{"product_id":"the-wind-in-the-reeds-a-storm-a-play-and-the-city-that-would-not-be-broken-9780399573224","title":"The Wind in the Reeds: A Storm, A Play, and the City That Would Not Be Broken","description":"\u003cb\u003e2016 Christopher Award Winner \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFrom acclaimed actor and producer Wendell Pierce, an insightful and poignant portrait of family, New Orleans and the transforming power of art.  \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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 eighty 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWendell Pierce \u003c\/b\u003ewas born in New Orleans and is an actor and Tony Award-winning producer. He starred in all five seasons of the acclaimed HBO drama \u003ci\u003eThe Wire\u003c\/i\u003e and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role. He also starred in the HBO series \u003ci\u003eTreme\u003c\/i\u003e and has appeared in many feature films including \u003ci\u003eSelma\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eRay\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWaiting to Exhale\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHackers\u003c\/i\u003e. Since Hurricane Katrina, Pierce has been helping to rebuild the flood-ravaged Pontchartrain Park neighborhood in New Orleans. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eRod Dreher \u003c\/b\u003ehas been a writer, columnist and critic for a variety of publications, including \u003ci\u003eNational Review\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ethe Dallas Morning News.\u003c\/i\u003e He is the author of \u003ci\u003eCrunchy Cons\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Little Way of Ruthie Leming.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51259845771538,"sku":"9780399573224","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_94315608-d76c-4fa7-9995-637524ac6edd.jpg?v=1746629066","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-wind-in-the-reeds-a-storm-a-play-and-the-city-that-would-not-be-broken-9780399573224","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}