[BWF Extra] Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal's Journey from Down Under to All Over – Geraldine Brooks - 5 stars

[Linda C]

Geraldine Brooks centers her memoir around a group of pen pals that she began writing to at age 10. She grew up in a lower-middle class suburb of Sydney, Australia always looking to explore the world beyond her narrow surroundings. She finds the collection of her letters among her father’s papers and through her remembrance of why and how she sought out these correspondents she explores her life and then goes looking for them (20 years after her last contact with any of them.

Very well done memoir. I have read most of her fiction and some of the nonfiction. All have left a satisfying impression.

[Joanne]

Brooks is a hit or miss author for me, but I have loved a few her books Horse made my annual top ten.

I am not a regular memoir reader, but this one looks fascinating. Thanks for the tip, adding to my already bulging shelf.

[Theresa]

I have to look for this as it sounds like such a fascinating look at her life.

I find I like memoirs more than full biographies and autobiographies. I like a focused theme.