Lillian is his  wife -- beautiful, southern-bred, with a core of  velvet steel. Without her cool head, her kids would  be in real trouble. Ben is the oldest, a born  athlete whose best never satisfies the big man. Ben's  got to stand up, even fight back, against a father  who doesn't give in -- not to his men, not to his  wife, and certainly not to his son. Bull Meecham  is undoubtedly Pat Conroy's most explosive  character -- a man you should hate, but a man you will love.

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