This is the story of 36-year old
twins Tom and Savannah Wingo. Tom has
recently lost his job and finds out that he may also be losing his wife to another
man. Already dealing with this two blows
he finds out that his sister has attempted suicide again and is in a
psychiatric facility in New York City.
Tom leaves his beloved South Caroline to be with his sister and help her
in any way he can. His sister’s
therapist, Lowenstein, won’t allow Tom contact with his sister, yet asks Tom to
sit down with her and tell her about growing up in the lowcountry so she can
better help Savannah. What follows are
Tom’s memories as he tells Lowenstein, a woman he slowly falls in love with,
what is was like to grow up as a Wingo.
I wanted to read a book by Conroy
and this seemed to be THE book to read.
Overall it is a sad book interspersed with times of joy, but the main
character has such a lovely, witty and sarcastic voice, even the most shocking
and depressing memories he relates are made bearable. While some may assume this is a beach read it
is not. There is a lot here in telling
the life of the Wingo clan and his lyrical writing style makes for a slow read
because you want to catch all he’s saying.
If you ever visited the lowcountry of South Carolina and want to feel
like you have returned, this is a way to recapture the ambiance wherever you
may be.
