Author Profile
Pieter grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with a desire to explore the world. After wrapping up an engineering degree in Ann Arbor, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa for two years where he met his Dutch wife, Naomi.
A return to the University of Michigan was needed to pick up a master’s degree in education so that he could teach math and science in the Netherlands for twelve years to be together with his wife. While living in the Low Countries, he also built a woodworking business and an educational company. Pieter and Naomi have beautiful twin girls. The whole family enjoyed the extended opportunity to explore different parts of Europe.
The future is all about a return to the Upper Peninsula where a new project captivates. Land has been purchased and Pieter developed blueprints for an off the grid home, workshop, and a series of domes designed to facilitate self-sufficiency in the face of snowbound winters.
Timbuktu Frequency Five
Five friendships. Three continents. One blueprint for the future.
The beautifully mysterious city reveals its dark side: Kano is taken hostage by an elderly scholar desperate to safeguard ancient manuscripts from the Arab Spring’s cancerous fallout. Souleymane, a curious outsider appointed to guard duty, teaches Kano how to overcome life in the desert by strengthening his character. Clashing cultures transform into friendships that lead toward a more sustainable way of life and the elusive freedom they all seek.
Large sections of this novel are based on Pieter Cook’s service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 2008 to 2010, detailed in the newspaper articles below. He was one of the last Americans allowed to travel to Timbuktu before the kidnappings and violence began. Additional inspiration sprung out of his time studying Engineering and Education at the University of Michigan along with more recent years spent exploring Europe.
“I hate to say it: but I was surprised by this novel. For a first novel—for any novel— it is truly exceptional, a thing of complex beauty. By telling the story of two cultures, of two individuals, Cook arrives at something universal—and he tells a hell of a good story doing it. The amount of insight here is simply stunning. A remarkable early masterpiece from a writer with a lifetime of promise.”
-Drew Philp
Short Stories
Pocket Aces
Life is full of pivotal moments that determine the track we find ourselves on. Eventual consequences are often understandable only after years or decades have passed, should we care to examine them at all. This fifteen minute read explores the mystery of one such pivotal moment while questioning the idea of success.
Voodoo Tree
Travel has the potential to radically change our perspectives on life. Destination matters. It can be hard to remember the details of that spring break trip to Florida, but a week spent in Haiti’s mountains will never be forgotten. This twenty minute read is all about the shifts in perspective an experience abroad can bring.
Newspaper Articles
While serving as a volunteer in the Peace Corps from 2008-2010, Pieter wrote a series of updates to friends and family that were eventually published as articles in his hometown newspaper. These snapshots of a grand adventure kicked off his writing career and formed the basis for his novel, Timbuktu Frequency Five. The original updates can be found below, with the best articles toward the end.
