The Whitest Wall (Bootleg Brothers) (Mom's Choice Awards Recipient)

by Jodee Kulp

Book Overview

What if a serial killer lived in your neighborhood and no one noticed? A grizzly murder in a small Midwestern town triggers a chain of events of hidden pasts and misconceptions. A young transient is... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Perfect Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0963707264
• ISBN13: 9780963707260
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Better Endings New Beginnings
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

A thrilling mystery of small town America

Your next door neighbor may be a psychopathic killer and you may not even know it. "The Whitest Wall" is the first book in the Bootleg Brothers trilogy, and follows a murder that has rocked a small Midwestern town with wrongful accusations. Someone has to set all of this right before Justice is unjustly dealt to someone who doesn't deserve it. A thrilling mystery of small town America, "The Whitest Wall" is sure to keep the pages turning.

A Hard Wall To Hit

"The Whitest Wall" (the first book in Jodee Kulp's Bootleg Brothers series), is a well-written body of work, yet, a very "hard" read on many levels. Jodee has a very avant-garde writing style. While her writing is inimitable...on the cutting-edge...it can also take a few chapters to find "the rhythm" in her words. The novel's true uniqueness, however, is attributed more to the story's substance than to its style. Through her Bootleg Brother's series, Jodee is dedicated to bringing an understanding of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to the masses. The main force driving the action stems from a murder mystery and the innocent man charged with the crime...mirroring the tragedy befalling innocent victims with FASD. Several of Jodee's main characters are afflicted with FASD. Those characters not directly affected with the disorder, are touched by the lives of those who are. If you are looking for a quick read, with a happy-ending, this is not the book for you. "The Whitest Wall" is a story that demands your full attention, but well worth the wild ride that it takes the reader on.

The Whitest Wall

As the mother of a 29 year old man with FAS who has survived to be a successful dance teacher and FASD mentor, I very much appreciate the realities of this story and every day thank God that my son is alive and 'successful' for one more day. This would not be true if he had not' over many years, had many 'ordinary people' who love and support him in his quest to have a 'good' life. As an advocate, educator and support worker for people with FASDs for the past 35 years, I find this story tells it like it is for most of the adults with FASDs that I have worked with and for. Those I know have a type of inate resiliency that keeps them going through catastrophes that would kill most of us. I can hardly wait for the next two books! Thank you Jodee Kulp for all you do.

Book one of a trilogy that is sure to be addictive!

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/09) "The Whitest Wall" begins with the murder of a popular local man and the arrest of a transient. The transient obviously has some mental health issues, so we are left uncertain as to whether or not he really committed the crime. The story focuses on discovering his secrets and it also delves deeply into the lives of the people who are affected by this murder. Even if the individuals did not know the man killed, the situation opens up a lot of wounds and forces people to take looks at their own lives and events from their pasts. I found this aspect of the novel to be fascinating. So many internal issues are being brought to the present and dealt with. Some of these issues involve past childhood abuse, past and present racism, gang issues and the severely life altering affects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD). The author Jodee Kulp does an incredible job of character development. She takes us into the minds and hearts of each of the people directly related to the story. She not only demonstrates how lives can be negatively affected by abuse and disrespect, she also demonstrates how people's lives can be turned around with acceptance and friendship. In the back of the book, she offers references and discussion topics regarding the story and FASD. I think that this material makes "The Whitest Wall" by Jodee Kulp an excellent choice for support groups dealing with this issue. It would also make good reading material for classes involving substance abuse. For myself, I just really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next two books that will follow in this series.

A Must Read for Everyone

This a must read book for everyone as it's a topic that has been in the closet for too long. Having compiled many books and other video resources on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder over the past 10 years, I added Jodee's newest fictional story focusing on FASD to the top of my list along her other educational books on the subject. This is a must read book for everyone because most of us probably know someone impacted by FASD even if we aren't really aware of the problem. Jodee's characters are real life. They made me laugh with them as well as cry, and I can relate to the many problems and situations described in the Whitest Wall as I have been employed in the drug and alcohol field for the past 25 years. FASD is an undiagnosed, underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed condition that has been ignored for too long by mental health, drug and alcohol, medical and educational fields and every other social service field. Jodee's book will open everyone's eyes that FASD is a very serious issue that we all need to become better educated about as well as develop services for those impacted by it. Jodee, I can't wait until Book 2 comes out. Keep the faith. Also recommended: Everyone also needs to read The Best I Can Be by Jodee and Liz Kulp as well as The Long Way to Simple by Stephen J. Neafcy.