In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir

Neil White was once was a man who lived by appearances -he owned expensive cars and a big house and worked at glossy magazines. When his bank balance couldn't keep up with his lifestyle, he started kiting -illegally depositing and drawing cheques between his two accounts. He got caught and was sent to prison. But not to just any prison -he was taken to a place where appearances meant absolutely nothing: one of the last leprosy colonies in the world. The experience transformed him completely: the man who lived to impress became a man who could look beyond the surface of things in order to tap into the deeper, more important issues that run our lives: friendship, compassion, self-respect. Along the way he met some incredibly strong, resilient and inspiring people, all of whom have their own poignant, painful, funny stories. His memoir chronicles a community that's now nearly disappeared, but still resonates. A journey which combines a slice of history with self-discovery, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is both beautifully written and utterly compelling.