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Cover of South of Broad

Fiction · 2009 · R

South of Broad

by Pat Conroy

A golden summer in Charleston, and the friendships forged there will last—until they don't.

Leopold Bloom King, the narrator, is the son of an amiable, loving father who teaches science at the local high school. His mother, an ex-nun, is the high school principal and a well-known Joyce scholar. After Leo's older brother commits suicide at the age of thirteen, the family struggles with the shattering effects of his death. Eventually he becomes part of a tightly knit group of high school seniors that includes friends Sheba and Trevor Poe, glamorous twins with an alcoholic mother and a prison-escapee father; hardscrabble mountain runaways Niles and Starla Whitehead; socialite Molly Huge

For17+GenreFictionLength514 pagesRead time~14 hoursCommunity ratings0

This analysis was generated by AI from publicly available reader reviews, literary criticism, and book discussions. It has not been verified by a BookLens community reviewer and may contain errors. Be the first to verify →

Content snapshot

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What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.

Violence

A lot

Graphic violence including murder, physical assault, and wartime references

Language

A lot

Very strong language throughout

Sexual Content

A lot

Explicit sexual content and depictions of sexual assault

Substance Use

A lot

Heavy alcohol and drug use by multiple characters across decades

Emotional Intensity

Very heavy

Deeply disturbing psychological trauma including suicide, severe abuse, and the long-term cost of traumatic secrets

What this book is about

Leo King and a diverse circle of Charleston friends are bonded by one transformative summer in the 1970s. Decades later they reunite in crisis-era San Francisco—testing the limits of loyalty, love, and how much damage a friendship can hold.

Notes for sensitive readers

Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.

Graphic violence and sexual assault

Heavy drug and alcohol use throughout

Severe psychological trauma including suicide

Very strong language

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