Caleb's Crossing
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Based on the life of Caleb, first Native American to graduate from Harvard College,and his friendship with Bethia Mayfield, the daughter of a Puritan minister and narrator of the story. When Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper in a Cambridge household, she can closely observe
… More »Based on the life of Caleb, first Native American to graduate from Harvard College,and his friendship with Bethia Mayfield, the daughter of a Puritan minister and narrator of the story. When Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper in a Cambridge household, she can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures as he studies at Harvard. Like the author's beloved narrator Anna, in Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart.
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Add a CommentA very interesting premise but I find Brooks characters and plots too neat. Caleb was a character that had so much potential to develop. Like Year of Wonders, Brooks creates strong powerful female leads, however, as an history buff, I find many elements in these characters anachronistic. That said, it was an engaging story which raised thought provoking issues of our connection with and use of land.
Great story. Geraldine Brooks has written a few good ones and this is another.
Elaine and Sandy 12/11
Enjoyed this latest book by Brooks that focused on the lives of Bethia and Caleb and how the made their way to Cambridge from Martha's Vineyard when Harvard college was a young university. I marvel at these true pieces of history: the first native american to graduate from Harvard in 1646. I thought there could have been more narrative from Caleb point of view-
well written engaging historical novel involving two characters from very different cultures - audiobook is well narrated
Not as absorbing as her other books, but still a good read, though I hate it when books cut off right at a point I consider really interesting, only to pick up several decades later and quickly rehash the events of the missing years. Of course, this only bothers me when I'm heavily invested in the characters, so this definitely shows Ms. Brooks talent with characterization. I really liked the main character, Bethia, and wanted to read more about what happened in her whole life, not just the beginning and end. Oddly, the Caleb of the title is a somewhat secondary character that I didn't get too much of a feel for. It would have been nice to get in his head a little more, as he was a fascinating character whose thoughts and motivations are always a bit elusive. While you're waiting for your copy, check out her earlier books: Year of Wonders, March, and People of the Book.
I was quite disappointed in Ms. Brook's latest book. There is no passion. The story is like a monologue. The characters are not well rounded; there is nothing about the characters that would make you have any feelings for them. I read about half the book before putting it down. Try her other three books, all of which were very well written and interesting.
An absorbing story set in the 1600s on Martha's Vineyard, by a masterful author of historical fiction. Follows the first Native American to graduate from Harvard in 1665.