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pghmom55's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
As this is Conroy’s first book, it doesn’t flow as well as his later offerings but it does show an important part of his life. It also shines a light on life in the South during a time of radical and difficult change.
mandyfish's review
5.0
I read this when I was studying to get my teaching certificate and found it exceptionally motivating and heartwrenching. If you are a teacher or have ever been one, it is hard not to be moved by this true life story of Mr. Conroy's experience as a teacher on an island in the Carolinas.
kcrouth's review
4.0
We recently saw the movie entitled "Conrack" starring Jon Voight which is based on this book. The Water is Wide is a moving and inspirational memoir of Pat Conroy, a young and idealistic teacher, and his mission to rescue a classroom of children who were all but forgotten by the school system in South Carolina in the contentious environment of the late 1960's school desegregation. The setting is Daufuskie Island (called Yamacraw Island in the book), off the coast of Beaufort SC. The children were direct descendants of slaves, and had never been off the island, living frozen in the past. Mr. Conroy encounters resistance immediately and throughout the tale's approximate timeline of one year. As he fights to break through and reach the children, their families, the island community, and even the segregationist status quo county school administration, he encounters hurdles of all kinds, social, religious, cultural, historical, personal, etc. This is a great story, a true story, and i recommend it to all who care about education, equity, and humanity. Sadly, the struggles of this isolated island school, were not unique, especially in the US South, but are still going on today, 50 years later.
hinesight's review
4.0
I love Conroy's prose; I loved this book until the inevitable clash with the Powers That Be. He makes it clear from the beginning that this was a temporary part of his life, but I wanted a happier ending. I'm sure he did, too.
pbraue13's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Classism, and Xenophobia
suebrownreads's review
5.0
I love Pat Conroy's honest and lyrical prose. That this is non-fiction and a memoir makes it extra special!
blackcrow17's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
sparklethenpop's review
3.0
I read this book when I was in AmeriCorps and I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I thought it was a very important story to share. I guess it was good in the sense that it stuck with me and really got under my skin. It was not what I would call a happy story though.