What is the author's tone in The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy?

The tone of the book is very informal and engaging, almost as if the reader is having a one-on-one conversation with the author. The language is informal and casual to define the author's personality and energy. There are a few slang words, but they are in context with the dialogue and appropriate for the work. The narrative is very high energy with a laid back yet intelligent wit portraying the author's own personal style of speaking.