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Geraldine Brooks

ジェラルディン・ブルックス

Geraldine Brooks

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1955-09-14 （Sydney, New South Wales, Australia）
Nationality
Australian, American
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism Baptized in 1984
Residence History
Ashfield, Sydney, Australia → Tourrettes-sur-Loup, southern France (short-term residence) → United States (including Virginia)

Career

Occupations
Journalist, Novelist, Nonfiction writer
Active Years
1978-2025
Influenced By
Louisa May Alcott

Education

University of Sydney
Faculty of Arts
Degree: BA
Period: 1974–1978
Year of Graduation: 1978
Country: Australia
Bachelor's degree (specific major varies by source)
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Journalism
Degree: MA
Period: 1982–1983
Year of Graduation: 1983
Country: United States
Moved to the U.S. on a Greg Shackleton Memorial Scholarship

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2006
Work: March
Organization: The Pulitzer Prizes
Result: 受賞
Nita Kibble Literary Award
1997
Work: Foreign Correspondence
Organization: Nita Kibble Literary Award (Australia)
Result: 受賞
Australian Book of the Year
2008
Work: People of the Book
Organization: Australian publishing industry
Result: 受賞
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award (Fiction)
2023
Work: Horse
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction
2025
Organization: Library of Congress
Result: 受賞
Dayton Literary Peace Prize (Lifetime Achievement)
2010
Category: Lifetime Achievement
Organization: Dayton Literary Peace Prize
Result: 受賞
Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
2009
Organization: Helmerich Award
Result: 受賞
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
2016
Organization: Order of Australia
Result: 叙勲
Indie Book Awards (Australia)
2023
Work: Horse
Category: Fiction
Organization: Indie Book Awards
Result: 受賞
Overseas Press Club Award (Hal Boyle Award)
1990
Work: Coverage of the Persian Gulf (with colleagues)
Organization: Overseas Press Club
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women

1994 Nonfiction (reportage)

A reportage-based nonfiction book drawing on Brooks's experiences among Muslim women in the Middle East, exploring their lives under varying cultural and religious norms.

WomenReligionMiddle Eastern societies

Year of Wonders

2001 Historical fiction

Set in 1666 in a Derbyshire village, the novel follows a young woman's struggle to protect her community and herself during an outbreak of the bubonic plague.

PlagueCommunityPersonal ethics

March

2005 Historical fiction (parallel novel)

A parallel novel inspired by Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, focusing on the absent father of the March family and his experiences during the American Civil War.

WarMoralityFamily

People of the Book

2008 Historical fiction

A fictionalized history of the Sarajevo Haggadah, tracing the manuscript's journey over centuries and the people connected to its preservation.

Preservation and memoryReligious historyCultural heritage

Caleb's Crossing

2011 Historical fiction

Inspired by the life of Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck, the novel explores cultural contact, conversion to Christianity, and the experiences of a Native American student at 17th-century Harvard College.

Cultural contactEducationReligion

The Secret Chord

2015 Historical fiction (biblical biography)

A historical novel based on the life of the biblical King David, reconstructing his humanity, power struggles, and religious conflicts.

PowerFaithHuman nature

Horse

2022 Historical fiction

A historical novel inspired by the racing horse Lexington, intertwining real events and historical research around breeding, racing, and social issues.

Racing historyRace and powerAnimals and culture

Memorial Days: A Memoir

2025 Memoir / Nonfiction

A personal memoir reflecting on Brooks's family history, memories, and professional life (published 2025).

Family historyMemoryJournalism

Bibliography

  • Nine Parts of Desire (1994)
  • Foreign Correspondence (1997)
  • Year of Wonders (2001)
  • March (2005)
  • People of the Book (2008)
  • Caleb's Crossing (2011)
  • The Secret Chord (2015)
  • Horse (2022)
  • Memorial Days: A Memoir (2025)
  • Boyer Lectures 2011: The Idea of Home (2011)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Meticulous historical reconstructionReportage-like detailed descriptionCalm, observational narrative voice
Recurring Motifs
Reconstruction of history and memoryConflicts of religion and faithRelations between the individual and community

Legacy

Internationally recognized novelist and journalist; winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize among other honors. Her historically grounded narratives and reporting have influenced a wide readership.

Academic Societies

  • Radcliffe Institute (fellowship)

Trivia

  • Converted to Judaism after marrying journalist Tony Horwitz in 1984.
  • Won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for March, gaining particular attention as an Australian-born writer eligible as an American citizen.
  • Awarded the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction in 2025.
  • Collaborated on Kamala Harris's memoir '107 Days' in 2025.