Born: 1945 in Atlanta, Georgia
Pat Conroy grew up as the oldest son in his family
His father was a military man while his mother stayed at home
His mother gave him the love of literature
Most of his novels are about his father's harsh way towards his family
Some of his books are
The Water is Wide
The Great Santini
His awards include the Georgia Governor's Award for Arts, the South Regional Council's Lillian Smith Award for fiction and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust's Humanitarian Award
His latest novel, South of Broad, came out late in 2009