Under Surge, Under Siege: The Odyssey of Bay St. Louis and Katrina - Hardcover

Anderson, Ellis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1604735023 ISBN 13: 9781604735024

Publisher: University Press of Mississippi, 2010

Synopsis

Winner of the 2010 Eudora Welty Book Prize and the Mississippi Library Association's Nonfiction Author's Award for 2011, Under Surge, Under Siege was also short-listed as Nonfiction finalist for the 2012 William Saroyan International Book Prize, Stanford University Libraries.

Under Surge, Under Siege shows how Hurricane Katrina tore into Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, raking away lives, buildings, and livelihoods in a place known for its picturesque, coastal views; its laid-back, artsy downtown; and its deep-dyed southern cordiality. The tragedy also revealed the inner workings of a community with an indomitable heart and profound neighborly bonds. Those connections often brought out the best in people under the worst of circumstances. In Under Surge, Under Siege, Ellis Anderson, who rode out the storm in her Bay St. Louis home and sheltered many neighbors afterwards, offers stories of generosity, heroism, and laughter in the midst of terror and desperate uncertainty.

Divided into two parts, this book invites readers into the intimate enclave before, during, and after the storm. "Under Surge" focuses on connections between residents, and then it demonstrates how those bonds sustained them through the worst hurricane in U.S. history. "Under Siege" documents the first three years of the grinding aftermath, detailing the unforeseen burdens of stress and depression, insurance scandals, and opportunists that threatened to complete the annihilation of the plucky town.

A blend of memoir, personal diary, and firsthand reportage, Under Surge, Under Siege creates a compelling American testament to the strength of the human spirit.

About this title

About the Author

Ellis Anderson of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, received a Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Fellowship for portions of this book. An excerpt appeared in Southern Cultures.

From the Inside Flap

A survivor's tale of Hurricane Katrina's destruction and a community's enduring determination

Edition details

• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1604735023
• ISBN 13: 9781604735024
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288