South of Broad by Pat Conroy has been on my shelf for a very long time. As it kept getting put aside for library books or new books, I kept thinking about it and wondering if it was worth reading. I did a major TBR bookshelf cull last year, and still South of Broad stayed on the shelf. For some reason, this seemed to be the time to hunker down and read it. It’s long – my only complaint and why it doesn’t get five stars – but worth it. Amazon: “Leopold Bloom King has been raised in a family shattered—and shadowed—by tragedy. Lonely and adrift, he searches for something to sustain him and finds it among a tightly knit group of outsiders. Surviving marriages happy and troubled, unrequited loves and unspoken longings, hard-won successes and devastating breakdowns, as well as Charleston, South Carolina’s dark legacy of racism and class divisions, these friends will endure until a final test forces them to face something none of them are prepared for.” I do generally love a family/friendship saga over time and this was one. And, there were twists and surprises, which made you want to keep reading. It’s not a quick read, but it’s a very enjoyable one.