A Wonderful Beach Book
With South of Broad, an ode to the beauty of Charleston and the joys and sorrows of friendship, Pat Conroy pulled me into his imagined world from page one. It's not the first time this has happened and I hope it won't be the last. The most vivid complex character is the city itself. He captures the smells, sights, sounds and spirit of this beautiful, fragile place.
Rated of 5
by Rebecca C. (Opelika, AL)
South of Broad, Southern, Unlikely friendships
Pat Conroy has written another hit. This one is a based in Charleston, South Carolina and is a story of unlikely friendships that start in High School and last a lifetime. Leo King is eight years old when he finds his ten year old brother who has committed suicide. This tragedy colors the rest of his life and brings him to gather a motley crew of friends his senior year in high school. This group of friends stays together over a lifetime and can always count on each other.
Leo's mother never liked him because he was not his beautiful brother Steve. She was always telling him how ugly, stupid, and crazy he was. I could relate to Leo so much. I had the very same mother! Leo grew up in the south during integration just as I did and was just one year younger than me. We had the same experiences with our high schools being integrated, the fear, anger, hatred and finally acceptance.
Twenty years later, the group is pulled into a mystery when Sheba, now a movie star, asks for their help in finding her twin brother Trevor. Although Pat Conroy is wonderful at building characters, describing the location and making you feel a real part of the story, he is not really into keeping us on the edge of our seat in the mystery department. It was pretty easy to figure out everything long before the answer was revealed but it did not take anything away from the story at all because his skills at writing a believable story are amazing.
Being a southerner myself and very familiar with Charleston, I could see each street and house and walled garden as it was being described. I have also spent many days in San Francisco so I could picture the rundown neighborhoods and the mansion on the coast. And for those of you not familiar with these locations, Mr. Conroy has masterfully painted a magical picture for you to treasure.
I could not put this book down once I picked it up and as soon as I finish passing it around to all my friends, I plan on reading it again.
Rated of 5
by Teresa C. (Pickerington, OH)
South of Broad
Pat Conroy is one of my favorite authors and he did not let me down with his latest novel, South of Broad. It is a wonderfully written account of a white middle class teenage boy growing up in the south during the tumultuous 60s. He is the anchor of a racially, socially and economically diverse group of teens, all of whom are facing the challenges of coexisting in a newly segregated world. Conroy does an excellent job of recreating this time period in American history through the widely varying viewpoints of his well defined teen characters.
Rated of 5
by Fran C. (Baltimore, OH)
Another winner from Pat Conroy
I was so pleased to have the opportunity to read and review this book. I have read all of Mr. Conroy's fiction and enjoyed the books in varying degrees.
I found the descriptions of Charleston so vivid that I felt I was there. The story itself seemed to bog down in the middle, but by the end of the book I was totally immersed in the world of Leo King and his friends.
All in all, a pleasure to read.
Rated of 5
by Sheila S. (Winston-Salem, NC)
South of Broad
South of Broad is a novel by one of my favorite authors (Pat Conroy) about one of my favorite cities (Charleston). I was prepared to love it, and I did. Conroy's lyrical descriptions of Charleston (and also San Francisco) are magnificent. There are elements of chick-lit here - all of the women are beautiful and sexy, the men are all accomplished - but the beauty of the writing compensate for this. There were scenes which I found entirely unbelievable, but I did love the plot lines and especially liked the character of Leo. I thought that the San Francisco section dragged on a bit. But the ending of the book was exceptionally strong. I love Conroy's sense of humor. Here's hoping that we don't have to wait so long for his next work. He is a real treasure. I will certainly recommend this book to friends and to my book club.
Rated of 5
by Margaret M. (Chicago, IL)
South of Broad, instant best seller South of Broad is an instant best seller and here is why:
The story immediately draws in the reader. The writing is excellent with many spots of humor as well as suspense. The plot takes place in Charleston, S.C. depicting three generations of friends. character development is well done and believable. the reader finds the story line delightful, funny and at times sad. the plot keeps ones interest up to the very end.
Only criticism is that it is a bit wordy at times.
Rated of 5
by Janet Cox (Chapin, SC)
A Journey Worth Taking
This is the fourth book I have read by Pat Conroy . In his beautiful melodic prose (he could have been a composer or an artist), Conroy takes us on a journey with the friends young Leo King makes as a teenager into their adulthood, and in some cases, their deaths). His parents are equally important in making Leo the man he is to become. The town of Charleston weaves it's magic into this poignant, funny, tragic and mysterious tale, making the author's love of his city most apparent. Make no mistake--Charleston is as major a character as are the human subjects. So settle in for a magnificent story that will not disappoint your sense of adventure, and prepare yourself for a journey worth taking.
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of 5
by Mary Lee P. (Kiawah Island, SC)
