Tom Wootenis coauthor ofNo One Had a Tongue to Speak. Since graduating from Harvard in 2008 and moving to New Orleans, he has worked as a researcher for the Harvard Kennedy School, as a neighborhood volunteer coordinator, and as a fifth- and sixth-grade writing teacher.
Few disasters are ever truly 'natural, ' and, as Tom Wooten shows, reconstruction after catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina is shaped heavily by individuals, their communities, and the structural barriers they face. Portraying a diverse range of community leaders, Wooten spins a compelling tale based on deep knowledge of local worlds, linked to an understanding of the large-scale social forces that affect these worlds in ways too often invisible to journalists and other chroniclers of events like Katrina. The stories in We Shall Not Be Moved show the essential role of local knowledge in long-term recovery and reconstruction. --Paul Farmer, author of Haiti After the Earthquake<br> <br> That New Orleans was able to rebuild after the levees broke--without sacrificing the city's essential and unique character--is one of American history's most inspiring stories. Future historians studying the resurrection of New Orleans will find We Shall Not Be Moved an invaluable resource. --Dan Baum, author of Nine Lives <br> A moving portrait of a city's struggle to rebuild. It is not an account of Katrina per se. . . . Rather, it is a story of the arduous endeavor residents have undertaken in New Orleans. . . . Every bit as gripping and important as tales from the storm itself. Walter Issacson, from the Foreword <br> In this moving book, Tom Wooten narrates the daily struggles of residents of five neighborhoods in New Orleans to overcome the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. We Shall Not Be Moved brilliantly weaves together the stories of community residents, including accounts of their unprecedented organizing and rebuilding efforts. Wooten's revealing nonfiction narrative is a must-read. --William Julius Wilson, author of More Than Just Race <br> That New Orleans was able to rebuild after the levees broke--without sacrificing the city's essential and unique character--is one of American history's most inspiring stories. Future historians studyings