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The Wind in the Reeds

By: Wendell Pierce, Rod Dreher
Narrated by: Wendell Pierce
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Publisher's Summary

From acclaimed actor and producer Wendell Pierce, an insightful and poignant portrait of family, New Orleans and the transforming power of art.

On the morning of August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina barreled into New Orleans, devastating many of the city's neighborhoods, including Pontchartrain Park, the home of Wendell Pierce's family and the first African American middle-class subdivision in New Orleans. The hurricane breached many of the city's levees, and the resulting flooding submerged Pontchartrain Park under as much as 20 feet of water. Katrina left New Orleans later that day, but for the next three days the water kept relentlessly gushing into the city, plunging 80 percent of New Orleans under water. Nearly 1,500 people were killed. Half the houses in the city had four feet of water in them - or more. There was no electricity or clean water in the city; looting and the breakdown of civil order soon followed. Tens of thousands of New Orleanians were stranded in the city, with no way out; many more evacuees were displaced, with no way back in.

Pierce and his family were some of the lucky ones: They survived and were able to ride out the storm at a relative's house 70 miles away. When they were finally allowed to return, they found their family home in tatters, their neighborhood decimated. Heartbroken but resilient, Pierce vowed to help rebuild, and not just his family's home, but all of Pontchartrain Park.

In this powerful and redemptive narrative, Pierce brings together the stories of his family, his city, and his history, why they are all worth saving and the critical importance art played in reuniting and revitalizing this unique American city.

©2015 Wendell Pierce (P)2015 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

Christopher Award Winner, 2016

“A must-read for fans of the two HBO television series that helped make the New Orleans-born actor a star... The Wind in the Reeds is Pierce's passionate, politically critical musing on the life-altering decade since Hurricane Katrina and the 2005 floods.” (New Orleans Times-Picayune)

“Part memoir, part history lesson, the book takes readers through Pierce’s own connection to the city and his role of a lifetime in the HBO series Treme. He spoke by phone about his book, the power of art and the process of rebuilding his hometown.” (LA Times)

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.