Good novel (the movie was bad - Streisand over-acted horribly). ( )

1999

Dysfunctional family-twins Tom and Savannah, older brother Luke. Savannah tries to commit suicide several times because of past events.

Conroy's writing, like in South of Broad, is flowing and descriptive. His characters are real and vibrant. His descriptions of the south are loving.

A great book. ( )

This has long been one of my go-to books for reading & re-reading when I need something well-written & familiar. Pat Conroy has a beautiful way with language & tells a good story & this book is no exception.

The narrator's family & the Carolina Low Country are the stars of the show in this book as Tom Wingo tries to tell the story of their past in an effort to save his sister from her suicidal tendencies. In the end, of course, he saves himself along with her (& maybe that's the point).

I love the stories of the Wingo family & the dignity & humanity that Conroy gives every member. Yes, there is tragedy & darkness, but there is also eccentricity & humor & survival & love. There is nothing simple about these people & nothing simple about their stories. The creeping & awful dread that sits in the middle of the end of these stories is palpable throughout & painful to experience & behold.

I still think Tom Wingo's a wonderful storyteller & an ineffectual chickenshit - that's what makes him tragic, I suppose. I still identify with his sister, Savannah, craziness & all. & I enjoyed this book yet again. It's always good to visit old friends. ( )

Exquisitely told story of a southern family and the individual problems/demons within. It is a virtual painting of a landscape and community filled with flaws, beauty, and quirks. The humor, the suspenseful (& sometimes horrific) events, and family relationships make this historically brief saga a satisfying story. But it’s the southern painting that really captured me. ( )