Navigating Cultures and Seas

The first book Brooks wrote, Oakum Strands, is about what happened after graduating from high school in Seoul, Korea, and then entering a university in Texas, where living full- time in his homeland for the first time since he was five exposed a culture shock that led to leaving university and experiencing a soul-searching gap year in the Java Sea region of Southeast Asia. The book relays tales of what happened while living and working in Singapore, then joining a sailing excursion full of frightful/delightful experiences and incredible life exposure while fulfilling his goal to go to sea.

The second book, 4200 Days in Africa, offers insight into the experience of being raised in three African countries. The catalyst for writing this book directly responded to a question about the first book, where a respected friend asked: “How did it happen that a twenty-year-old, alone, in Singapore in 1973 could have such adventures one after the other?” The answer was simple in his mind: the life lessons learned and the confidence gained in Africa thoroughly prepared him to grasp the opportunities presented during that critical gap year.

Both books are stand-alone, without the need to read the other. But for those interested, though written first, Oakum Strands is chronologically the follow-up to the stories of 4200 Days in Africa. Reading 4200 Days in Africa first is recommended, followed by Oakum Strands and then a third book about further sea adventures, which will be the last in this three-book series.