Review: The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy

Title: The Water Is Wide
Author: Pat Conroy
Publisher: Open Road Media
Publication Date: August 31, 2010 (first published 1969)
Edition: ebook (310 pages)
Genres:

• Nonfiction
• Civil Rights
• Memoir

Literary Awards:

• Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (1973)

My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Pat Conroy lobbied and interviewed for a teaching position on Yamacraw Island, a small island less than two miles from the South Carolina coast, he probably had no idea of what awaited him. His 18 students were mostly unable to read, recite the letters of the alphabet, name the ocean that surrounded their island, or name the President of the United States. These children, descendants of slaves, had been nearly totally ignored by the educational system, other than the lip service of platitudes and a "do gooder" mentality. This memoir is the story of how he changed all that and gave his students experiences that would change his life and, more importantly, the lives of every resident of Yamacraw Island.

This is truly a remarkable story, especially when you consider two things: the culture of the time in which Pat Conroy was raised; and the tumultuous time of desegregation and integration and its impact on the South. Prior to and during his time on the island, Pat Conroy experienced profound changes in attitude which translated to his interaction with and activism for his students.

As I read this book, I laughed and cried and felt his frustration. I'm only sorry that I waited so long to read it because it is a great story on so many levels.