A review by kategci
The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son by Pat Conroy

emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

Read this as a companion to The Great Santini which is my book club's March selection.  It was very interesting reading the reality as Pat Conroy saw it and lived it and then fictionalized it.  His father was a tough man; a Marine Corps fighter pilot in World War II, Korea and Viet Nam who brooked no disrespect or disagreement among those he commanded.  Part of the Greatest Generation, he knew what his job entailed, but was unable to always differentiate between employees and family.  Brutal to his wife and children if he perceived the slightest disagreement, he worked hard, drank hard and played hard.   After leaving the Marine Corps, Pat's mother divorced him and he moved into a small apartment in Atlanta where he lived the rest of his life, seemingly very happy.  He was not at all self reflective and denied any bad behavior earlier in his life.  Pat Conroy made his peace with the man who tortured him through childhood, leading to demons he spent the rest of his life trying to tame.