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We were deeply saddened by the heartbreaking news that bestselling author Pat Conroy died last Friday at the age of 70. He passed away at his home in Beaufort, South Carolina, surrounded by family and loved ones, following a very short battle with pancreatic cancer. Perhaps best known as the author of THE PRINCE OF TIDES and THE GREAT SANTINI, Conroy also wrote THE BOO, THE WATER IS WIDE, THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE, BEACH MUSIC, MY LOSING SEASON, THE PAT CONROY COOKBOOK, SOUTH OF BROAD, MY READING LIFE and THE DEATH OF SANTINI. The Book Report Network's Maya Gittelman reflects on Conroy's extraordinary life and work in this wonderful tribute. He was such a champion of so many authors, especially southern ones; reading their comments on social media this week, as well as those from many readers, made me realize that this was an author loved for much more than his written words. We so feel for his wife, Cassandra King, a writer in her own right, who we have had the pleasure of featuring here.