South of BroadSouth of Broad
Score Modern
What it's about
In 1969 Charleston, Leo King is a lonely teenager whose family is still devastated by his brother's suicide. In one summer he befriends a group of misfits: glamorous twins with a dangerous father, two orphans, the son of the school's new Black football coach, and a pair of wealthy aristocrats. Twenty years later, the friends reunite to search for one of them, dying in San Francisco.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It's a big, emotional love letter to Charleston and to lifelong friendship.
You'll love it if you liked
Beach Music
The Secret History
The Great BelieversGood to know
It's long, with suicide, child sexual abuse and AIDS. Conroy's style is lush and dramatic.
By the numbers
- Readers22 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1128 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2086 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Pat Conroy
If you like this, read next
The Book Thief
Americanah
Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie BainExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is South of Broad worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #2,086 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is South of Broad about?
In 1969 Charleston, Leo King is a lonely teenager whose family is still devastated by his brother's suicide. In one summer he befriends a group of misfits: glamorous twins with a dangerous father, two orphans, the son of the school's new Black football coach, and a pair of wealthy aristocrats. Twenty years later, the friends reunite to search for one of them, dying in San Francisco.
How long does it take to read South of Broad?
About 13 hours (514 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after South of Broad?
If you liked it, try Beach Music by Pat Conroy, The Secret History by Donna Tartt or The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai.