presented by author Lisa Karlin. Her day-to-day accounting shows the strength and resilience that have brought New Orleans and its residents through the storm and its aftermath.
Thank you, Lisa!
ARC provided by NetGalley
However, I've never read such a fascinating perspective as that presented by author Lisa Karlin. Her day-to-day accounting shows the strength and resilience that have brought New Orleans and its residents through the storm and its aftermath.
Thank you, Lisa!
ARC provided by NetGalley
September 21, 2015
A moving look at one family's experience of living through Katrina. This book chronicles the author's day to day experience both during and after Katrina, the good and the bad. It clearly was a life altering event for everyone in the family, including the dogs but they persevered and even returned to rebuild their lives as New Orleans was rebuilding itself.
I received a copy of this book for free from Net Galley but the opinions expressed are solely my own.
I received a copy of this book for free from Net Galley but the opinions expressed are solely my own.
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