The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son

Therapy. It’s pretty clear to any casual reader of Pat Conroy’s books that he had a tumultuous relationship with his father, Don, also known as The Great Santini, whom Pat featured in an earlier book that also became a movie. Conroy’s latest book, The Death of Santini, reflects on the full range of their relationship from Pat’s childhood to Don’s death. I came away from this memoir with a sense that it was the product of hundreds of hours of therapy. I was reminded that each of us brings a point of view to all our relationships; siblings can seem to have had different childhoods because of one’s unique perceptions of what happened, what it meant, and how one felt. For any reader who enjoys great storytelling, this memoir presents a well-told story of a powerful relationship from one point of view. While I enjoyed the writing, I could have done without this recap of the dynamics of yet another dysfunctional family. Read a sample before deciding if this is a memoir that you’re likely to enjoy reading. Rating: Three-star (It’s ok) Click here to purchase The Death of Santini from amazon.com.