Short Synopsis
Dan Baum's Nines Lives is a multivoiced biography of a dazzling, surreal, and imperiled city, told through the lives of nine unforgettable characters and bracketed by two epic storms: Hurricane Betsy, which transformed New Orleans in the 1960s, and Hurricane Katrina, which nearly destroyed it.

Full Synopsis
Nines Lives is a multivoiced biography of a dazzling, surreal, and imperiled city, told through the lives of nine unforgettable characters and bracketed by two epic storms: Hurricane Betsy, which transformed New Orleans in the 1960s, and Hurricane Katrina, which nearly destroyed it. Dan Baum brings this kaleidoscopic portrait to life, showing us what was lost in the storm and what remains to be saved.

"Baum, an empathetic storyteller, has nearly perfectly distilled the events, providing readers with a sensuous portrait of a place . . . Baum’s chronicle leaves readers with a bittersweet understanding of what Americans lost during Hurricane Katrina." ---Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"Frank Baum's reporting skills definitely shine through this book. He didn't pull punches, and he wasn't afraid to show the grimy underbelly of New Orleans." ---Bambi Unbridled

Publishers Weekly Review