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An extraordinary novel woven out of the lore of American history—by the author of the international bestseller Year of Wonders. Winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
From Louisa May Alcott’s beloved classic Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has animated the character of the absent father, March, and crafted a story "filled with the ache of love and marriage and with the power of war upon the mind and heart of one unforgettable man" (Sue Monk Kidd). With"pitch-perfect writing" (USA Today), Brooks follows March as he leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause in the Civil War. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. A lushly written, wholly original tale steeped in the details of another time, March secures Geraldine Brooks’s place as a renowned author of historical fiction. Winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Chapter One
Virginia Is a Hard Road
October 21, 1861
This is what I write to her: The clouds tonight embossed the sky. A dipping sun gilded and brazed each raveling edge as if the firmament were threaded through with precious filaments. I pause there to mop my aching eye, which will not stop tearing. The line I have set down is, perhaps, on the florid side of fine, but no matter: she is a gentle critic. My hand, which I note is flecked with traces of dried phlegm, has the tremor of exhaustion. Forgive my unlovely script, for an army on the march provides no tranquil place for reflection and correspondence. (I hope my dear young author is finding time amid all her many good works to make some use of my little den, and that her friendly rats will not grudge a short absence from her accustomed aerie.) And yet to sit here under the shelter of a great tree as the men make their cook fires and banter together provides a measure of peace. I write on the lap desk that you and the ...
1000 Books March 2026 Read: Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis has written many books, and the others that I have read are all exceptional, which is why I had such high hopes for "Liar's Poker." I most highly recommend "Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service," a book with eight essays about specific federal employees and the wor...
-Cathryn_Conroy
What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? (3/19/2026)
Looks like Geraldine Brooks is having a moment in this group. I have liked some of her books more than others. March and Year of Wonders were my favorites. I enjoyed Horse also.
-Anne_Glasgow
Pulitzer Prize
2006
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He has only half learned the art of reading who has not added to it the more refined art of skipping and skimming
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