On April 22, I posted a review of a wonderful book by
Geraldine Brooks called People of the Book.
I was so taken with her story that I immediately contacted the author
through her publicist at Viking/Penguin, Louise Braverman. What I had not
thought to take into account was that Geraldine would likely be right in the
thick of promoting her newest book, Caleb’s Crossing. And of course she was—and is. She was getting ready to head out on a book
tour when I wrote to her.
Geraldine Brooks called People of the Book.
I was so taken with her story that I immediately contacted the author
through her publicist at Viking/Penguin, Louise Braverman. What I had not
thought to take into account was that Geraldine would likely be right in the
thick of promoting her newest book, Caleb’s Crossing. And of course she was—and is. She was getting ready to head out on a book
tour when I wrote to her.
But to my delight, Geraldine Brooks, as busy as she is, responded
to my email interview questions within days. Our correspondence follows.
to my email interview questions within days. Our correspondence follows.
MCW: Your story, People of the
Book, put me in mind of stories like The Red Violin, that go back in
time and give us a glimpse into the lives of people who all had a connection
due to an artifact. How did you choose the Haggadah as your vehicle of
interest for People of the Book?
Book, put me in mind of stories like The Red Violin, that go back in
time and give us a glimpse into the lives of people who all had a connection
due to an artifact. How did you choose the Haggadah as your vehicle of
interest for People of the Book?
 |
| Geraldine Brooks [photo: Randi Baird] |
GB:
Haggadah when I was a reporter in Sarajevo during the seige, and the story of
its multiple rescues but unlikely hands just took hold of my imagination.
MCW: What amount of research did you have to do for this
book?
book?
GB: It was immense, really. Everything from what
makes wine kosher to the censorship of Hebrew books in 17c. Venice to what 14th
c. Spanish Jews ate for breakfast…there was a lot of travel involved, a lot
of library work, a lot of badgering people to let me watch them work on book
conservation etc.
makes wine kosher to the censorship of Hebrew books in 17c. Venice to what 14th
c. Spanish Jews ate for breakfast…there was a lot of travel involved, a lot
of library work, a lot of badgering people to let me watch them work on book
conservation etc.
MCW: Tell us about your
title, People of the Book. What did you have in mind when you
chose that title?
title, People of the Book. What did you have in mind when you
chose that title?
GB:
of the people who created and saved this particular book. The echoes,
however, come from the use of the phrase by Muslims…the “Ahl Al Katib”
are Christians, Muslims and Jews who each have a sacred text at the root of
their faith. Jews of course also use the phrase to refer to themselves.
of the people who created and saved this particular book. The echoes,
however, come from the use of the phrase by Muslims…the “Ahl Al Katib”
are Christians, Muslims and Jews who each have a sacred text at the root of
their faith. Jews of course also use the phrase to refer to themselves.
MCW: How did the experience of writing People of the Book
compare to writing March, Year of Wonders or your newest book Caleb’s
Crossing?
compare to writing March, Year of Wonders or your newest book Caleb’s
Crossing?
GB:
complex in structure because it spans centuries and cultures. It took me
a while to work out the narrative thread, the connective tissue to bind the
story. The other books each have a sole narrator which is a simpler
technical structure.
complex in structure because it spans centuries and cultures. It took me
a while to work out the narrative thread, the connective tissue to bind the
story. The other books each have a sole narrator which is a simpler
technical structure.
MCW: What are you working on now? What would you like
people to know about your newest project?
people to know about your newest project?
GB:
it is another historical novel, this time set in the second iron age…
it is another historical novel, this time set in the second iron age…
MCW: What would you like people to know about you as a
writer and as a person?
writer and as a person?
GB:
how much I love my dog…you wouldn’t be without a dog, in my view. Or a
horse, if you have a place to put one…
how much I love my dog…you wouldn’t be without a dog, in my view. Or a
horse, if you have a place to put one…
My sincerest thanks to Geraldine Brooks for taking the
time to communicate with me and with my readers about her book and her writing.
time to communicate with me and with my readers about her book and her writing.
Geraldine Brooks’s books include:
- Caleb’s Crossing – based on the true story of a young man from Martha’s Vineyard who became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College — in 1665.
- People of the Book – tells the stories of the people who created and handled a precious Jewish tome throughout its history.
- March – the Pulitzer Prize winning story that imagined what it was like for the father of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women to serve as a chaplain in the Civil War.
- Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague – based on the true story of Eyam, the “Plague Village,” in 1666 England.
- Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal’s Journey from Down Under to All Over – Brooks’ hunt to find the Middle Eastern, European, and American pen pals who opened her eyes to a multicultural world.
- Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women – an eye-opening, first hand account that bursts stereotypes about the Muslim World.
Good interview, Peggy. I wasn't familiar with this author before, but now I'll have to check out a couple of her books.
Thanks, Leslie. I hope you enjoy her books as much as I do.