Mississippi Library Association

Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember

Pfister, Sally, ed. Katrina: Mississippi Women Remember. Photographs by Melody Golding.
Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2007.
164 pp. $32.00 (hardcover)

This book presents very personal experiences of Hurricane Katrina shared by members of the Mississippi State Commit tee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. These women tell their stories of life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast forever changed by Hurricane Katrina. Included in their accounts are tales of weathering the storm, the hardships of a life without so many of the amenities we take for granted, the heartbreak of losing homes and treasures, and rebuilding in the face of so much destruction. A diversity of perspectives are represented in the book, related by more than fifty women sharing this life-altering period of their lives. Women of various economical backgrounds and ethnicities have their own unique tales, which are beautifully recounted for future generations. Their anecdotes sometimes bring smiles and other times tears.
The abundant black and white photographs by Melody Golding provide a glimpse of the destruction, but also share the beauty of humanity in the faces of the volunteer relief workers from all over America, the soldiers who came to protect and aid the needy, and scenes of the victims working to salvage and rebuild. This book is a worthy addition for all Mississippi libraries.

Beth Richard
Assistant Librarian and Continuing Education Coordinator
Copiah-Lincoln Community College

Entry Filed under: Book Reviews
Posted on: June 26th, 2008