21st February, 2025 in Recommended Reads

The Outcast by D.L. Whipple

“Lies live long lives in Banning, and minds were hard to change. Some people couldn’t admit they’d been wrong, while others wanted to believe the worst.” The novel, The Outcast, by D.L. Whipple leads us through the life and choices of Danny Prescott in a rural town in Oklahoma after he is criminally charged then further labeled as an accomplice to a rape by his vicinity to the abhorrent crime. The Outcast excels at revealing how our choices, even that of the choice to not intervene, has a rippling effect far beyond what could be considered in the moment. As we live through Danny’s feelings of regret and efforts in redemption, we feel for and question the intent of its central character and those around him. The story carries a profound emotional weight through the central themes being explored.