Pat Conroy, (born October 26, 1945 in Georgia) is a New York Times Bestselling author who has written such acclaimed works as The Lords of Discipline, Beach Music, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides, The Water is Wide, and The Boo.Conroy grew up in a very unhappy family. His father, Marine Colonel Donald Conroy was a very violent and abusive man and the pain of his youth is evident in Conroy's novels.
