In his inimitable style, Conroy describes the life of Tom Wingo, twin sister Savannah, brother Luke, an abusive father, and a pretentious, but loving mother through a series of communications with Savannah's psychiatrist after Savannah makes yet another failed attempt at suicide. Tom Wingo eventually learns to appreciate New York, but not at the expense of his very beloved South which never loosens its grip on his soul. ( )

I received this book from Good Reads in return for a review.

This is a story of a dysfunctional family from a small town in South Carolina. An abusive father, who beats his wife and children when he loses his temper and a mentally abusive mother who always felt she deserved more than she has in life. An older brother, considered by the mother as the "dumb one". Fraternal twins, one who becomes a football coach and English teacher and his sister, who ends up moving to New York City and becomes a famous poet. The story is told from the twin brother's point of view. His sister is in the hospital after yet another suicide attempt. They haven't communicated in 3 years, and she refuses to see him now in the hospital. The family's history unfolds gradually as the sister's psychiatrist gradually pulls the family history out of the brother (the older brother is dead - we find out what happened towards the end of the book). The brother's wife is a doctor, and is having an affair. In addition, he lost his job during a period of depression following his older brother's death, which probably is what triggered the sister's suicide attempts. Eventually the brother and the psychiatrist begin an affair. The book was made into an acclaimed movie in the 199os starring Nick Nolte as the twin brother and Barbra Streisand as the psychiatrist, and I vaguely remember seeing it then. As is usually the case, the book is much more expansive and deeper than the movie. It is very well written, and though long, was very hard to put down. I'd say it is one of the better books I've read in the past several years. I'd highly recommend it. ( )

Pesante come un macigno
Leggero come un petalo

CIT: Mi ricordo una sera d'estate: mia sorella, mio fratello ed io (eravamo molto piccoli e l'afa gravava come muschio sulla pianura) non riuscivamo a dormire. La mamma ci portò allora a fare due passi fino al fiume e alla darsena, benché Savannah e io avessimo un raffreddore estivo e Luke un eczema da calore. "Ho una sorpresa per i miei cocchi," disse la mamma mentre noi guardavamo affascinati un delfino prendere il largo nell'acqua tranquilla, metallica. Sedevamo sulla punta del moletto e, stendendo le gambe, cercavamo di toccare l'acqua col piede. "C'è una cosa che voglio farvi vedere. Una cosa che vi aiuterà a dormire. Guardate là, figlioli," disse, indicando l'orizzonte a levante. E, proprio in quel momento, dove essa indicava, la luna comparve, sollevando la fronte di uno stupefacente color oro al di sopra di una filigrana di nuvole che bordavano il cielo di veli. Le sere erano lunghe al sud, in quella stagione, e alle nostre spalle, in quello stesso momento, il sole stava tramontando in un tripudio di fiamme che incendiavano il fiume. Era come un duello di ori: l'oro nuovo della luna nascente, l'oro consunto del sole che scompariva all'altro capo del cielo. Così il giorno, dopo un'ultimo guizzo di danza sulle paludi della Carolina, moriva splendidamente sotto gli occhi di noi ragazzi, finché della luce dell'astro diurno non rimase che un listello intorno alle chiome delle querce acquatiche. La luna poi sorse veloce, come un'uccello che si leva dall'acqua, e salì in alto: fulva, poi gialla, poi giallino, poi d'argento, poi d'un miracoloso, immacolato pallore, al di là dell'argento, un colore che è proprio soltanto delle notti del sud. Noi bambini restammo estasiati di fronte alla luna che nostra madre aveva evocato dalle acque. Quando l'astro si fu inargentato, mia sorella Savannah, che aveva tre anni, esclamò "Oh mamma, fallo ancora!" E questo è il ricordo più antico che ho. ( )

I read this after several years on my to read list. It was a favorite of a good friend, and their particular recommendation.

The plotting, characters, setting, and wordsmith were all exemplary. In everyway, this was an excellent book. In the end I just can't make it a favorite because it didn't completely connect in a meaningful way. Maybe I had difficulty with the main character of Tom, or possibly the abuse throughout the lives of the characters. It still was an honest, insightful look at abusive relationships intertwined with love and pain. The physical setting of a small coastal, Southern Island and community even reflected the reality in the lives of the Wingo family.

This is a great read, and I hope others that haven't read it, will give it a try. It may not have harmonized with me at this point in my life, but it just may for you. ( )

I have very mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to keep reading it, but at the same I didn’t enjoy what I was reading. ( )