Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks discussed her connection to Martha's Vineyard and her latest historical novel during an appearance on C-SPAN’s “America’s Book Club”.
Brooks' work highlights the intersection of colonial history and Indigenous experience, bringing attention to marginalized figures in early American academia. Her focus on the island's past serves to bridge the gap between modern residence and historical reality.
During the interview, which was filmed at her home in West Tisbury, Brooks said she is fond of the island. She discussed her new novel set on Martha's Vineyard, which draws upon the story of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665 [1].
Brooks often blends rigorous research with personal narrative. While her current project focuses on the 17th century, she has also shared details about her own personal evolution. In a previous interview with the Boston Globe, she discussed a period of sudden interest in equestrianism.
“Horses were my midlife crisis. I was in my 50s [2]. I went on a trail-ride on a writers’ retreat in Santa Fe and came back horse-obsessed,” Brooks said.
The author's residence in West Tisbury provides a geographic anchor for her exploration of the island's legacy. By dramatizing the 17th-century history of the region, she seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of the early interactions between European settlers and Native American populations.
““Horses were my midlife crisis. I was in my 50s.””
By centering her narrative on the first Native American Harvard graduate, Brooks is contributing to a broader literary trend of reclaiming erased or overlooked Indigenous identities within the foundational history of U.S. educational institutions.
