South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy uses the written word to paint vivid images of the American South. As in past novels, he chose his beloved Charleston as a setting for his newest book, South of Broad. Here, a diverse group of high-school students are thrown together by circumstance, and create bonds that last a lifetime.

Leo King, son of secondary school educators, begins his senior year trying to put his tragic past behind him. He is soon to be off probation for a questionable drug possession charge, and is emotionally recovering from the break-down that followed his older's brother's suicide.

At his mother's insistance, he meets a odd assortment of young people who are to attend his school. His mother serves as principal where they will all be seniors. Three are troubled orphans from a local charity home. Three are children of Charleston's wealthty society who were asked to leave the private school they were attending. One is the son of the new football coach, who happens to be black. Leo also makes the aquaintance of the two flamboyant twins who move in across the street.
Beautiful Sheba and her openly gay brother, Trevor, are hiding from their abusive father while trying to keep their alchoholic mother safe.

Eventually the group find their own ways in life and careers, in some circumstances marrying each other.

Most interesting, however, is the successful acting career of Sheba. Rich and famous as a movie star, she still holds her high-school friendships dear. She eventually returns to Charleston to request help from the group. Her brother, Trevor has dropped out of sight, after being diagnosed with AIDS, and she needs them to help her find him. The ensuing search, and the characters they meet make for very entertaining reading.

Conroy uses his beautiful style to produce a very readable tale, handling tragic situations with grace and humor. Characters are carefully and creatively drawn, and readers will come to love them all. This book is just what you need on a cold night, tucked in in front of the fire. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate it an 8 1/2.