I am gradually coming round to accepting the fact that memoirs are not my thing.

Even when written by Geraldine Brooks, who is one of my favourite authors - of fiction! Sadly, I found this book to be quite uninteresting.

I would have liked more of the author's experiences as a foreign correspondent and less about her pen pals who were not a very exciting bunch really.

It's my fault for reading a memoir when I know I don't like them.

I'll go back to sticking to just fiction and reminding myself that this is the same author who wrote the fantastic Caleb's Crossing.

Memoirs seem to lack the fictional elements that draw me in and keep me engaged.

Geraldine Brooks' fiction works are usually so captivating, but this memoir just didn't have the same charm.

I guess it's a matter of personal preference, and I'll continue to enjoy her fictional masterpieces while leaving the memoirs aside.

Maybe in the future, I'll give memoirs another try, but for now, I'm content with just reading fiction.

What to expect?

The author's family background is explored, along with her experiences of pen-pal'ing as a youth. A bit of her later life is also touched upon, followed by her efforts to track down some penpals after decades. The book rounds out with her recent (as the book went to press) family update.

In a nutshell, the writing is good, but I never felt completely engaged. However, I still picked it up each time to get through it and wasn't tempted to DNF. Mileage may vary, but I didn't particularly like her or her father. Overall, the whole thing just seemed to be there. The strongest feature was the unique Australian youth experience, especially the attitude of "anything Australian isn't worth much, all eyes on Britain!" in the 50s/60s, which was quite dismal. But that's how it was. Her political slant, and that of her father, also weren't to my taste.

Bottom line: I'm not going to dissuade anyone who feels they might like it. However, being a female "of a certain age" might help in being the target audience.

I wrote a review, and now I don't see it. So, it either disappeared or I have two copies of this book! lol.

I will double-check, but this is a delightful memoir by an amazing woman and writer.

The author's story is both engaging and inspiring. She shares her life experiences with honesty and charm, making it easy for the reader to connect with her.

The memoir is filled with interesting anecdotes and valuable lessons learned along the way. It's a great read for anyone who enjoys personal stories and memoirs.

I highly recommend this book to others. It's a wonderful addition to any bookshelf and a great way to spend an afternoon.

I can't wait to read more from this talented author in the future.

This book truly made me deeply reflect on my penpals from my childhood days.

When I was just 13 years old, I had a penpal who was from France.

Even though it has been only 17 years ago, I can vividly recall how distant and mysterious she appeared to be.

I still have a clear memory of the graphing paper on which she wrote and her handwriting, which I now realize was distinctly French.

I can't help but wonder if this book will remain relevant.

It seems that with the advent and growth of the internet, the world has become so much smaller.

I don't think that people who are significantly younger than I am will be able to relate to this book in the slightest.

That really saddens me because it feels like a part of my childhood and a way of communication that is slowly fading away.

I hope that this book can still find its place in the hearts of some readers and serve as a reminder of a simpler time when penpals were a precious connection to the outside world.

This is an extremely compelling and truly wonderful memoir.

As an adolescent residing in suburban Sydney, Australia, Geraldine Brooks embarked on a journey that would lead to a life-long fascination with other cultures and people from across the world.

Eager to quench her insatiable curiosity and expand her limited horizons, she engaged in correspondence with pen-pals in the Middle East, Europe, and America.

Then, twenty years later, after Brooks had held the position of a reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, completed a masters in journalism on scholarship at Columbia University, and got married and worked as a foreign correspondent in war-torn zones for The Wall Street Journal, she decided to set out on a global adventure to find her former pen-pals.

We are privy to Brooks' childhood experiences and the values that were emerging within her during those formative years.

Moreover, her pals come vividly alive for us as we immerse ourselves in their stories - stories of battles against anorexia, of surviving the horrors of war and the prejudices that come with it, of living in a provincial village, and of the arduous route to achieving fame.

If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading Geraldine Brooks, it is highly recommended that you add her to your to-read lists without delay!

This book is far more than just a simple story about penfriends.

Brooks masterfully weaves her personal narrative and childhood obsessions into the story, vividly showing the reasons why she sought those particular penpals she wrote to.

The way she presents her experiences and emotions makes the reader deeply engaged and interested.

I truly enjoyed reading this book a great deal. It has a certain charm that makes me want to reach out and pull out the stationery and pen, and start writing to my friends once again.

This is a feeling that I haven't had in quite a while.

The book not only tells a story but also evokes a sense of nostalgia and the importance of maintaining connections with others through the written word.

It serves as a reminder of the beauty and power of communication and friendship.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with a touch of personal reflection and heartwarming moments.

A very enjoyable story that is presented in a unique format. It truly captured my attention from the start. I found myself completely immersed in it, and as I read on, I gained a great deal of insight into a time and a place that I've never been before. The premise of the story really appealed to me. I, too, am someone who often looks back at past relationships and is extremely loathe to let go of them. It's like the story was speaking directly to my heart. It made me reflect on my own experiences and emotions. The way the author crafted the narrative was simply remarkable. Each character was well-developed, and the plot had its own charm. I would highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a good read that can touch their soul and make them think.

The first part of the story was quite nice, yet it was rather difficult to fully immerse oneself in.

It can be compared to a steam engine that requires time to build up speed. Geraldine vividly describes her youth, the seemingly dull (in her perspective) world of Sydney, which she feels is at the end of the world.

As Geraldine matures, her world expands, and her writing skillfully takes the reader along on her journey. She finds friends to correspond with, grows up, goes to work, and ultimately sets out to search for the pals she wrote to in her youth.

The more pages I turned, the more interesting and recognizable the story became.

I felt a strong connection to the narrative, despite the fact that we are geographically worlds apart and there is also a time difference of a few years.

The further I delved into the book, the more I grew to like it. And now that I have finished reading, I am almost sad to close the book and put an end to the reading experience.

I firmly believe that I will read it again. It's a pity that I now know how it concludes. However, the joy of rereading this wonderful story will more than make up for that.

I really liked this book, and I would rate it 3 1/2 stars.

I grew up around the same time as the author, and I share many of the same sensibilities. Although I grew up in the middle of the US, rather than in Australia, the book still managed to transport me back to my own childhood.

It reminded me of all those longings we have as children, those dreams and desires that seem so important at the time.

The author did a great job of capturing the essence of childhood, with all its joys and sorrows.

The story was engaging and well-written, and I found myself completely immersed in the world the author had created.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a nostalgic and heartwarming read.

I was recommending this book even before I was half way through it because I was so completely captivated.

There is something truly enchanting about the yearning of a young girl, desperate to break out of the ordinary and explore the world beyond. This is described with such love and care by the adult version of the author.

I absolutely loved the pen pal journeys that unfold throughout the story. It was fascinating to see how these connections developed and the impact they had on Geraldine's life.

The family relations were also a highlight. They added depth and authenticity to the narrative, making it easy to relate to and empathize with the characters.

Moreover, the book provides a wonderful insight into Australia in the '60s and onwards. It offers a vivid portrayal of the social and cultural changes that took place during that time.

It was truly beautiful to witness Geraldine's journey regarding her own viewpoints. She was constantly challenged by the diverse range of pen pals she had, which forced her to grow and evolve.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and engaging read. And I only wish I had listened to the audio version narrated by the author herself.

It would have added an extra layer of magic to the already enchanting story.

I have to say that in my opinion, the book was really poorly written.

It failed to capture my interest from the very beginning.

The pace of the story was extremely slow, which made it a real struggle for me to get through each page.

Moreover, it was a bit boring. There was a lack of excitement and engaging plot twists.

I found myself constantly losing focus and having to force myself to continue reading.

Overall, I did not like this book at all.

It did not meet my expectations in terms of writing quality and entertainment value.

I would not recommend it to others who are looking for an enjoyable read.

Perhaps the author could have done a better job of developing the characters and creating a more dynamic and interesting storyline.

As it stands, this book is one that I will not be picking up again.

When I was a child, I had pen pals.

My mother always warned me that one day one of them would show up at our door. However, that didn't happen.

Geraldine Brooks, on the other hand, decides to go in search of her pen pals years after the letters stopped coming.

As a girl, she had imagined her pen pals to be warriors and utopians, Broadway stars and astronauts, culture mavens and adventurers.

But what she actually finds is something quite different.

During the process, she reveals the various influences that have shaped her own journey.

She also raises some interesting questions.

For example, who really shapes history? Is it the woman happy to be home raising children? Or is it the journalist reporting life and death events from one hot spot to the next?

What about the politician or the bank teller among us?

And as always, her telling of this story is colorful and highly entertaining.

It keeps the readers engaged and makes them think about the different aspects of life and how they all contribute to shaping our world.