Synopses & Reviews
Hidden far from sight, deep in the thick underbrush of the North Florida woods are the decaying bodies of thirty-two boys, some possibly as young as nine. Some were burned, some were raped, and some were beaten to death. It is suspected that more than 200 additional bodies might also be buried somewhere in the murky, shallow swamplands of Florida. But this is only one part of what many survivors remember as 'The Secret.'
The White House Boys: An American Tragedy is the true story of the horrors that occurred at a Florida State juvenile facility throughout the 1950s and 1960s, as told by Roger Dean Kiser, one of the people who survived this unbelievable tragedy. He shares the stories of the other innocent young boys who were lucky enough to survive--now grown men, among them businessmen, authors, movie producers, and military officers, all of whom have lived with this horrific secret for almost fifty years.
The U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are now trying to determine 'the truth' about this deep, dark terrible secret. Roger Dean Kiser already knows the truth.
As reported in USA Today, the Miami Herald, and The Tallahassee Democrat
As covered on CNN, ABC News, FOX News, and the CBS Early Show
Review
"Roger Dean Kiser does a great service to children by revealing the injustices experienced by the 'White House Boys.' His story encourages strength in others to share theirs."
--Dave Pelzer, author of the New York Times bestseller A Child Called "It" and recipient of the National Jefferson Award Dave Pelzer
Synopsis
Hidden far from sight, deep in the thick underbrush of the North Florida woods are the ghostly graves of more than thirty unidentified bodies, some of which are thought to be children who were beaten to death at the old Florida Industrial School for Boys at Marianna. It is suspected that many more bodies will be found in the fields and swamplands surrounding the institution. Investigations into the unmarked graves have compelled many grown men to come forward and share their stories of the abuses they endured and the atrocities they witnessed in the 1950s and 1960s at the institution.
The White House Boys: An American Tragedy is the true story of the horrors recalled by Roger Dean Kiser, one of the boys incarcerated at the facility in the late fifties for the crime of being a confused, unwanted, and wayward child. In a style reminiscent of the works of Mark Twain, Kiser recollects the horrifying verbal, sexual, and physical abuse he and other innocent young boys endured at the hands of their "caretakers." Questions remain unanswered and theories abound, but Roger and the other 'White House Boys' are determined to learn the truth and see justice served.
About the Author
Roger Dean Kiser is a Chicken Soup for the Soul contributor and respected author whose stories take you into the heart of a child abandoned by his family and abused by the system responsible for his care. Through his stories, he relives the sadness and cruelty of growing up as an orphan in the early 1950s. Today, he lives in Brunswick, Georgia, with his wife, Judy.