Journey into Light

About the Book

Journey into Light is the story of Linda.  It takes place from her birth and the fifteen short years of her life.  Mark, her father, kidnaps her and takes her and her brothers to the Pacific Northwest when she is six years old. At the age of twelve she begins running away.  The police find her and return her to her father.  She gets into more and more trouble and danger until the State of Washington takes her and places her in foster homes. This is her story, set in the fifties, but can be the story of millions of girls and boys of today.

Mark is Linda’s father.  He is cruel both physically and mentally to his children and to any woman that makes the mistake of getting involved with him.  He has the State authorities fooled and is getting further and further out of hand and very dangerous.  He has committed several murders, starting with the man his eldest daughter lives with in West Virginia. He commits murders and robberies across the U.S., which finally ends with him sitting on death row at the Washington State Penitentiary awaiting the hangman’s noose.

Pearl is Linda’s mother.  Pearl was forced to marry Mark after he rapes her.  Her father feels that she has been dirtied and will not allow her to marry the man she loves, Joe.  Finally after several children, years of abuse and the killing of her daughters’ boyfriend she divorces Mark.  She finally marries Joe and is happy for several years.  Mark shows up again and shoots Joe leaving him a quadriplegic.  Pearl finally opens a whorehouse to earn a living.

Walt and Dean Nielson have been taking care of Welfare children for several years when Linda is brought into their home.  Because of her gentle, loving ways they learn to love her as they do their own four children.  These two people show her the love and trust no one has ever given her.  They expect nothing but respect and for her to be herself.  They teach her to have fun, playing and working with the other people living in the house.  They move from Pasco to the Columbia River Gorge and take Linda with them.  Their new house is a huge old farmhouse.  The rooms are large and there is space for everyone.  Their home is always filled with laughter, fun and love.  It is always filled to the brim with children of all nationalities, up to fifteen, besides their own four.  But still Linda can’t keep from running away when trouble rears its ugly head.

About the Author

Lydia A. Whipple is fifty-six and has three children and her husband of three years has four. Together they have eight grandchildren. She is a very loving, fun and open person that wants to share her life with others. She was born in Walla Walla, Washington. Her parents were Foster Parents until she was 12 years old. She was raised down in the Columbia River Gorge. Lydia lived all over the Western United States and Florida. She works as a Correctional Officer at the State Penitentiary located in Walla Walla. The diversity that she was exposed to as a child has enhanced her life and work.