Neil White, a journalist and magazine publisher, wanted the best for those he loved --- nice cars, beautiful homes, luxurious clothes --- but his bank account couldn’t keep up. His world fell apart when the FBI discovered his check kiting scheme and a judge sentenced him to serve 18 months in a federal prison.

But 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. Amid an unlikely mix of leprosy patients, nuns, and criminals, White’s strange and compelling journey begins.

Funny and poignant, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is an uplifting memoir that reminds us all what matters most.