Page Count:  576

Author:  Pat Conroy

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin

ISBN:  0-39535-300-9

Category:  Fiction

Genre:  Drama

Dove's (Personal) Review:  Absolutely incredible!!! This is a MUST-READ title for everyone! Pat Conroy's best!
     Instead of actually "reviewing" this book, I'm going to tell you about the extraordinary characters you'll meet. Once you read about them, I'm sure you'll want to read the book!

TOM WINGO:  The son of Henry & Lila Wingo, brother to Luke and Savannah, husband to Sally, father of three girls. Suffering through a mid-life crisis... he hates his parents, his marriage is falling apart, he questions his parenting abilities, and he fears his past. As a child, he was exposed to abuse (physical and mental) at the hands of his parents; was also raped by an escaped convict, and a witness to the rapes of his mother, and sister. As an adult, his sister Savannah tries to kill herself. He travels to New York City to meet Savannah's psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein. Soon, he finds himself in love with Lowenstein. He also manages to become her son's football coach.

SALLY WINGO:  Tom's wife, mother of three girls. Losing the "marriage battle" with her husband, she looks to another man to find what she needs. She's unaware of Tom's violent childhood, and can't understand why he's so distant. She suspects he's having an affair, but she doesn't know with whom. She's torn between the two men, and has no idea where her life is going. She loves her husband, but her "other man" wants to marry her. Later, she finds out the "other man" is also married.

LILA WINGO:  Has suffered many years of [physical] abuse from her husband Henry. Tom's mother... also the mother of Luke and Savannah. Because of her own dealings with abuse, she becomes an equally abusive mom. Tom alienates himself completely from her; Savannah, after multiple suicide attempts, moved to New York City to get away from her; and Luke was killed. She eventually divorces Henry, and remarries a local rich man. A victim of rape, she guards her past, refusing to acknowledge what happened to her family years ago, by the escaped convicts. She wants Tom to help Savannah, but doesn't want their past revealed at any cost.

HENRY WINGO:  A violent man. Drinks too much, has no money, and is content with abusing his wife and children. Old age finally mellows him, allowing him to become a "good" grandfather, but his own children still live in fear of him.

LUKE WINGO:  He's the hero during the rapes. He shoots and kills all three convicts, rescuing his mother and siblings. Later on in life though, he ends up fighting his own private war with the government over the family's land, and is killed in the process.

SAVANNAH WINGO:  Because of her chaotic childhood, she grows up suicidal. Along with three attempts to take her own life, she also found the time to become a famous poet, writing about her life in verse so her mother wouldn't understand it. Currently living in New York City, under the professional care of Dr. Lowenstein. Her neighbor, Eddie, finds her body after her third suicide attempt.

DR. SUSAN LOWENSTEIN:  Doctor of Psychiatry, mother of Bernard, wife of Herbert Woodruff. Her marriage is suffering, due to her husband's busy travel schedule and infidelity. Her relationship with her son is strained, due to her professionalism. Their communication skills are poor; she speaks to him as if he's one of her patients. She's Savannah's doctor, and meets Tom for the first time when he comes to NY to help his sister. She ends up "treating" him professionally as well, in order to work through their troubled childhood. In doing so, she falls in love with Tom.

HERBERT WOODRUFF:  Famous violinist, husband of Susan, father of Bernard. He's a major Control Freak. He wants to control his son's life, forcing him to play the violin (like father, like son). He wants to control his wife, keeping her wedged tightly under his thumb, allowing only certain people to be her friends. He becomes irate when he learns of her friendship with Tom, and belittles her further by flaunting his affair with his pianist at a dinner party. He's a prick, pure and simple!

BERNARD WOODRUFF:  Son of Susan & Herbert. The offspring of very well-off parents, he's a spoiled brat, and flies off the handle quickly when he doesn't get his way. He loves the violin, and he loves football. He wants to do both, but his father is against it. His mother is for it, and hires Tom to be his football coach. He sees the relationship between Tom and his mother blossoming, and he hates Tom for it. Through their football lessons, Bernard finally comes around, realizing Tom is a true friend. He sees the positive changes in his mother, and he appreciates Tom for that as well. His friendship with Tom infuriates Herbert further, and soon Bernard finds himself being shipped off to music school (his father's way of getting him away from Tom).

     There are many plots going on at the same time, as you can see. However, Conroy has done a beautiful job weaving them all together as one, creating a drama that flows effortlessly from one page to the next. This is more than a novel. This is a voyage of pure discovery!
     One of my all-time favorite books! GOLD-STAR!!! TWO-THUMBS-UP!!!
     If you don't want to read it, check out the movie! Nick Nolte as Tom Wingo; Barbra Streisand as Susan Lowenstein; Blythe Danner as Sally Wingo; George Carlin as Eddie; Jerome Krabbe as Herbert Woodruff; Jason Gould as Bernard Woordruff; Kate Nelligan as Lila Wingo; and Melinda Dillon as Savannah Wingo! A great cast, adapting a great novel!