Plenty Enough Suck to Go Around

"Save yourself some grief. S*** goes wrong all day. Every day. For over a year. Everything is booby-trapped. That's how it is. We're used to ten things going wrong in a row. You're on number one." Wagner has an important story to tell. In the aftermath of Katrina, instead of leaving the tragedy and loss, instead of purifying her life of the decay and dissolution that followed, she stays--to replace what was lost, to fix what was broken, to mend what was torn. The memoir of the two years that followed is tragic and heartrending, but necessary for people--like me--who witnessed with distant austerity on the news one more natural disaster plaguing the American coast. From the fires of Wagner's firsthand accounting of disaster comes the sprouting of new ferns, but not without its travails and traumas. Her memoir evokes the bitter frustration of swimming against the currents of fear, doubt, and denial. With sweat and blood, Wagner and her boyfriend slowly rebuild not only a battered house, but a battered life to restore a New Orleans aura that--though beaten--could not broken. By the faith and perseverance of those not unlike herself--who refused to give up on their little slice of home in a place where the iced coffee is always sweet and crawfish is always on the menu--New Orleans slowly recovers its glory, prestige, and notorious nature as the most fascinating city of cultural diversity in the South.

Cheryl Wagner captures eloquently the telling details of life in a hurricane-induced petri dish. I am blown away by her determination even as she's extremely candid about the realities of rebuilding after Katrina. Her writing style is a pleasure to read and her loyalty to the landscape is undeniably honorable. I'd let Cheryl and Jake flop at my house anytime!

Reading Cheryl Wagner's heart wrenching and darkly humorous account of recovery-life in post-Katrina New Orleans feels like receiving a muddy shoebox full of candid snapshots in the mail, each with a handwritten note scrawled onto the back detailing the fascinating characters and events that began to repopulate the streets around the house that she and her boyfriend fought desperately to reclaim. Her writing is personal and reflective as well as charitable and compassionate. Reading this story gave me a glimpse into the heart of New Orleans and why so many fought to revive it and exactly how difficult of a task that has been. An excellent book.

I read Wagner's tale of three years in the trenches in two days. Could not put it down. Funny and sad. Crazy stuff. I haven't read any books about what it was like on a personal level rebuilding after Katrina, but I can't imagine they get much better than this.

After reading the great review in the Times Picayune here I still wasn't sure that I wanted to read this book because I thought it was going to be depressing. But it was hilarious. I laughed out loud. In honesty, I also got teary at points. I think it's a good book for women who live with their boyfriends who wonder what it would be like if the shXX hit the fan!