Old and Poor in 1970's New Orleans: in Memory of Charles and Eva

Publisher Marketing: Charles and Eva, 79 and 92, respectively, are not too old to love, live together, laugh, and pull antics that are the entertainment for a tightknit neighborhood of unusual characters in 1970's New Orleans. Supported and protected by those living around, they are as happy and secure as the very old and poor without kin can be. That was the case, at least, before the hurricane struck, its waves surging through the streets with incredible force, inundating stable neighborhoods, and providing the ultimate challenge to those in the city like Charles and Eva. Hurricanes, like Katrina and Camille, are natural disasters to endure, to clean up from afterwards, and from which to move on. There is no one to blame. But the one that overwhelmed Charles and Eva was different, although no less devastating. It was unleashed by humans, spurred on by avarice, and justified in the name of the public good. This bittersweet romance, an account of an old couple and their neighborhood, is based on a true story. It is a tale of triumph, despair, conspiracy, joy, hypocrisy, and defeat in no particular order. It is a story of tough truths that should force soul-searching after the last page has been turned. Without further ado, I present to you Charles and Eva.