Wednesday, October 15, 2008

What you don't know won't hurt you is a lie.A big lie.

Knowledge is still power, and the power found in these pages is undeniable.

When Jodee Kulp began to explain to the insidiousness of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome I did not get it. I could not sympathize. It was too much like an out of control virus that was taking over the world. But when I began reading the life stories of the characters in this book I became educated vicariously, even without knowing it.

The strength of story could not be better illustrated than within these pages. Full, rich, deep personalities walk through your imagination as close as your own family as this epic-like volume clings to your heart. You will want to pick up the phone and call each one to say, "I'm right here, and I understand, or watch out." The identity of these characters becomes so personal you just know you are reading their memoirs.

Fiction, as C.S. Lewis would say, adds to reality, not just describes it. It enriches daily life and irrigates the deserts of our lives. I found "Whitest Wall" so compelling I wanted to jump to the end, but so glad I didn't. Life is complex and lives are intertwined to a greater degree than we think. We tend to be myopic, critical, judgmental, and basically self-absorbed, or is that just me?

Jodee Kulp is so adept at casting the players in Whitest Wall and so passionate a story teller you will look at your neighbor through different eyes than ever before. I believe there are many books in the book, I trust at least there are many more books coming from Jodee.

Mac McConnell, author, "Forever Changed", "Bozra"