By Athelia Gibbs
Special to THE DAILY

In late August 2005, we were all mesmerized by Hurricane Katrina as it approached the Gulf Coast. We watched the newscasts and predictions of where it would make landfall and what cities would be most affected.

There was much talk of the low-lying city of New Orleans, which many had predicted could not survive a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane.

We watched as the hurricane didn’t hit New Orleans directly and many said the city had dodged the bullet again — until the levees broke. We watched as the city flooded, saw many residents try to flee the waters and heard of the atrocious conditions in the city. It is a time our nation will never forget.

Author Neal Thompson has written a book that takes the reader back to that time and the year following through the lives of people involved with the John Curtis Christian School, in Jefferson Parish in New Orleans.

John Curtis Christian School is a unique school started in 1962 by John T. Curtis Sr. It is a private school with a non-denominational Christian ethic that draws a diverse mix of students from across the whole city.

In a city of white private parochial schools and black inner city public schools, it stands out as a racial, cultural and ethnic mix.

The story of the school and of the Curtis family, most of whom work at the school, is a compelling story on its own. The Curtis family is dedicated to the education and betterment of the students who attend the school. They are close to each other and to all the students. Their life is the school and its students.

None of the family exemplifies this as much as John T. Curtis Jr., known as J.T., who has coached the football team since 1969.

He has acted as coach and counselor to his teams, instilling in them not only the way to win at football, but also how to win in life by being responsible, good people.

In his coaching career, he has had only one losing season, his first. He had racked up a 417-47-6 record with 19 state championships by the 2005 season.

He did this with teams drawn from a high school student body averaging 400 students and by using an old-fashioned “grind-it-out” offense.

The story of the 2005 football team after the onslaught of Hurricane Katrina is a compelling one as the team, the school, the faculty, and, indeed, the whole city of New Orleans reel in the hurricane’s aftermath.

They face almost impossible odds in getting back to the city, opening the school and fielding a football team, much less a championship football team. How they faced the obstacles and overcame them grabs and inspires the reader.

The book is written in the present tense and the reader feels the immediacy of each situation. I truly felt I was there. The book is also well-documented, with sources listed for each chapter and with an extensive index.

It is an inspiring story, not only for educators everywhere, but also for all of us. In this world of often dreary and depressing news, it truly is an uplifting tale of beating the odds.

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