In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White

First of all I want to apologize to my readers for such a late post. I have been busy with a new job and my significant other so reading was put in the back of the list of priorities. I still take pleasure of reading a book. And to be fair, I would still post reviews on every book I manage to read, but my postings will be a bit scarcer than before. Please be patient and have faith that I shall keep on writing. Without further ado, I bring to you a new book review.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts by Neil White is another book about prisons. I know, why do I read about these things? To be completely honest, I didn't know what it was about, but the title intrigued me. This time the book has a twist: the prison is located within a leper colony. It is the first autobiographical novel of Neil White, who was sentenced to one year in a minimum security prison for kiting checks.

It is one of those stories that keep you interested, not by its action, but by its description of such an odd place. It is full of drama and strange stories. Imagine an old sugarcane farm in Carville Louisiana, turned into a leper colony and then bringing convicts to that place. Believe me, you cannot, until you read this book. If you are looking for blood and violence, this one has very little. On the other hand, if you are looking for a book where melancholy is the main mood, then go for it.

I would say this novel has an Autumn feel to it. Maybe it is because of the sentiments it transmits, or maybe I just read it during the transition from summer. I did like this one, not only for its strangeness but also for how it managed to keep me coming back to it, even though I had read it with limited time on my hands.