South of Broad by Pat Conroy

In his South of Broad, Pat Conroy brings us a wonderful man in the character of Leo King.  Leo is so many things, but always kind, sensitive, smart and smart-mouthed, the product of the gentlest of fathers and most determined of mothers. Haunted by his brother’s suicide, he is considered peculiar and not very good looking, suffering the cognomen, “Toad.” His mother, the high school principal where he attends, forces him to befriend newcomers, with whom he ultimately forms a loyal and diverse coterie that survives the years.  They see each other through AIDS, Hurricane Hugo, infidelities, children, parents, racism, and some crazy situations. It is melodrama written in gorgeous prose, the plot at once disturbing and facile.  I once read a review of Sally Fields’ acting in Steel Magnolias.  Paraphrasing the critic, “Oh boy. Here it comes.  Ms. Fields puts on those little acting shoes and you know you’re going to get it.”  That’s Conroy—-he hauls out his heavy duty pen and lets go.  The whole shebang (Sheba is actually one of his main characters who, of course, becomes a metaphor).  There are mythical mystical animals and the tragic nutcases, the main character included, and the smiley-face killer.  One surprise is in the character of the narrator’s father, in whom Conroy creates a prince of a man, unlike in his previous work.  Ironically, it is one of the victims of the smiley-face killer who comes to Leo in a dream and convinces him to cure himself by smiling. 

    The book is wonderful, yes, and especially so for me, because while I was reading it, I visited Charleston, and walked her lovely streets amidst a load of other tourists, lunched at 82 Queens, stood on the deck watching the ferry we had just missed on its way to Ft. Sumter, visited the ecology-oriented aquarium where my little grandson was to pull the fire alarm and evacuate everyone but the fish, and chatted with the librarian at the Charleston Library Society—third oldest library in the country.  Rainbow row.  Sultry heat.  Perfect. South of Broad is vintage Conroy, where Charleston is the main character, in whose embrace Leo would choose to wake every morning of his life.

Rita – York                  ISBN  9780385413053