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We are such stuff as dreams are made of. -The Tempest, Shakespeare. Terry Brooks grew up in the town of Sterling, Illinois with his father, a printing company owner, and his mother, who stayed at home. He earned an undergraduate degree in English literature at Hamilton College in 1966 and later attended the School of Law at Washington & Lee University to eventually earn a graduate degree. He first started writing in high school. His first novel was The Sword of Shannara, written in 1974 and originally sent to Ballantine. Lester del Rey announced that it was "the best fantasy since [J.R.R.] Tolkien" and published it in 1977. It became the first fictional work to appear on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list. Brooks joined a small practice, mainly involved with family law, but now focuses on his writing career. He married Barbara O'Banion in 1972 and had two children, Amanda and Alex. In 1986, during a book-tour stop in Seattle, he met a district manager for Waldenbooks, Judine Alba. He left Barbara and the kids six months later and married Judine in 1987. They spend their time living in their Seattle home, the three acres that Brooks owns in Oregon, and their $1,000,000+ home in Hawaii.
 Biography |
