Publishers Weekly
Following conviction for bank fraud, White spent a year in a minimum-security prison in Carville, La., housed in the last leper colony in mainland America. His fascinating memoir reflects on the sizable group of lepers living alongside the prisoners, social outcasts among the motley inmate crew of drug dealers, mob types and killers. Narrating in colorful, entertaining snapshots, White introduces the reader to an excellent supporting cast in his imprisonment: Father Reynolds, the peerless spiritual monk; Mr. Flowers, the no-nonsense case manager; Anne, the sorrowful mother with leprosy whose baby was taken from her arms; and Ella the Earth Mother, with wisdom to spare. 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. (June)
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Kirkus Reviews
An ex-con gains wisdom after doing time at a prison doubling as the last leper colony in America. White's trouble began when he started kiting checks for his newspaper business, the Oxford Times. Investor confidence misled him into proliferating more illicit activities. After surviving a bankruptcy, he began to assemble a "media dynasty" when an audit by the FDIC resulted in a conviction of bank fraud in 1992. Sentenced to Louisiana's Carville minimum-security prison, he left behind wife Linda and two young children in Mississippi. While at Carville, White became educated on the damaging stigma of leprosy-now more commonly referred to as Hansen's disease-since the prison also houses a leper colony. With felons integrated alongside the sick, the author admits to being initially repulsed ("I didn't want to breathe the air") but soon discovered how the afflicted live out their lives not only with misshapen or missing limbs that seemingly "disappear" from their bodies, but "plagued by lore, innuendo, and rumor" by the outside world. Dismissing rules against fraternization, White befriended Ella, a spunky African-American woman, wheelchair-bound with nearly 70 years spent at Carville. Initial visits from his wife and children proved strained, confusing and painful; as the months progressed, the family's financial situation became dire as well. White recounts his courtship of Linda ("just about perfect"), their marriage and the lies and deception that destroyed their family. After much speculation about whether his marriage would survive the prison term-it didn't-White realized that as a Carville inmate, he'd become just as much of an outcast as the leprosy patients. Those harsh realities areleavened with tender, humorous asides derived from the many dynamic Carville residents he encountered before his surprising release one year later. An earnest chronicle written with equal parts enlightenment and atonement. Author appearances in New Orleans, Birmingham, Ala., Jackson, Miss., Oxford, Miss.
From the Publisher
A surprisingly gentle, sometimes hilarious memoir.” — USA Today
“A moving story of growth and transformation. Among the lost, [White] found humility, beauty, courage—and himself. ” — Dallas Morning News
“Vibrant and readable.” — Harper's Magazine
“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.” — John Grisham
“A wonderfully bizarre and entertaining memoir of jailhouse redemption—by turns hilarious, astonishing, and, when all is said and done, deeply moving.” — John Berendt, author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
“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!” — Darcey Steinke author of Easter Everywhere and Milk
“[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.” — Booklist (starred review)
“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.” — Publishers Weekly
“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.” — Library Journal
“An impressively detailed and unsentimental memoir...funny and straightforward.” — Memphis Commercial Appeal
“An earnest chronicle written with equal parts enlightenment and atonement.” — Kirkus Reviews
“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.” — Memphis Flyer
“This memoir represents an atonement persuasively made in an unlikely setting by an accomplished and engaging writer. ” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
“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.” — Lee Gutkind, Editor, Creative Nonfiction magazine and author, Almost Human: Making Robots Think
“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.” — The Mississippi Episcopalian
IN 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.” — Robert Hicks, author of The Widow of the South
“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.” — Pulitzer Prize–winner Robert Olen Butler
“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.” — Tom Franklin, author of Smonk
“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.” — Steve Yarbrough, James and Coke Hallowell Professor of Creative Writing Coordinator of the MFA Program English Department California State University
USA Today
A surprisingly gentle, sometimes hilarious memoir.
John Grisham
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.
Dallas Morning News
A moving story of growth and transformation. Among the lost, [White] found humility, beauty, courage—and himself.
Booklist (starred review)
[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.
Harper's Magazine
Vibrant and readable.
Memphis Commercial Appeal
An impressively detailed and unsentimental memoir...funny and straightforward.
Darcey Steinke author of Easter Everywhere and Milk
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!
John Berendt
A wonderfully bizarre and entertaining memoir of jailhouse redemption—by turns hilarious, astonishing, and, when all is said and done, deeply moving.
USA Today
A surprisingly gentle, sometimes hilarious memoir.
Lee Gutkind
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.
The Mississippi Episcopalian
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.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
This memoir represents an atonement persuasively made in an unlikely setting by an accomplished and engaging writer.
Pulitzer Prize–winner Robert Olen Butler
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.
Memphis Flyer
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.
Robert Hicks
IN 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.
Steve Yarbrough
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.
Tom Franklin
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.
Harper's Magazine
Vibrant and readable.