Remembering Hurricane Katrina

Published just three short years after the devastating disaster, Two Bobbies : A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival. by Kirby Larson, Mary Nethery and Jean Cassels is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.  The true story chronicles the struggles of Bobbi, the dog, and BobCat, the blind cat, post hurricane Katrina.  Having lost everything in the deadly storm, the unlikely duo depends on each other to survive.   The book’s epilogue, complete with photos of the real life Bobbi and BobCat, details the real-life happily ever-after ending.

M.H.  Herlong's Buddy, does not sugar coat -- there is no fairy tale ending.   Lil'T, the story's lovable protagonist,  and his family might be poor before the hurricane and  totally wiped out after the disaster, but they are survivors -- they have each other, their faith, and their unwavering determination to persevere.  That resolve is what keeps Lil'T working to get Buddy, his beloved three-legged dog, back long after the levees break.  While there isn't the happy ending that readers may  be hoping for, it's the right ending. 

This is the perfect time to read, or re-read, Two Bobbies : A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival and Buddy.

A Four Tissue Heartbreaking Story

 Buddy, by M. H. Herlong, was my St. Patrick's Day snow read.  I had to encourage Merl to get off of my lap twice so I could get more tissues.  This is a powerful story about love, loss, friendship, family, disaster, pain, recovery and so much more.  In 2005 the mighty Hurricane Katrina nearly wiped out the city of "brotherly love."  It wasn't just the initial hit of the storm, but the decay of the infrastructure that lead to the evacuation of approximately 1.5 million people from their homes.  Nearly 2,000 people died in Louisiana as result of the storm, and scores more were killed  in  neighboring states.  Many others were still missing weeks after the waters receded..

Less than a decade later, M.H. Herlong writes a punch-in-your gut story about a boy, Lil'T and  a three-legged dog, Buddy.  Lil'T's ' Buddy.   Needless to say it is a story of lost and found.  Nothing in this book is easy.  Even Lil'T's chance meeting with the dog is painful.   The stray dog is struck by the car Lil'T's dad is driving to church.  The congregation rallies to pay for the dog's medical expenses, and in turn, it is because of Buddy that a congregant is helped by Lil'T.  

Lil'T and his family are poor before the hurricane and  totally wiped out after the disaster.  But they have each other, their faith, and their unwavering determination to persevere.  That resolve is what keeps Lil'T working to get Buddy back, long, long after the levees broke.  

Be forewarned.  It's not exactly a happy ending, but the right ending.  Buddy was the perfect snow read to devour with Merl on my lap, Nigel by my feet and Charlotte being Charlotte -- getting into trouble.