One of my favourite books by my favourite author. It's Conroy's first novel first published in 1972. Belongs to my personal collection.
This is what it says on the back:
The island is nearly deserted, haunting, beautiful. Across a slip of ocean lies South Carolina. But for the handful of families on Yamacraw Island, America is a world away. For years the people here lived proudly from the sea, but now its waters are not safe. Waste from industry threatens their very existence - unless, somehow, they can learn a new life. But they will learn nothing without someone to teach them, and their school has no teacher. Here's Pat Conroy's most extraordinary human drama - based on the true story of a man who gave a year of his life to give an island and a people a new lifetime.

I've lent this book to Majosim so that he can see what I mean when I babble about Conroy's fabulous writing.

Thank you tutmarie for lending me "The Water is wide". I'm looking forward to reading it. When I have done so, I will return here with a comment.

I have now read "The Water is Wide". It's only around thirty years ago but the racism in the southern states is flourishing. The black "Chillun" of the island can't read nor write - and that actually seems to be the white educational system's plan. When, at the end of the book the white man Pat Conroy shows a too great engagement in teaching the island's children he's fired.

Thanks to tutmarie for lending me this good book. Now I return it to you:-)

Thanks, Majosim. I'm glad you liked the book.