Geraldine Brooks has made a seemingly seamless transition from her previous career as a foreign correspondent to her present occupation of novelist.
Brooks visited the Book Nook in early September, 2001 to talk about her first historical novel "Year of Wonders." She returns to discuss her latest effort, "Caleb's Crossing." This book is based on the true story of a Wampanoag Indian who graduated from Harvard College during the 17th century.
Brooks, a native of Sydney, Australia, covers a range of topics in this conversation. She describes the methodology she used to write in the voice of a young woman living on the island of Martha's Vineyard during the 1600's and how some of the inspiration for this character originated from a surprising source; the author's experience as a war correspondent reporting on the Taliban.
Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel "March." Last year she was the recipient of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement.