Editor's note: This is an excerpt from "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers, a nonfiction account of a Syrian-American immigrant and his extraordinary experience during Hurricane Katrina. Eggers is the author of five other books, including "What Is the What," a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award. Eggers is the founder and editor of McSweeney's, an independent publishing house based in San Francisco.



Dave Eggers writes that Abdulrahman Zeitoun dreamed of fishing on the Syrian coast as Katrina approached.



(CNN) -- FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2005



On moonless nights the men and boys of Jableh, a dusty fishing town on the coast of Syria, would gather their lanterns and set out in their quietest boats. Five or six small craft, two or three fishermen in each. A mile out, they would arrange the boats in a circle on the black sea, drop their nets, and, holding their lanterns over the water, they would approximate the moon.



The fish, sardines, would begin gathering soon after, a slow mass of silver rising from below. The fish were attracted to plankton, and the plankton were attracted to the light. They would begin to circle, a chain linked loosely, and over the next hour their numbers would grow. The black gaps between silver links would close until the fishermen could see, below, a solid mass of silver spinning.



Abdulrahman Zeitoun was only thirteen when he began fishing for sardines this way, a method called lampara, borrowed from the Italians. He had waited years to join the men and teenagers on the night boats, and he'd spent those years asking questions. Why only on moonless nights? Because, his brother Ahmad said, on moon-filled nights the plankton would be visible everywhere, spread out all over the sea, and the sardines could see and eat the glowing organisms with ease. But without a moon the men could make their own, and could bring the sardines to the surface in stunning concentrations. You have to see it, Ahmad told his little brother. You've never seen anything like this.



And when Abdulrahman first witnessed the sardines circling in the black he could not believe the sight, the beauty of the undulating silver orb below the white and gold lantern light. He said nothing, and the other fishermen were careful to be quiet, too, paddling without motors, lest they scare away the catch. They would whisper over the sea, telling jokes and talking about women and girls as they watched the fish rise and spin beneath them. A few hours later, once the sardines were ready, tens of thousands of them glistening in the refracted light, the fishermen would cinch the net and haul them in.



They would motor back to the shore and bring the sardines to the fish broker in the market before dawn. He would pay the men and boys, and would then sell the fish all over western Syria -- Lattakia, Baniyas, Damascus. The fishermen would split the money, with Abdulrahman and Ahmad bringing their share home. Their father had passed away the year before and their mother was of fragile health and mind, so all funds they earned fishing went toward the welfare of the house they shared with ten siblings.



Abdulrahman and Ahmad didn't care much about the money, though. They would have done it for free.



Thirty-four years later and thousands of miles west, Abdulrahman Zeitoun was in bed on a Friday morning, slowly leaving the moonless Jableh night, a tattered memory of it caught in a morning dream. He was in his home in New Orleans and beside him he could hear his wife Kathy breathing, her exhalations not unlike the shushing of water against the hull of a wooden boat. Otherwise the house was silent. He knew it was near six o'clock, and the peace would not last. The morning light usually woke the kids once it reached their second-story windows. One of the four would open his or her eyes, and from there the movements were brisk, the house quickly growing loud. With one child awake, it was impossible to keep the other
Editor 's note : This is an excerpt from " Zeitoun " by Dave Eggers , a nonfiction account of a Syrian - American immigrant and his extraordinary experience during Hurricane Katrina . Eggers is the author of five other books , including " What Is the What , " a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award . Eggers is the founder and editor of McSweeney 's , an independent publishing house based in San Francisco . Dave Eggers writes that Abdulrahman Zeitoun dreamed of fishing on the Syrian coast as Katrina approached . ( CNN ) -- FRIDAY , AUGUST 26 , 2005 On moonless nights the men and boys of Jableh , a dusty fishing town on the coast of Syria , would gather their lanterns and set out in their quietest boats . Five or six small craft , two or three fishermen in each . A mile out , they would arrange the boats in a circle on the black sea , drop their nets , and , holding their lanterns over the water , they would approximate the moon . The fish , sardines , would begin gathering soon after , a slow mass of silver rising from below . The fish were attracted to plankton , and the plankton were attracted to the light . They would begin to circle , a chain linked loosely , and over the next hour their numbers would grow . The black gaps between silver links would close until the fishermen could see , below , a solid mass of silver spinning . Abdulrahman Zeitoun was only thirteen when he began fishing for sardines this way , a method called lampara , borrowed from the Italians . He had waited years to join the men and teenagers on the night boats , and he 'd spent those years asking questions . Why only on moonless nights ? Because , his brother Ahmad said , on moon - filled nights the plankton would be visible everywhere , spread out all over the sea , and the sardines could see and eat the glowing organisms with ease . But without a moon the men could make their own , and could bring the sardines to the surface in stunning concentrations . You have to see it , Ahmad told his little brother . You 've never seen anything like this . And when Abdulrahman first witnessed the sardines circling in the black he could not believe the sight , the beauty of the undulating silver orb below the white and gold lantern light . He said nothing , and the other fishermen were careful to be quiet , too , paddling without motors , lest they scare away the catch . They would whisper over the sea , telling jokes and talking about women and girls as they watched the fish rise and spin beneath them . A few hours later , once the sardines were ready , tens of thousands of them glistening in the refracted light , the fishermen would cinch the net and haul them in . They would motor back to the shore and bring the sardines to the fish broker in the market before dawn . He would pay the men and boys , and would then sell the fish all over western Syria -- Lattakia , Baniyas , Damascus . The fishermen would split the money , with Abdulrahman and Ahmad bringing their share home . Their father had passed away the year before and their mother was of fragile health and mind , so all funds they earned fishing went toward the welfare of the house they shared with ten siblings . Abdulrahman and Ahmad did n't care much about the money , though . They would have done it for free . Thirty - four years later and thousands of miles west , Abdulrahman Zeitoun was in bed on a Friday morning , slowly leaving the moonless Jableh night , a tattered memory of it caught in a morning dream . He was in his home in New Orleans and beside him he could hear his wife Kathy breathing , her exhalations not unlike the shushing of water against the hull of a wooden boat . Otherwise the house was silent . He knew it was near six o'clock , and the peace would not last . The morning light usually woke the kids once it reached their second - story windows . One of the four would open his or her eyes , and from there the movements were brisk , the house quickly growing loud . With one child awake , it was impossible to keep the other
What approached the Gulf Coast?
What approached the Gulf Coast ?
Katrina
Katrina