{"product_id":"in-the-sanctuary-of-outcasts-a-memoir-isbn-9780061351600","title":"In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A remarkable story of a young man's loss of everything he deemed important, and his ultimate discovery that redemption can be taught by society's most dreaded outcasts.\" —John Grisham \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Hilarious, astonishing, and deeply moving.\" —John Berendt, author of \u003cem\u003eMidnight in the Garden of Good and Evil\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe emotional, incredible true story of Neil White, a man who discovers the secret to happiness, leading a fulfilling life, and the importance of fatherhood in the most unlikely of places—the last leper colony in the continental United States. In the words of Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler (\u003cem\u003eA Good Scent from a Strange Mountain\u003c\/em\u003e), White is “a splendid writer,” and \u003cem\u003eIn the Sanctuary of Outcasts\u003c\/em\u003e “a book that will endure.”\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaddy is going to camp. That's what I told my children. A child psychologist suggested it. “Words like prison and jail conjure up dangerous images for children,” she explained. But it wasn't camp . . .\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeil White, a journalist and magazine publisher, wanted the best for those he loved—nice cars, beautiful homes, luxurious clothes. He loaned money to family and friends, gave generously to his church, and invested in his community—but his bank account couldn't keep up. Soon White began moving money from one account to another to avoid bouncing checks. His world fell apart when the FBI discovered his scheme and a judge sentenced him to serve eighteen months in a federal prison. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut it was no ordinary prison. The beautiful, isolated colony in Carville, Louisiana, was also home to the last people in the continental United States disfigured by leprosy. Hidden away for decades, this small circle of outcasts had forged a tenacious, clandestine community, a fortress to repel the cruelty of the outside world. It is here, in a place rich with history, where the Mississippi River briefly runs north, amid an unlikely mix of leprosy patients, nuns, and criminals, that White's strange and compelling journey begins. He finds a new best friend in Ella Bounds, an eighty-year-old African American double amputee who had contracted leprosy as a child. She and the other secret people, along with a wacky troop of inmates, help White rediscover the value of simplicity, friendship, and gratitude. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFunny and poignant, In the \u003cem\u003eSanctuary of Outcasts\u003c\/em\u003e is an uplifting memoir that reminds us all what matters most. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“White wastes no time getting to the hurt, and once he takes you there, you’ll be riveted.  A searing tale of trouble, it’s also about finding a time and a place in which to lay the groundwork for a new life.  A fine memoir and one I highly recommend.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSteve Yarbrough, James and Coke Hallowell Professor of Creative Writing Coordinator of the MFA Program English Department California State University\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A wonderfully bizarre and entertaining memoir of jailhouse redemption—by turns hilarious, astonishing, and, when all is said and done, deeply moving.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Leprosy and white collar crime in one dynamic book? Neil White, a writer with a multiple mission, knits two fascinating and unfortunate stories into one powerful narrative that is informative, heart-breaking and highly compelling. White writes with clarity, sensitivity and unforgettable passion.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLee Gutkind, Editor, Creative Nonfiction magazine and author, Almost Human: Making Robots Think\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If Federico Fellini had been a film director of the American South, he would have leapt at the chance to make  a major movie of Neil White’s memoir, IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS.  At once surreal and grittily naturalistic, funny and poignant, White’s tale is fascinating and full of universal resonance.  And, not incidentally, White is a splendid writer, adept at both creating a scene and illuminating the human heart.  This is a book that will endure.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePulitzer Prize–winner Robert Olen Butler\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS was a rare treat for me as I not only learned about this extraordinary place, only whispered about when I was a child, but, even better, was reminded again of what really matters in this life.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRobert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At once surreal and grittily naturalistic, funny and poignant, White’s tale is fascinating and full of universal resonance.  And, not incidentally, White is a splendid writer, adept at both creating a scene and illuminating the human heart.  This is a book that will endure.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePulitzer Prize–winner Robert Olen Butler\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Narrated in an engaging, affable voice with self-deprecating humor, IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS is a great American story of personal transformation that leaves White -- and ourselves -- forever changed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTom Franklin, author of Smonk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A moving story of growth and transformation. Among the lost, [White] found humility, beauty, courage—and himself. ” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDallas Morning News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Vibrant and readable.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHarper's Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A surprisingly gentle, sometimes hilarious memoir.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Under normal circumstances, White would not have told the world about his downfall by writing a memoir. He wrote the book for an unexpected reason: The Carville prison shared buildings with a medical center serving as the home for those who had contracted the disease of leprosy. Becoming acquainted with the lepers affected White so profoundly that he felt compelled to tell their story along with his. Fifteen years after his release from Carville, White has delivered the message he knew he had to compose.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAtlanta Journal-Constitution\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A meaningful look at the trajectory of one man’s life and his chance to change its direction. Worth reading and discussing...a particularly intriguing choice for reading groups.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Mississippi Episcopalian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An impressively detailed and unsentimental memoir by a journalist whose privileged existence was brought up short by a check-kiting scheme. In a funny and straightforward narrative, White tells of being humbled and inspired by the isolated souls whose illness has biblical resonance, as well as by some of his fellow prisoners.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMemphis Commercial Appeal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An impressively detailed and unsentimental memoir...funny and straightforward.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMemphis Commercial Appeal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Brisk, ironic and perceptive, White’s introspective memoir puts a magnifying glass to a flawed life, revealing that all of life is to be savored and respected.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An earnest chronicle written with equal parts enlightenment and atonement.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“White’s memoir continues to surprise as it presents a witty, well-rendered narrative of redemption and enlightenment.  Readers who enjoy clever, off-beat memoirs will devour this in one sitting.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS is more than a memoir. It’s most importantly a testament to the patients at Carville and the life lessons they gave and White took.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMemphis Flyer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This memoir represents an atonement persuasively made in an unlikely setting by an accomplished and engaging writer. ” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRichmond Times-Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Neil White in his luminous memoir IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS explicates his own path to redemption. White brings to life a wacky bunch of characters who help him remember what is best about himself. His story is unique and deeply felt: I enjoyed this book immensely!” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eDarcey Steinke author of Easter Everywhere and Milk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e““IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS tells the fascinating story of Neil White’s years of high living and bank fraud that landed him in prison -- but not an ordinary prison -- one that doubled as the last leper colony in America. White enters his incarceration determined to keep away from the “lepers” and nourish his own skills to emerge a stronger businessman, but soon he is drawn into their world. The friends he makes and experiences he has help him emerge stronger, not as a better businessman but a better man. Narrated in an engaging, affable voice with self-deprecating humor, IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS is a great American story of personal transformation that leaves White -- and ourselves -- forever changed.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTom Franklin, author of Smonk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“[Neil White] offers a memoir of personal transformation and a thoroughly engaging look at the social, economic, racial, and other barriers that separate individuals that harden, dissolve, and reconfigure themselves when people are involuntarily thrust together over long periods.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist (starred review)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A remarkable story of a young man’s loss of everything he deemed important, his imprisonment in a place that would terrify anyone, and his ultimate discovery that redemption can be taught by society’s most dreaded outcasts.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eJohn Grisham\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“IN THE SANCTUARY OF OUTCASTS is heartfully candid, humble, persuasive. Greatly urged on all good readers.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBarry Hannah, PEN\/Faulkner Award Winner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"William Morrow","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44890740752613,"sku":"NP9780061351600","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061351600.jpg?v=1730233979","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/in-the-sanctuary-of-outcasts-a-memoir-isbn-9780061351600","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}