* Nonfiction. By Dan Baum. Spiegel & Grau, $24.95. Grade: B

Book in a nutshell: New Orleans is a rough-and-tumble city that has rolled with the punches despite two bad hurricanes - Betsy in 1965 and the highly destructive Katrina 40 years later. Boulder author Baum covered the aftermath of the latter hurricane in a series of highly praised New Yorker articles. In a fictional narrative style, this book expands upon those stories, looking at nine key characters from the city whose lives intertwined when the latter hurricane struck.

The scenes and dialogue are recreated from what people told Baum after countless hours of interviews as well as through documentary sources. Despite the city's reputation for high poverty, murder, terrible schools and police corruption, the author sets out to show the human side of those who call New Orleans home and why this unique city is worth saving.

Best tidbit: Evacuating New Orleans' residents after Katrina turned into a "mystery tour" for many. According to evacuee Anthony Wells, they were herded onto a plane without being informed of its destination. In his case, it was to the Knoxville, Tenn., basketball arena, where the refugees were fed and allowed to clean up. Unfortunately, they were forced to clear out after only eight days because of a scheduled game.

Pros: Baum's greatest skill lies in his detailed, descriptive writing of the characters who populate New Orleans, ranging from the exuberant King of the Carnival and a womanizing jazz musician to a transsexual, a gynecologist who chooses to become coroner, and an ethically torn member of the police force.

Cons: The story becomes unnecessarily complicated as the author jumps quickly through the years and from person to person while unfolding the life and times of these New Orleans residents and their many associates.

Final word: The book's jagged format does an injustice to the material, which highlights in detail a world of people like no other, most dedicated to their neighborhoods until the end.