The Prince of Tides: A Notel / Pat Conroy

RATINGS

Overall: 3.5 / 5 stars

Text Level: Medium

Entertainment: High

Self-Help: Low

Page Count: 704

Is this book right for my inmate and me?

Fans of family based dramtatic story lines set in American history will enjoy this novel.

Buy on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

A family’s struggles to know each other better while they face the struggles of their own environment.

This author, Conroy is an excellent master of words to page. Although this book is set in South Carolina and is a simple family story of a shrimper and the adventures of his three children growing up, it really is a reflection of small-town Southern life in the years immediately following WWII. This novel is a real page-turner and continues to flip between character timelines. Many people will certainly find themselves identifying with one character or another in Prince of Tides. The Wingos' are a troubled family with typical Southern values and adventures, but a set of twins, a boy and a girl round out the entire book. The storyline bounces from South Carolina to New York City in what makes you keep wanting more from this writer. Apparently, Pat Conroy is the writer of many other similar books dealing with family life. Unlikely many books where your tears gather at the end, there are many endearing moments and chapters where you find yourself wiping away your eyes (in both joy and in sadness). If you are not a fan of such movies as Steel Magnolias or Avalon then this book is not for you. Reading this masterpiece requires a soul as one would expect such as in The Count of Monte Cristi or Anne Frank.