I read this book before going to New Orleans in late 2006 to see friends who lost their home to Katrina. They drove us around and the devastation was surreal. I brought the book with me so we could see if the house with the FEMA marking "1 dead in attic" was still there, and it was. Looking at the marking that indicated a person died in that attic and seeing how high the water rose brought home to me the unbelievable suffering endured by those who either couldn't get out before Katrina or chose to stay behind.