I first discovered Pat Conroy this past May when Susan and I stood on line at Book Expo to get an advanced copy of South of Broad. I loved the book and went on to read Prince of Tides, which was also wonderful.

I stumbled on The Water is Wide at my library and decided to give his non-fiction a try. Although the prose are not as wonderful and descriptive as the two fiction books I read, they are still good and the story is gripping.

In 1969, a young, idealistic Conroy decides to teach on Yamacraw Island, a forgotten island off the coast of South Carolina. The school is a two room schoolhouse and Conroy teaches 4th-8th grade, while Ms. Brown, a disciplinarian (vs. a teacher) teaches the lower grades. An island inhabited primarily by Black families, the children are basically ignored by school administration.

The Water is Wide describes Conroy's efforts to teach the children (many of whom do not know the alphabet, let alone current events), expose them to things outside of the island to prepare them when they move away and give them a feeling of self-worth. His battles with the old ways of the inhabitants, the lack of caring by administrators and the childrens' ignorance and fears makes for compelling reading.

I highly recommend Pat Conroy in any form. ( )

This book is an absolute gem. I love Pat Conroy, the author, but after reading this, I feel that the world needed him as a teacher. A powerfully moving book! ( )

One of the top 10 books I hve ever read! ( )

An autobiographical story of when Conroy was a teacher on an island in South Carolina that was more interested in baby sitting than teaching the students. He tries many times to broaden his students horizons and meets continual resistance. I enjoyed this book ( )