I've spent many years in the South, and this book reminded me of many things I'd long forgotten about, especially the food! I felt sorry for Reed having to go through what she did with the incompetent contractors after waiting years for the house of her dreams, but at the same time I was wondering why she hadn't checked them out beforehand. Especially after the first time...why did she keep hiring people who couldn't get the job done? And her relationship with Antione made me uncomfortable, as well as the one with her housekeeper and her family. And poor Betty, the landlady. I felt sorry for them, wondering how they'd feel when they read what she'd written about them. I don't think she intentionally means to come off as superior, that's just the feeling I got when I read her book, and even though I did enjoy a lot of it, I don't feel that it rates more than three stars.

I loved this book and only wished for some photographs. It is true that Julia must have a lot of money (her other books describe a lavish childhood) and I can understand why other reviewers are perplexed with her trivial concerns when so many lost everything after Katrina. Frankly, this did not take the gloss off this memoir for me- I loved it and hope she writes something similiar very soon. She is interesting and funny and I couldn't put it down.

Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08)

Julia Reed, a contributing editor at Vogue and Newsweek, spent her childhood in Greenville, Mississippi and traveled frequently to New Orleans with family and friends to experience all that the Big Easy had to offer. As an adult, she again found herself trekking from her new home base in Manhattan to New Orleans, with more and more of her time spent down in the Delta as the years went by, even though she still maintained a home in Manhattan.

The experiences Julia had while in New Orleans, both during her childhood and as an adult are described for the reader in resplendent detail. From the hotels where she stayed, and the restaurants where she ate, to the districts of the city that she visited; the narrative is bright, crisp and meticulously told. Because of this the reader is able to conjure up the people and places in the novel in their minds eye, and I am sure that those familiar with the locations described in "The House on First Street" will find the descriptions to be on point.

Finally, in her forties, Julia was ready to commit to living her life full time in New Orleans, and along with her husband, she purchased an old Greek Revival home in the Garden District on First Street. Julia had many frustrating, funny, and repeated run-ins with the various contractors that were hired to work on the home, and she recounts these experiences in vivid detail. After more than a year, she and her husband were finally able to move in to their home, and four weeks later Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with a vengeance.

Julia never doubted that she would return to her home in New Orleans, and did as much as she could to assist the friends and employees that were, to varying degrees, left to pick up the pieces after Katrina hit the city. In "The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story " she recalls her first visits back in to the city, when FEMA was not yet involved, and the devastation that she witnessed traveling through the flooded streets with her press pass as the "golden ticket" past the city limits. She reveals the steps she took to get her life back on track, as well as recounting what those around her were doing to make it through the days and to reclaim the lives they had come to love in New Orleans. Julia and her large circle of friends did an immense amount to bring the city back to life, through the re-opening of well-loved restaurants, holding fundraisers to get money back in to the city, and helping fellow citizens in whatever way was necessary, from cleaning out refrigerators full of rancid food, to bringing meals in to the National Guard troops, and offering desperately needed work to the craftsman who came to rebuild.

The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story" is a poignant, heartfelt and humorous tale of one woman's journey back to a semblance of normalcy after one of the most devastating events in our country's history. It is not meant to be a sob-story, but is rather a tale of the strength and courage that it took for one woman to reclaim her life in the city she calls home.

As I read this book, I wondered why it was written. What is touted as a New Orleans's story with interesting characters , the renovation of a house, and Katrina is really much more. There are so many stories and characters it is hard to follow where the story line is going sometimes.

I have heard it described as humorous, but I really didn't find it humorous at all. Reed grew up in Greenville, 442 miles from New Orleans. On page 5 she writes: "When I was finally old enough -- sort of -- to make the trip on my own (to New Orleans), my good friend and most stellar running buddy McGee and I would pile into my black Toyota Celica, roll back the sunroof, and blast out of the Delta at ninety-five miles an hour, stupid and stoned and dying to get to the city..........." I'm surprised that anyone would actually put something this stupid in writing , but maybe it was meant to be funny.

Recounting all the food they ate and everything they drank and mentioning all the brands of liquor seemed really important. You might find it sad that when they went to buy more Scotch at their favorite liquor store after Katrina, there wasn't a bottle left in the place. Mentioning little things like this in the face of the loss of so many lives and so much property damage seems absolutely ridiculous.

Maybe if I had grown up in the South I would have enjoyed this book more. Although I have never heard of this author before, I do believe she is a talented writer. There are parts of the book that are very interesting and I found myself wanting to read more , but then there are sections where I found myself skipping over parts that were just too tedious.

Ms. Reed shares three interests with me: She loves old houses and renovating her historic home; she surived a hurricane that hit her home city, and participated in her city's recovery; and she relishes excellent food. Because of these shared interests, I really enjoyed The House On First Street.

Her background in journalism makes her an excellent writer, and what might otherwise become a redundant list of what-went-wrong-with-my-house, what-we-ate-in-post-Katrina N.Orleans, and who-I-helped-after-the-hurricane is actually a pretty entertaining read. Some people may find her obvious upper-class status a bit irritating (she lives across the street from Anne Rice's old house, buys barbecue for a horde of soldiers on a whim, and spends untold amounts of money on her house in the book), but if you can forgive her good fortune, you'll find an interesting story of post-Katrina New Orleans from one of the first residents able to re-enter the city (thanks to her press credentials).

Julia Reed should have saved these New Orleans memoirs to use as cookbook filler and changed the name. There's more food, family, and friends mentioned in this book than there is storyline about the actual house on First Street and the Katrina aftermath. Reed was not really a victim of Katrina at all. Her house only suffered blown down trees and one broken window. She is, however, a victim of bad business decisions and the book suffers from poor editing.

The book starts off great with Reed telling back story about how she settled in New Orleans to report on governor Edwin Edwards, and lived in a quaint apartment off Bourbon. You really get a sense of the ambiance and decadence and drinks and food and people that make up the Big Easy. I was hooked right from the start!

At 42, she marries and buys her dream home in the garden district. But her husband has no voice in the novel. As a reader, you never get to know him. There is also an array of other friends and family members all over the map that just cloud the storyline because you can never keep any of them straight. It's like someone regurgitating a long phone conversation they just had with a distant relative and summarizing to get to the good parts.

The hurricane hits. Reed is tucked away safely at her parent's house and watching the chaos on television like everyone else. She uses her reporter status to get back into the city. After finding little damage done to her house, Reed spends the rest of the book telling you all the things she did for other people. Such as, she fed the Oklahoma National Guard on a daily basis and even ordered barbecue for 700 of them. Don't get me wrong, she definitely did some good things for people and I commend her for that. But maybe that could have been the focus of the book, instead of a house on First Street, which by now has long been forgotten back on page 20.

There are other tiny plot lines that offer up interest, but she never dives deep into them, such as "Here Lives Vera" or Ruthie the Duck Lady. So, the book ends up being a tangled grapevine of short stories and character sketches that leave you wanting more. The story of the self-appointed neighborhood watchman and his many "colorful" signs was the only Katrina survivor story which she spent a lot of worthwhile time on.

As for the house, Reed continues to shell out tons of money and put up with a bad contractor and poor workmanship. If I had to have someone repaint my bathroom three times or reinstall door knobs because they were upside down, I probably would have fired them. Instead, Reed even puts up with a homeless drugged-out workman who she is passionate about saving. She bails him out of jail and hires him a lawyer, and he still gets picked up for not paying his fines, leaving Reed to hold out money to pay his legal fees for him. Some people never learn...author included.

At 200 pages, this is a quick read and very humorous, but I often felt like a stranger at a party floating through a crowded room of people I don't know and only overhearing parts of their conversation, or like I was reading the diary of a food critic. Since Reed and the reader learn her house is okay very soon in the book, we spend most of the middle part of the book trying out all the restaurants as they begin to reopen. Po boys, watermelon pickles, lump crab, shrimp, grits, etouffee, bloody marys, oysters, remoulade, and meuniere clutter every page! I grew so tired of reading about all this food. All it did was make me hungry...for food and for structure to this book.

As for editing, by now you know this book is all over the place. At one point, Reed is planning a fundraiser, then spends a chapter telling you all about the political gossip of Edwards from 1991 out of nowhere (she'd already covered his storyline in the beginning), then it's Christmas and we are back in the house and bitching about leaks and stopped up sinks, then we're getting a dog. She spends all of 7 pages on Mardi Gras season, post-Katrina, and never really calls it that. She rides a float and hates the royalty balls. Too many story lines! Too many directions! Not enough focus! Did I mention that she bashes the mayor again and again, but never calls him by his name?? But has no qualms about naming the governor outright. I guess her editor was too busy snacking, as well, to catch these issues with this book.

I really really wanted to like this book and give it a generous 3 stars because Reed is indeed a good reporter and can make you laugh. However, I can only wonder what the original manuscript was like (it was on her laptop which was stolen when someone broke in). She should have taken that as here cue to just blog about New Orleans and her house, instead of publishing it.

Everybody has a story to tell and it is certainly their choice of how they decide to communicate with the audience. I scooped up "The House on First Street - My New Orleans Story" by Julia Reed expecting to get the down and dirty, raw details of a Hurricane Katrina survivor. I should have known it was more bourgeoisie than urban from the cute little book cover with the nice two story house.

The author is very articulate and it appears that this is a labor of love due to all the detailed historical data on New Orleans. Chapters 1-3 contained way more history than I expected or cared to know. The story starts to really get interesting in chapter 4. Katrina enters in Chapter 5. I wish that the story had unfolded more about the relationship with her man and less about money or apparent social status.

It was humorous to follow the adventure and mishaps of remodeling the house. The most memorable characters in the book for me were the contractor and handyman. The story was well written, I just felt that it could have been a page turner had it been told from a different angle.

I recommend this book to true New Orleans lovers. I do not recommend this book to any Hurricane Katrina survivors that are poor, still displaced, homeless, or who lost friends and loved ones in the levee tragedy.

Respected veteran journalist Julia Reed, in this well-written personal memoir, finely details her experiences with her first youthful encounters of New Orleans and subsequent aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She is right on the money regarding her insights on the city, her frustration with rip-off contractors renovating her new home in the historic Garden District, and the corrupt politics that (still) plague the city and state. The book has drawn some criticism of her alleged snobbishness, wealth, elitism, name-dropping and her relatively minor problems endured as a result of the hurricane which changed all our lives forever. There were times when this too grated on me a little bit, but then I had to consider my days as a news reporter and person-about-town, and it certainly is not her fault that she knows a lot of people. Nor is it her fault that she has worked very hard for her accomplishments and is deserving of their rewards. Katrina was very traumatic for all of us, whether we were able to escape the city or not, or whether we actually paid for flood insurance instead of paying our tax dollars in a boondoggle bail-out for those who did not. The book is a good quick read and hard to put down. It probably only will have limited regional interest, as most of the country really doesn't care about our unique outpost which 100 years from now will be another Atlantis, with or without the devastation of hurricanes. I look forward to seeing more of her work in print.

I can't quite figure out where this book let me down, but it must have been with the random and numerous themes/subjects covered - home reconstruction, incompetent workers, historic New Orleans, crooked politicians, cooking and eating good food, and Katrina.

I have been to New Orleans few times, and have always been grateful that I never lived there! Didn't know much about levees breaking, or couldn't comprehend a "city below sea level", but it was the bugs/roaches that I hated. Hubby is from New Orleans and with my familiarity of the city in more recent years, I selected this book.

Although the writer is an accomplished writer and journalist, I gave it a good read, and was impressed with the writing. I lost interest after the home improvement fiasco. And the drama of the construction team did not grab me. None of the characters had their own voice!

Little was mentioned about the plight to escape Katrina, and I found no meaningful text for much about the return home ....so the fridge was saved! The outcome didn't match the buildup of the struggle to reconstruct the home. Thank God the home was spared, but maybe the Katrina bit didn't belong in this book, or vice versa.

Some readers take umbrage with the writer's wealth and low level of distress compared to the average Katrina victim. Her wealth does NOT deter my thoughts about the book, I just found too many random themes going on and not much resulted out of each. A reader needs to connect somehow with the book and FEEL with the book and author. When the reader doesn't care much, then you have lost them. ....Rizzo

Julia Reed has a lot of money, so much so that when she is trying to decide on a color for her dining room walls she can afford to "put up at least ten coats of paint" in different shades of coral, gray, brown and blue. When the going gets tough, either because the contractor for her remodeling project is incompetent or because Hurricane Katrina has destroyed her beloved New Orleans, she can skate through the troubles by eating and drinking at world-class restaurants. Every important chef and restaurant owner in the city seems delighted to see her.

Reed's book is likely to be enjoyed most by those who read or appear in the pages of "Town & Country," "Vogue," and "Architectural Digest." This is not to say people from the lower social classes won't find the book interesting. Reed writes well, she has a good eye for interesting characters, and she is aware of her own good luck and good fortune. She does recognize that many in New Orleans have suffered far more seriously than she has. Anyway, it is hard not to like a woman who loves ice cold beer and good Scotch, even if at times she reminds us of Marie Antoinette.

I liked the way the narrative in this book rolls along - at times humorous, wry, adventurous. Julia Reed certainly has a knack for descriptive prose - including her wonderful descriptions of her homes, friends, the neighborhood's oddball characters. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of the incredible local cuisine, and I even started looking for a place that sells beignets and Chicory Coffee to allay some of my hunger, but alas, my neighborhood (slightly south of the East Coast) has a paucity of such items (as a New Yorker, I can't find good Lox and Bagels here either).

But the book is cute -- reminds me of the Sweet Potato Queens series -- funny naughty, humorous -- although some of it comes across like a long rant.

The chapters on Katrina -- Julia as a first-hand eye-witness -- are sobering, putting faces and personalities on the names - showing the strength of human character at times of great tragedy, people banding together to do what had to be done - while there was the inevitable human treachery and deception going on at the same time. I was impressed with the ingenuity and the ability of the Katrina victims to party well, even in the very worst of situations.

But why does Julia extol the bravery of some of the survivors of Katrina, only to ridicule those equally brave souls, many of whom came from out of state, sleeping in their cars, living on junk food, working long long hours with no pay, catching very little sleep and exposing themselves to all kinds of danger to rescue and care for the pets that were left behind? Sure Katrina was a tragedy of epic proportions with major damage and human suffering, but some of that major suffering was felt by the pets that these folks were forced to leave behind -- and by the humans who were forced to leave those pets behind.

Those rescuers, some of whom had to break down doors to get to the pets stranded and dying in sodden moldy flooded homes were from all parts of the nation - and they were trained to do this work specifically for the animals, just as those who worked for the human-centered agencies were doing for the human survivors. Yet Julia uses "cats" as an instrument of ridicule for the process -- when "dogs" were also involved in this disaster. Many of those who had to flee without their pets (including that little boy whose dog "Snowball" was torn from his arms) never knew the ecstatic relief experienced by Julia when she discovered her own dog was safe. And as for the humorous description of the lot full of salvaged refrigerators -- I truly doubt that any of those people who had to leave their pets behind were ecstatic when they learned that their "refrigerator" was safe. So this attitude on her part soured me, blemishing an otherwise interesting and fast paced book

This book starts out strong, but loses focus after the drama of the storm. I found myself engaged by the descriptions of Reed's tribulations with her contractor -- "A Year in Provence"-ish. Anyone who's had remodeling done can empathize. But not everyone has had such colorful problems or the means with which to fix them. I never got the feeling that Reed's Katrina experience was any more than an inconvenience, not to downplay her compassion for those who didn't fare as well, but having read more incisive books about the subject recently, I found this one to suffer by comparison.

I spent a few weeks in New Orleans when in my early twenties. Had a great time. Reed brought back for me some of my memories of the that city and the South.

Trademark humor? But this seemed to me all too much a silly book about remodeling. I suppose most people are reluctant to describe their remodeling experiences. Poor Eddie, I wonder if he realized what having a writer like Reed as a client might lead to. Having survived a remodel, I can sympathize with what Reed went through but it seems to me she's taken it beyond comical extreme. True, one can be stuck with a choice of contractor, true one can exaggerate for effect, true Reed has a flair for writing - but aren't there better books about Katrina, about remodeling experiences, about New Orleans? It seems Reed has come closest to providing a feeling of the latter: I suppose I'd need some good booze in hand to be able to decide. The impact of poverty and of crack makes its way through: that Reed didn't choose some enclave instead to live in says something for her and this book.

I'm envious of the author of "The House of First Street"...for a middle-aged white woman, the author does not have the usual neurosis: the poor body-image (or, at least it plays so little a role in her life it is not worth mentioning). Nor does she have aging parents that she must care for (her parents are peachy, settled and helpful-and treat her like a treasured teenager, putting money in a checking account for her post-Katrina) nor troubling teens (no kids). Julia Reed does not have substantial money worries (I don't see her anywhere bemoaning the rising cost of toilet paper, or shopping at Sam's Club or Costco-she drinks champagne and eats extraordinarily well as only the fashionably thin can).

As a matter of fact, she doesn't seem to have anything at all to do with me or most of the folks I know-so why read this book?

Well, darn it, it's a pretty good read! You might like knowing what it's like to have a garden district home in New Orleans. I don't think you're going to buy one anytime soon, so isn't it nice to read about one? And, she lived through Katrina, and came back to finish the house. That's worth reading about!

Also, although she doesn't get "inside" the head of the people she encounters (for a look inside read Tom Piazza's "City of Refuge"-also about Katrina, but a work of art) she does mention some of the fun-to-read-about people of New Orleans: Andrei Codresceu (you might know him from NPR) the rug guy, the restaurant owners, the politicians, and her homeless helper. Some remove makes it possible to boo hiss or hip hip hooray.
I must note, though, things sure do look different with some money! Read this light book-it's worth it. . Yes, for her, Katrina was a piece of cake. Which she is eating. Which she is aware of eating (she mentions her Marie Antoinette moment).Try not to be too envious.

Having lived my entire life in southwestern Louisiana and having experienced and worked in the aftermath of my fair share of hurricanes, I picked up "The House On First Street" by Julia Reed hoping to get a firsthand account of Hurricane Katrina.

As expected, the bulk of the book is centered on the refurbishment of Reed's house pre- and post-Katrina in the beautiful Garden District of New Orleans. Through poor decisions and plain ol' dumb luck, Reed experiences trial after trial attempting to get her home to a liveable degree. Her complications are not unfamiliar to anybody who has ever attempted to refurbish an old home. Still, her writing style does make the whole experience fun to read.

She does an excellent job of describing the Crescent City. She gives vivid details on all of the typical tourist traps like Bourbon Street and Anne Rice's rather unique former home, but is at her best when giving descriptions of the food that can be found throughout the city. This is also where Reed's detachment from reality can be found.

It's obvious that Reed has plenty of money. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. She doesn't even try to hide it (Marie Antoinette references and countless name-droppings to boot). However, the fact that she isn't lacking for funds gives this Katrina story an entirely different spin.

Many folks (including my brother who's lived close to twenty years in the Big Easy) were worried about their homes, missing family and friends, jobs and futures. Others were trying to establish their lives in new homes such as Dallas, Houston, or one of the countless other cities that graciously took in refugees (yes, I said refugees) from New Orleans.

Reed, on the other hand, wondered if her wine was still in good shape and whether or not she'd be able to get lump crabmeat from her regular place. When some reasonable amount of normalcy returns to the city, her biggest fear is not getting a beagle pup to complete her domestic experience. After a deserved bashing of local and state government officials, she gets upset when "idiot Baptists" in Denton, TX unwittingly hand over her homeless, drug-addicted helper to his "wife" who encourages his addiction. Those "idiots," along with a lot of other private and religious groups, were some of the first people to assist folks in New Orleans when the aforementioned public officals failed miserably.

In short, while I read this book I got the feeling that Reed is something of a snob who has her priorities mixed up. Granted, she did quite a bit to help the city get back on its feet such as hosting and helping organize the Rebirth New Orleans benefit. She also handed out food to the many wonderful National Guardsmen who were trying to establish order in a chaotic world, but I kept seeing a bit of arrogance throughout her writing. It's this arrogance that really killed my enjoyment of her book.

Her fairy tale experience of New Orleans is a fun read, but I'm sure the folks who survived Katrina in towns like Waveland, MS and St. Bernard, LA have much more interesting stories that the average reader can more closely identify with. I can't wait until one of them puts out a book.

This is a wonderful book that invites the reader into a rarified slice of New Orleans life. Anyone who has ever undertaken a major home renovation will nod in excitement as the author skillfully dissects the highs and lows of construction, with the lagniappe of sharing the lush feeling of living in New Orleans. Then Katrina strikes, with a funny and moving account of post Katrina from a segment of the population that fared relatively well; and knows it. Julia Reed's keen eye for detail and Zorba the Greek love of life makes even mundane vignettes pop with excitement.

A rousing and easy read, The House on First Street follows one womans joys and frustrations in her adoptive New Orleans, pre and post-Katrina.

Infused with local flavor and peppered with historical and geographic fact, this novel serves as both travel guide and cautionary tale.

It is highly recommended reading for anyone familiar with with this truly unique city, and it will elicit emotion in those who've yet to experience New Orleans.

Julia Reed recounts in loving and maddening detail the acquisition and beginning the restoration of her newly purchased home in New Orleans' historic Garden District. She first arrived in New Orleans to cover another campaign of sometime governor Edwin Edwards and was immediately seduced by the ambience and way of life. Although living in New York, she found herself coming back more and more. Eventually, she and her husband, tired of never being in one place for very long, decide to sink in roots, buy the house and embrace life in their favorite city. How were they to know Hurricane Katrina was just weeks away?

Aided by an unusual cast of characters, contractors, handymen, pretenders, plumbers, tradesmen and hangers on, Julia and her husband John begin by gutting the place and removing all the "improvements" all previous owners had put in place. Restoring remodeling (plus Katrina) the former slave quarters/ cottage to its one time glory proves to be a daunting endeavor, even for a woman who has lugged her favorite fabric and paint samples through 15 plus years of moving. Every person who enters the home becomes part of the family as well as part of the story. Despite the untimely arrival of Katrina and the contractors (which is worse?), the house survives and life flourishes, though not quite as envisioned.

The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story is a winsome slice of southern life and a real treat. Take the afternoon off, get a sweet tea and enjoy!

Julia Reed recounts in loving and maddening detail the acquisition and beginning the restoration of her newly purchased home in New Orleans' historic Garden District. She first arrived in New Orleans to cover another campaign of sometime governor Edwin Edwards and was immediately seduced by the ambience and way of life. Although living in New York, she found herself coming back more and more. Eventually, she and her husband decide to sink in roots, buy the house and embrace life. How were they to know Hurricane Katrina was just weeks away?

Along with the usual cast of characters, contractors, handymen, pretenders, plumbers, tradesmen and hangers on, Julia and her husband John begin by gutting the place and removing all the "improvements" previous owners had put in place. Restoring remodeling plus Katrina the former slave quarters/ cottage to its one time glory proves to be a daunting endeavor, even for a woman who has lugged fabric and paint samples with her over 15 plus years of moving. Every person who enters the home becomes part of the family as well as part of the story. Despite the untimely arrival of Katrina, the house survives, though not quite as envisioned.

The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story is a winsome slice of southern life and a real treat. Take the afternoon off, get a sweet tea and enjoy!

I've always enjoyed reading books set in New Orleans ... even before Katrina. So, perhaps, my expectations were a bit too high. Not that the author doesn't do justice to aspects of this southern city, but something is missing. Or maybe the author and I just have different perspectives. This is a well written book. Some other reviewers have mentioned that they couldn't put it down. I, on the other hand, had a difficult time both getting into it and finishing it.

While I don't feel this book deserves a rave review, neither do I think it worhy of being panned. Yet, it is not a book I will recommend to others.

a tour of New Orleans guaranteed to make you hungry. vivid descriptions of the wonderful food, wine, cocktails, kitchens and restaurants. great gossip. the Katrina story from a very different point of view...that of the well to do garden district home owner who lost nothing but the contents of her refrigerator and her hired help. still very interesting commentary on what went on in the days following the levee failure with the most scathing criticism reserved for FEMA and the influx of animal rights activists. humorous and human glimpse into a world not covered by CNN as well as the stories we all watched unfold. definitely female point of view...I could not put it down and read it in one sitting

Julia Reed is an excellent writer. The book flows well and gives you insights into New Orleans' history. It also provides one articulate person's view of New Orleans in the years before Katrina hit--and after. Reed does a great job of capturing the sounds, sights, smells of New Orleans, not to mention its unique character and characters.

I have two minor quibbles. Why no photographs? I kept wanting to see illustrations of Reed's house, both before and after renovation. Second, I did not like Reed very much. Frankly, she comes across as privileged and spoiled. She's a grown woman, but she wrote about stomping her feet, throwing objects at her future husband's head, and other immature acts. The book made me want to visit New Orleans--but not Julia Reed!

This is the story of how Julia Reed found a husband and a house and a home in New Orleans, and what happened during and after Katrina. She is a fine writer, engaging and witty, and the subject matter should be compelling. So why didn't I like this book?

Perhaps it's a flaw in my character, but when someone has the regular services of a maid, and said maid's extended family when throwing cocktail parties for 100, and has a handyman (however drug-addicted) on call, when that person can buy a mansion in the Garden District that has a dining room which holds a table seating twenty-four and proceeds to renovate that mansion with extravagantly expensive materials, I find it difficult to summon up much sympathy when she complains about the costs she's incurring. Nor, when the house is left nearly unscathed by Katrina, can I empathize with her worries about her jewelry and whether her champagne will be ruined by the heat.

It's very odd, because Reed seems like a generous, warm-hearted, fun-loving person, the kind of woman I'd probably like to hang out with. But there's a disconnect that I can't quite fathom between that person and the one who has to keep bending over to pick up the names she's dropping. And that irritated me to the point where I simply could not enjoy her book.

New Orleans is one of those great cities that is dripping with history, color, culture and a powerful personality all its own -- in most books set there, the city itself is the star.

Julia Reed appears to be fully aware of this, because her memoir "The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story" is practically a love letter to this city. While Reed pays a suitable amount of attention to what is going on in her own life, the main focus often seems to be on New Orleans -- its sensuality, its colorful and quirky populace, and the infamous Hurricane Katrina that devastated it.

Reed was acquainted with New Orleans as she grew up -- living up the Mississippi from it, her family visited often but considered it one of those places you visit rather than live.

Fast=forward many years. Working on-and-off in New Orleans during gubernatorial hubbub, journalist Reed found herself spending more time in the Big Easy than in her "home" of New York. The city's quirky inhabitants and steamy beauty ended up snaring her for good, putting an end to fifteen years of rootless journalism. When she married John Pearce, Reed found her dream home as well.

But even dream houses need some TLC if they happen to be rather elderly Garden District holmes, no matter how fragrant the flowers or lovely the surroundings. But the greatest blow came shortly after Reed and her hubby moved in -- New Orleans' inhabitants had to flee in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which threatened to break the city's spirit as well as its homes and communities.

Half of "The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story" is devoted to the allure and eccentric charm of the Big Easy, and the other half is devoted to the devastation visited on the city in Katrina's wake. And Reed explores not just what happened in those tragic, sludgy days after Katrina, but also who was responsible and who failed to help out those who had lost everything.

But the most striking thing about this book is its atmosphere, which is entirely steamy, sensual and exciting. Reed's lush writing fills the pages with perfumed gardens that grow overnight, gorgeous old houses, gay bars, lost purses, tempting food and drunken trumpet players who call in the middle of the night. And she introduces a number of people -- past and present -- who are colorful, fun and quirky enough to almost seem like people out of a comic novel.

And Reed's journalistic talents kick in periodically as well. She not only outlines her experiences post-Katrina, but she peppers the book with various historical anecdotes -- for instance, New Orleans' earliest cottages got wiped out as well, because the founder refused to move to a less unstable area.

If there's a flaw with "The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story," it's that Reed seems to focus in relatively minor losses after Katrina. But this is a relatively minor flaw, because Reed's exuberant enthusiasm for her new life, new home, new husband and new surroundings suffuses the entire book -- her excitement and fondness practically float out of the book's pages.

"The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story" is more than a personal memoir -- it's an ode to New Orleans, and a journalist's exploration of its past, present and future. Definitely a pleasant read.

I have to be honest; I enjoyed parts of The House on First Street, but not all. Perhaps it is because I lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, when Katrina hit, on August 29, 2005. I have my own harrowing survival story to tell. So the Katrina parts of the book weren't that new or impressive to me. It was OK, and kind of nice to read about how the wealthier persons of New Orleans "survived" Katrina.

I was entertained by the pros related to the author's time spent living in her French Quarter apartment, and it sounded like she had the time of her life. New Orleans was, and always will be, a very unique and special place in an otherwise judgmental and harsh south. The author did bring to mind a few otherwise lost memories of mine; one was the "Ramos Gin Fizz." I hadn't thought of that drink in years!

This book has about 200 pages and is a quick read. I'd recommend it for its travel value, if nothing else. Beyond that, I just can't get excited about it.

I just finished Julia Reed"s book in two sittings and am hungry for more. A delightful, easy read that gives incredible insight into the travesty of the storm, the perseverance of the people who went back and still believe in the politically defunct, perilous city that is New Orleans....and why they do. It is also an irreverent look at Louisiana politics and a passionate tale of her love for the many people she's come to know there including her prince of a husband. All of this is woven within a true coming of age story and a debacle of a renovation. This book perfectly illustrates that with an ever present sense of humor and a delicious bottle of wine most of life's big storms (or natural disasters) make way for rebirth. Bravo!

Reed, Julia. "The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story", Ecco, 2008.

New Orleans After Katrina

Amos Lassen

I was very anxious to read Julia Reed's "The House on First Street" because I am a New Orleanian transplanted to Little Rock and I grew up in the neighborhood that the book is about. Besides having lived through Katrina, I am always curious to see how others made it through the storm.
The book starts with a section on the author's life in Greenville, Mississippi and Manhattan and then we arrive at New Orleans and how she came to get to the house on First Street and Chestnut. New Orleans is the kind of city that becomes part of those living there and it catches hold and does not let go. Reed does not just write about Katrina. She writes about the people of New Orleans and the city itself. We get wonderful insight on the way New Orleanians look at life, religion, politics and food and I felt like I needed to be singing "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" as I read.
Of course the book really pulled me in with Reed's views on the city after Katrina and she absolves no one. She talks about FEMA and its failures, about SPCA volunteers who meant well but were so shaken by the enormity of the storm that they often lost their way, about flyovers from the President and other politicos, and about the spirit of the people who experienced the tragedy. She has something to say about everything having to do with Katrina and she spares no one--especially those who were more concerned with the way their hair would look on newscasts. She does so with humor but with a sense of tragedy because it is so true.
Reed looks at the losses and the greed of many after the storm but she also finds rays of hope from those that have returned and are rebuilding the city. As I said, there is something about New Orleans that pulls people in and those that have left the city for whatever reasons find ways to return even if only to visit. Reed captures the mood and the spirit of the city and her writing style allows you to feel as if you are in New Orleans standing right next to her. I won't get back to New Orleans for at least a year but that's ok--I have Julia Reed to read and reread until then.

Spent a hot, humid summer afternoon reading this book..it was a rendevous with the past and the now New Orleans. Well woven story and will re- kindle remembrance of times there before Katrina. It is a fast, entertaining read.

The House on First Street is the newest entry on my favorites list. Julia Reed is clever, funny, sometimes profound, always truthful (or as truthful as anyone from the south can or should be)and she has a perspective on both a way of thinking and a national tragedy that is different enough to be enviable. This is the first book, in a long time, that prompted me to put aside other things and read it straight through. Then I loaned it to a friend who did the same. Then I shipped it to a friend, the slacker, who took 3 days to read it. It has become my favorite birthday and hostess summer gift. From the first few pages where she describes her childhood job of finding lost purses for possibly indiscreet ladies to the last shocker page I laughed out loud and had to call another southern friend to read aloud at least a dozen times. (she had to buy it for her library). Can you tell how much I loved it. When will we have another book by Julia Reed?

reed is amusing but i wish she was more honest about her life and choices. she pretends to share about her experiences but something is missing. the big question for me is would i give this book to a friend or recomend it the answer is no. i did finish it.

I apprecaited they put this on the Kindle so that gets a star to start with! (If you dont' have one RUN TO THE HOME PAGE, its a MUST FOR ANY READER)

While I enjoyed this book for the most part I found it sometimes went off on tangents that were not necessary. For example she mentions quite a few back stories that in my opinion do not mesh well with the book and went on far too long.. I found myself scrolling through them.

I can appreciate the historical aspects of the city and some of the people involved, but I don't need three pages regarding someone that worked for her that I don't know, never met and really had very little to do with the overall storyline. I do understand they are important but when you start getting into their family members it is a bit much.

I did enjoy her writing style, but I also kept thinking she was really was so fortunate her home only sustained a broken window and a tree issue and while so many were trying to figure it out there were so many pages where she and her friends and family seemed to turn it into a wine and food party, I saw more food and wine descriptions then I did of the reality of the hell going on around them. GRANTED you have to cope and KUDOS to the business owners who stepped in when no one else would. (and I share her views on Blanco and the Mayor).

I am happy she and her family did well but I would have liked to hear more about those that coped with some real loss and she had friends who did but did not expand on those story lines, which would have been wonderful.

I think it would would have been better with just a little more editing. To be honest I have a chapter or two to go and frankly I am not sure I will bother at this point.. again decent read but wait for the paper version

I was born uptown at Touro Infirmary in 1936, raised in Carrollton, where I delivered the Times-Picayune newspaper at 4 in the morning. Educated at New Orleans Academy and De la Salle high school, Baton Rouge and LSU then back to LSU Med School for the finishing touch. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins by the dozens. Suffered at a distance with all my relatives and friends after Katrina. Haven't lived there for years but love it and return when I can, if for no other reason than to prove to myself that there can be that many really good restaurants in one place! So, I read everything I can that is truly about my home.

Julia's little book is a treasure and captures the spirit and mood of the this truly remarkable place as well as anything I have ever read. True, she eats out more in one week than most native New Orleanians do in a year, but, no matter she got it right in all the essentials. Julia, while reading I could I could feel the heat and humidity and smell the French Quarter. Honey child, you done good even if you are from Mississippi.

If you love the old city get this book and enjoy. Next time I'm home I'll drive past 1st and Chestnut and honk.

Julia Reed has done it again and its better than her first book, Queen of the Turtle Derby!! The House on First Street is not only about her colorful long suffering adventures at the hands of questionable home renovators but a wonderful love story about a city and its people. Warning, if you've been to New Orleans and loved every memory, you'll fall in love again by page eight.

Reed is a columnist for Vogue magazine and if you're a dedicated reader like me, you turn to articles written by her and Andre Leon Tally first. Evident in all of her works are unique observations of people mingled with a droll sense of humor. Think Eudora Welty mixed with Molly Irwin. Don't be fooled by the title since Reed provides remarkable insight to Southern views of life, religion, politics and food. Readers will learn how only in the South could there be a city like New Orleans.

Most interesting to me were her observations of New Orleans after Katrina and failed levees left most of the city underwater. No one is spared from her tart observations: well meaning and slightly misguided SPCA volunteers, confused and dazed officials from FEMA, supportive fly overs by President Bush and local politicians who worried more about how their hair looked on CNN than displaced residents. All are skewered in a wry manner that leaves you chuckling.

While Reed is honest about the losses and greed of others after the storm, she finds and tells you about the glimmers of hope from everyday people who are rebuilding the city. If after reading this book you don't want to go to New Orleans, eat some barbecued shrimp, drink beer out of the bottle, dance in the streets and sing Louis Armstrong songs then I don't what to tell ya! Buy it, be outraged, laugh out loud, make up a batch of gumbo and buy a ticket to New Orleans!

I was lured in by the excerpt from this book that was published in Vogue magazine. The tantalizing snippet from this wonderful book sent me rapidly to Amazon to order.

Julia Reed paints a vivid picture of her life in Greenville, MS, Manhattan and New Orleans and how it brought her to this house. Both humorous and poignant, it's not difficult to see how the City of New Orleans can insinuate itself into your very being and it has definitely got its hold on Ms. Reed. The verbal imagery made the pages come to life with descriptions of the colorful characters who populate Ms. Reed's and husband John's life and for most of the book, their wonderful house.

Hurricane Katrina is the punctuation mark bracketed by both ends of the book, and Ms. Reed gives a resident's insight into how many homeowners in New Orleans lived through the hurricane, flood and its aftermath.

It's a quick read, but very satisfying. It will definitely make you hungry and yearn for the wonderful restaurants of New Orleans, as well as the colorful texture of its lifestyles and citizens.