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Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal's Journey from Down Under to All Over

geraldine brooks

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As a young girl in a working-class neighborhood of Sydney, Australia, Geraldine Brooks longed to discover the places where history happens and culture comes from, so she enlisted pen pals who offered her a window on adolescence in the Middle East, Europe, and America. Twenty years later Brooks, an award-winning foreign correspondent, embarked on a human treasure hunt to find her pen friends. She found men and women whose lives had been shaped by war and hatred, by fame and notoriety, and by the ravages of mental illness. Intimate, moving, and often humorous, Foreign Correspondence speaks to the unquiet heart of every girl who has ever yearned to become a woman of the world.

217 pages, Paperback

First published December 29,1997
Literary awards
nita b. kibble literary award, 

This edition

Format
217 pages, Paperback
Published
January 19, 1999 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN
9780385483735
ASIN
0385483732
Language
English

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About the author

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geraldine brooks

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Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Australian-born Geraldine Brooks is an author and journalist who grew up in the Western suburbs of Sydney, and attended Bethlehem College Ashfield and the University of Sydney. She worked as a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald for three years as a feature writer with a special interest in environmental issues.

In 1982 she won the Greg Shackleton Australian News Correspondents scholarship to the journalism master's program at Columbia University in New York City. Later she worked for The Wall Street Journal, where she covered crises in the the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans.

She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel March. Her first novel, Year of Wonders, is an international bestseller, and People of the Book is a New York Times bestseller translated into 20 languages. She is also the author of the nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence.

Brooks married author Tony Horwitz in Tourette-sur-Loup, France, in 1984. They had two sons– Nathaniel and Bizuayehu–and two dogs. They used to divide their time between their homes in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, and Sydney, Australia.

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Rating(4 / 5.0, 100 votes)
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AquaBlue-sama
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Geraldine Brooks constructs a charming framework for her memoir.

She casts her mind back to a period when she was a pen pal to numerous contemporaries across the globe. During that time, she was also in pursuit of a larger world for herself.

Following a career as a reporter and war correspondent, she pays a revisit to those long-distance acquaintances.

The outcome is a profound and thoughtful reverie on place, family, ambition, and contentment.

It presents a pleasant change of pace within the genre.

It makes me curious about the kind of storytelling that took place in Brooks' reporting.

One can't help but wonder how she managed to convey the complex and often harrowing experiences of war and conflict through her words.

Did she use vivid descriptions to bring the scenes to life?

Or perhaps she focused on the personal stories of the people she met, highlighting their courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

Whatever the case may be, it's clear that Brooks has a talent for storytelling that shines through in both her memoir and her reporting.
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Zeatha
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This was an astonishing account of growing up as an Australian baby boomer. The author witnessed the world through the eyes of her pen pals.

I relished her depictions of how Australia transformed during the 60's and 70's. It evolved from an English outpost into a nation of its own, taking pride in its culture, art, and literature.

Brooks is a vivid storyteller. As she journeys to the residences of her childhood pen pals, you are right there in the vehicle with her. You sense her anticipation as she approaches each one, sharing her hopes that they will reconnect, that their lives have been fulfilling, and that they will be glad to see her.

Pick up this book. You are bound to enjoy it. It offers a unique perspective on a bygone era and the power of friendship across distances. It's a charming and engaging read that will transport you to a different time and place.
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Beak9
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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In Foreign Correspondence, Geraldine Brooks delves into her seemingly uneventful Sydney childhood. However, it was enlivened by the exchange of letters with her fascinating pen pals. These pen pals resided in more exciting parts of Sydney, as well as in the USA, Israel, and France.

Years down the line, after Brooks has had an exciting career as a foreign correspondent, gotten married, become a mother, and moved to the States, she reconnects with her former pen pals and their families. Through her past childhood correspondence and the contrast between her imagination and the reality she uncovers, Brooks reflects on various aspects of her life.

She contemplates her parents' lives, the safety and perhaps not as insular nature of her own childhood, and her evolving perspectives on Australia and the world.

Initially, I found the often vivid descriptions of a sheltered Sydney childhood a bit sluggish. But then, the harrowing account of her USA pen pal's battle with anorexia and depression, the realities of the lives of her two pen pals from Israel (one Jewish and the other a Christian Arab from Nazareth), and the insularity of French village life captured my attention. This not only piqued my interest but also provided me with a deeper understanding of the author behind such notable works as Year of Wonders, March, People of the Book, and Caleb's Crossing.
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linegatuna
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Foreign Correspondence was my very first encounter with Geraldine Brooks' work, and from the very beginning, I was completely smitten by the writing style that had earned her such prestigious accolades as the Pulitzer Prize for March and People of the Book.

In this captivating 200-page memoir, Brooks takes us on a journey through her childhood in Sydney, Australia. She vividly describes how having pen pals, both from her local area and from far-flung corners of the world, had a profound impact on shaping her perspective of the globe. She remarks that hers was the last generation to experience an isolated Australia, where most people completed university and then left. For Brooks, her pen pals became a precious window to the outside world, and she too yearned to break free and explore after finishing her schooling.

Fast forward two decades, and Brooks is now a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, living back in her hometown of Sydney. While rummaging through her parents' home, she discovers all of her old correspondence and decides to track down her long-lost pen pals. Her search takes her on a remarkable adventure, leading her to the suburbs of New Jersey, Israel, and France, as she observes the lives of her former pen pals. Through these meetings, she realizes that the stable and idyllic life she had grown up with in Sydney was far more fulfilling than that of some of her pen pals, and she finds herself longing for that simple and wholesome existence once again.

As someone who also had pen pals as a child and now has pseudo pen pals on social media, I found this book to be an absolute delight. In a time when our world is often limited to the boundaries of the town we grew up in, having pen pals from different countries can truly broaden our horizons and expand our hopes and dreams for the future. I myself had an Australian pen pal and eagerly awaited her monthly letters, imagining a day when I could travel to Australia and escape the monotony of my daily life. The pen pals that Brooks had clearly had a profound influence on her, as she has since visited, worked, or lived in all of the countries where her friends resided.

For me, the most enchanting aspect of this book was getting a glimpse into a child's mind and how she viewed the world. I could almost picture her eyes shining with excitement as she raced to her yellow mailbox to retrieve her letters. Now, she has grown into an award-winning journalist and writer, shaped by these formative childhood correspondences. I can't wait to delve into her other award-winning books in the near future and continue to be inspired by her remarkable talent.
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LordFarquaad42
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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In Geraldine Brooks' memoir, she vividly recounts her childhood in 1950's/60's Sydney, Australia.

At that time, she felt an acute sense of isolation from the outside world. Eager to break free from this confinement, she desired to meet new people and explore diverse cultures.

To satisfy this longing, she took up writing to pen-pals in far-flung countries.

However, as she grew into adulthood and began working, the demands of her life left her with little time to pen letters, and she gradually lost touch with her pen-pals.

Many years later, while rummaging through old keepsakes, she discovered the long-forgotten letters.

Inspired by this find, she decided to embark on a global journey to uncover what had transpired in the lives of her former pen-pals.

Her discoveries were a fascinating blend of the humorous, the sad, and the truly interesting.

I, too, have been writing to pen-pals since I was thirteen. I can identify with many of her experiences in corresponding with people from around the world.

Over the years, I have had more than 100 pen-pals. Sadly, I doubt I will ever have the luxury of time and money to seek out each and every one of them.

Nevertheless, I have had the pleasure of meeting some of my pen-pals, and we have remained close friends ever since.
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Baleygr086
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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An interesting story indeed. It truly bothers me when facts about Israel are mis-stated. Israel is a country with a rich and complex history, a unique culture, and a significant role in the world.

To mis-state facts about it is not only inaccurate but also disrespectful to the people and the nation. It is important to base our understanding and discussions on reliable information and objective analysis.

We should strive to learn the truth about Israel and avoid spreading false or misleading information. Only by doing so can we have a more informed and meaningful dialogue about this important country and its place in the world.

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AgentBardia
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This is an excellent read that is thoroughly enjoyable and highly relatable.

As someone with a passion for writing letters, this story has truly inspired me to seek out pen pals from distant and remote locations.

The author's life has been filled with interesting experiences. The parts of the book that describe her travels to war-torn and famine-stricken countries during her time as a foreign correspondent are truly fascinating.

Her attempt to locate her pen pals from over twenty years ago is an amazing accomplishment. Given that she is a reporter, it's not surprising that her investigative skills are so well-honed.

Overall, this is a great book with a captivating concept that will surely appeal to a wide range of readers. :')
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Fujimaru-kun
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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The text "Very well written and not what I expected." is rather concise.

It can be expanded as follows:

"This piece of writing is truly very well composed. The author has demonstrated a high level of skill and proficiency in expressing ideas. However, it is interesting to note that it is not what I initially expected. I had certain preconceived notions or anticipations about what the content would be like, but upon reading it, I was pleasantly surprised. The unexpected nature of it added an element of excitement and新鲜感. It made me view the subject matter from a different perspective and challenged my assumptions. Overall, it is a well-written work that managed to both impress and surprise me."

This expansion provides more details and elaboration on the initial statement, while maintaining the essence of the original text.
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