Awards

• Commended for Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize (Nonfiction) 2014

Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A painful, lyrical, addictive read” (People) by the cherished author of The Great Santini that brings his extraordinary career full circle   Pat Conroy’s great success as a writer has always been intimately linked with the exploration of his family history. As the oldest of seven children who were dragged from military base to military base across the South, Pat bore witness to the often cruel and violent behavior of his father, Marine Corps fighter pilot Donald Patrick Conroy. While the publication of The Great Santini brought Pat much acclaim, the rift it caused brought even more attention, fracturing an already battered family. But as Pat tenderly chronicles here, even the oldest of wounds can heal. In the final years of Don Conroy’s life, the Santini unexpectedly refocused his ire to defend his son’s honor.   The Death of Santini is a heart-wrenching act of reckoning whose ultimate conclusion is that love can soften even the meanest of men, lending significance to the oft-quoted line from Pat’s novel The Prince of Tides: “In families there are no crimes beyond forgiveness.”   Praise for The Death of Santini   “A painful, lyrical, addictive read that [Pat Conroy’s] fans won’t want to miss.”—People   “Conroy’s conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins.”—The New York Times Book Review   “Vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny.”—The Washington Post   “Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune   “A brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition.”—The Boston Globe

Full Product Details

9780385530903

Table of Contents

Reviews

The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy's conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. --Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood--most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time.' The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won't want to miss. --People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. --The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. --The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family....But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. --Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense....It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue -- all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls 'the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family.' --Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, ' to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn't have it any other way. --Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy s conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time. The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won t want to miss. People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family. But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense .It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family. Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn t have it any other way. Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy s fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy s conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time. The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won t want to miss. People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family. But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense .It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family. Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn t have it any other way. Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy s fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy's conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. --Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood--most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time.' The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won't want to miss. -- People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. -- The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. -- The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family....But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. --Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense....It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue -- all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls 'the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family.' -- Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, ' to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn't have it any other way. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe. . . . Conroy's conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. --Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. -- The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. -- The Boston Globe [A]n emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. -- The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. -- The Boston Globe [A]n emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review Praise for The Death of Santini One doesn't have to have read The Great Santini to know that Pat Conroy was deeply scarred by his childhood. It is the theme of his work and his life, from the love-hate relationship in The Lords of Discipline to broken Tom Wingo in The Prince of Tides to the mourning survivor Jack McCall in Beach Music . In this memoir, Conroy unflinchingly reveals that his father, fighter pilot Donald Conroy, was actually much worse than the abusive Meechum in his novel. Telling the truth also forces the author to confront a number of difficult realizations about himself. I was born with a delusion in my soul that I've fought a rearguard battle with my entire life, he writes. Though I'm very much my mother's boy, it has pained me to admit the blood of Santini rushes hard and fast in my bloodstream. My mother gave me a poet's sensibility; my father's DNA assured me that I was always ready for a fight, and that I could ride into any fray as a field-tested lord of battle. Conroy lovingly describes his mother, whom he admits he idealized in The Great Santini and corrects for this book. Although his father's fearsome persona never really changed, Conroy learned to forgive and even sympathize with his father, who would attend book signings with his son and good-naturedly satirize his own terrifying image. Less droll is the story of Conroy's younger brother, Tom, who flung himself off a building in a suicidal fit of schizophrenia, and Conroy's combative relationship with his sister, the poet Carol Conroy. It's an emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe. . . . Conroy's conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. --Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. -- The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. -- The Boston Globe [A]n emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review

“The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy’s conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings.” —Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review “In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood—most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking ‘one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time.’ The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won’t want to miss.” —People, 3 ½ out of 4 stars   “Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons.” —The Washington Post “Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition.” —The Boston Globe “Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family.…But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness.” —Associated Press “Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense….It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue — all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls ‘the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family.’” —Minneapolis Star Tribune   “A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, ‘one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time,’ to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn’t have it any other way.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitution   “An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy’s fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy s conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time. The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won t want to miss. People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family. But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense .It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family. Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn t have it any other way. Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy s fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. Kirkus Reviews, starred review

The Death of Santini instantly reminded me of the decadent pleasures of [Conroy's] language, of his promiscuous gift for metaphor and of his ability, in the finest passages of his fiction, to make the love, hurt or terror a protagonist feels seem to be the only emotion the world could possibly have room for, the rightful center of the trembling universe....Conroy's conviction pulls you fleetly through the book, as does the potency of his bond with his family, no matter their sins, their discord, their shortcomings. --Frank Bruni, The New York Times Book Review In several of his 12 previous books, bestseller Conroy mined his brutal South Carolina childhood--most directly in the book that became a 1979 hit movie, The Great Santini, about a violent fighter pilot and his defiant son. In this memoir, the 68-year-old sheds the fictional veil, taking 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain a final time.' The result is a painful, lyrical, addictive read that his fans won't want to miss. -- People, 3 1/2 out of 4 stars Despite the inherently bleak nature of so much of this material, Conroy has fashioned a memoir that is vital, large-hearted and often raucously funny. The result is an act of hard-won forgiveness, a deeply considered meditation on the impossibly complex nature of families and a valuable contribution to the literature of fathers and sons. -- The Washington Post Conroy remains a brilliant storyteller, a master of sarcasm, and a hallucinatory stylist whose obsession with the impress of the past on the present binds him to Southern literary tradition. -- The Boston Globe Conroy has the reflective ability that comes only with age. He has a deeper understanding of his father and the havoc he brought to his family....But against the backdrop of ugliness and pain, Conroy also describes a certain kind of love, even forgiveness. --Associated Press Conroy writes athletically and beautifully, slicing through painful memories like a point guard splitting the defense....It is a fast but wrenching read, filled with madness and abuse, big-hearted description and snarky sibling dialogue -- all as Conroy comes to terms with what he calls 'the weird-ass ruffled strangeness of the Conroy family.' -- Minneapolis Star Tribune A heady, irresistible confusion of love and hate, 'one more night flight into the immortal darkness to study that house of pain one more time, ' to prove how low his princes and princesses of Tides can sink and how high they can soar. True Conroy fans wouldn't have it any other way. -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution An emotionally difficult journey that should lend fans of Conroy's fiction an insightful back story to his richly imagined characters. The moving true story of an unforgiveable father and his unlikely redemption. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Author Information

Pat Conroy (1945–2016) was the author of The Boo, The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides, Beach Music, The Pat Conroy Cookbook: Recipes of My Life, My Losing Season, South of Broad, My Reading Life, and The Death of Santini.

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