I introduced the Slabbed Nation to former CNN Whitehouse reporter Kathie Koch back in June after we renewed acquaintances as we gave her new book an advance plug along with her second CNN special on Bay-Waveland that we profiled back April 2008. The evaluation copy of the book arrived in late June and I could not put it down once I cracked it open as the 344 page narrative stirred my memories of those early post Katrina days, a time period that had a profound impact on countless lives from the disaster victims to those that came to help including my partner in blog Nowdy who was a first responder.
There are certain events that still stir the emotions of the Slabbed and Kathie covered most of them in her book. Knowing how I reacted to reading certain passages I watched Mrs Sop as she began reading the book after I finished it. I knew immediately when she reached the story of the Clevelands and their fight for survival during the storm as her facial expression told the story. Nikki and her husband Patrick not only were separated from each other by the storm surge but were also separated from Nikki’s parents who did not make it. And yet despite the tragedy of Nikki losing her parents, and being hosed by Nationwide while her husband Patrick battled cancer, Kathie also conveys how the Clevelands’ story is one of hope in how they recovered from the storm even finding the strength to start a family of their own literally from the rubble. Similar themes run through the book from cover to cover as the events Kathie experienced are laid out in detail. Continue reading “Kathleen Koch's Rising from Katrina delivers the Katrina experience”
