Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death by suicide, domestic abuse, and genocide.

“Though I could write about the imperishable charms of Rome forever, I could not quiet that pearly ache in my heart that I diagnosed as the cry of home.”

This passage demonstrates Pat Conroy’s evocative, lyrical writing style, and Jack’s passionate narrative voice. Jack’s longing for home that he feels despite his self-inflicted exile in Rome is expressed via the metaphor of a pearl: Like that hidden treasure inside an oyster, Jack’s desire to reconnect with his family and return to his hometown in South Carolina is deeply buried in his heart.

“The telegram had opened up an old family wound that I had long forgotten. I did not know how to begin to explain to either Ledare or my daughter the scenes from my life with my mother where she had used the imminence of her own demise.”

In keeping with the theme of The Potency of Generational Trauma, Lucy’s childhood experiences of abuse and neglect are reflected in her flaws as a parent—she raises Jack and his brothers without having had an example of functional family life. Lucy’s sons often reference Lucy’s mercurial and manipulative nature; when Jack receives a telegram stating that his mother is sick, he doesn’t trust it at first, thinking she must be playing a trick to convince him to come home.

“I was breaking a solemn vow I had made after Shyla had leapt from a bridge in Charleston. I was going home.”

Jack decides to visit South Carolina after being away for five years. He is motivated by love and concern for Lucy, who has leukemia. While Shyla’s death had profound impact on her husband and community, as the grief of her loss and the painful aftermath drove Jack to move to Rome with Leah, never planning to return, the pull of home proves stronger than he can resist.