The Prince of Tides (Paperback)

Love, hate, madness, and poetry drive this captivating novel by Pat Conroy, centered on the personal tragedy of an American family. The protagonist is Tom Wingo, an unemployed football coach who leaves a fragile marriage in South Carolina to support his twin sister Savannah, admitted to a New York hospital after attempting suicide. To help with his sister's treatment, Tom meets with psychiatrist Susan, who searches the Wingos' stories for links that lead her to the reasons for Savannah's affliction. Tom revisits the dreams and nightmares of his youth and the family's secrets, the difficult childhood of his siblings, his life with his neurotic mother and violent father. And he discovers his own salvation in Susan. A captivating narrative with strong, well-developed characters. The film adaptation, starring Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte, earned the film seven Oscar nominations.