Shake the Devil Off: A True Story of the Murder That Rocked New Orleans

Brown, Ethan

ISBN 10: 159777278X ISBN 13: 9781597772785

Publisher: Phoenix Audio, 2009

Synopsis

Shake The Devil Off is set in two places that at first seem dissimilar: Iraq and New Orleans. The story first follows soldiers stationed in Kosovo who end up among the first to enter Iraq, where they suffer losses and horrifying setbacks during the fledgling insurgency. We then follow Zackery Bowen, a soldier who returns home to New Orleans just before Katrina hits. The book provides a heartbreaking portrait of physical and personal destruction, and how both Iraq and Katrina influenced Bowen’s tormented inner landscape. The author, who moved to New Orleans to research this book, presents a haunting depiction of a town still reeling from natural and political disaster. Brown overlays this with the graphic story of what happened to Zackery Bowen, leading to themes that are still getting front-page attention—the war, and the failure of government to deal with PTSD and suicide among returning veterans.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

HE LEFT THE WAR A HERO

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, Zackery Bowen became the face of hope in the local news. A handsome veteran of the Iraq War, Bowen was all smiles and high spirits when he appeared on live television—partying on Bourbon Street, or raising a glass with his beautiful bartender girlfriend, Addie Hall. But Bowen’s happy-go-lucky persona in the Big Easy concealed a tortured mind...

AT HOME HE BECAME A KILLER

In October 2006, Bowen leapt from the rooftop bar of a French Quarter hotel—instantly killing himself. Later, it was discovered that he had also killed Addie...and left a note directing police to her dismembered body. Why did Bowen do it? What made him snap? This is the true story of a war-torn veteran driven to commit the most heinous of crimes.

 shake the devil off

“Ethan Brown has transformed post-Katrina anguish [into] something genuinely sad and reflective...that now has true meaning for New Orleans and for all of us.”—David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme

 *Includes 8 pages of dramatic photos*

About the Author:

Ethan Brown has written for New York Magazine, The Observer, Wired, Rolling Stone, Details and The Village Voice. He is the author of two previous books, Queens Reigns Supreme and Snitch. Brown lives with his wife in New Orleans.

About this edition

• Publisher: Phoenix Audio
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 159777278X
• ISBN 13: 9781597772785
• Binding: Audio CD