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Caleb's Crossing
Caleb's Crossing
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Bethia Mayfield is a restless and curious young woman growing up in Martha's vineyard in the 1660s amid a small band of pioneering English Puritans. At age twelve, she meets Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a secret bond that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's father is a Calvinist minister who s...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780143121077
ISBN-10: 0143121073
Publication Date: 4/24/2012
Pages: 320
Rating:
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 56

3.5 stars, based on 56 ratings
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed Caleb's Crossing on + 1434 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
What a wonderful tale and read! I am trying to decide how to write a review to reflect my reactions. First and foremost, I truly enjoyed Caleb's Crossing. As I guessed early on, Bethia Mayfield, the writer of the tale in the book, is fictional. Generally, I read the author's comments both prior and following the read. Caleb is an admirable character who truly lived, much as Brooks described him. The story is about the friendship between Bethia and Caleb as well as Caleb's and Joel's experiences as they work to blend cultures, adapting to the white man's world while retaining some part of their own culture. This book, along with Year of Wonders, rank among my favorites by Geraldine Brooks. To those who read these comments: Do take time to read Caleb's Crossing soon as it's an emotional high from beginning to end.
ARReader avatar reviewed Caleb's Crossing on + 38 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
If you love to read historical fiction then this book will satisfy your hunger! Each character is so well created and you feel like Bethia in her hardship of being a woman in a man's world. Her family choose to live on an island to bring the gospel to the Indian tribe and live and learn in peace with them. Not all English people could look on the Indians as breathern but as savages, and resented their education as well as their advancement into their society. For women also it was a sin to be educated. Bethia struggled for both her breathern, Joel and Caleb as well as herself. This story is told with such emotion that it will transend you back to the time of Caleb's Crossing. An excellent read and great book club discussion.
reviewed Caleb's Crossing on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
First off, I have to say that I am a fan of Geraldine Brooks, loved Year of Wonders, People of the Book, and March...but this is my least favorite. I just found the voices stilted, and this is probably due to the Puritanical speech of the 17th century, but I could not get past it. The submissiveness of the female main character, although again, probably true to the times, was hard to bear. I finished the book, but about halfway thru, I found myself just wanting it to be over.
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reviewed Caleb's Crossing on + 628 more book reviews
Like other reviewers I found the puritanical life style with all its restrictions and the relegation of females to a lower value difficult to read. Certainly not my favorite of her books.
bothrootes avatar reviewed Caleb's Crossing on + 207 more book reviews
I usually give books 40 pages to grab my interest. I found the Puritanical speech of the 17th century difficult to get into but I'm glad I gave it a chance past the 40 pages. The story line is great and I found I wanted to learn more about the deprivation and strife to learn of females of this time period. I was drawn in by the lead female character, Bethia and her struggle and determination to further her knowledge in a male educational society.
reviewed Caleb's Crossing on
A compelling look into the relationship between Native Americans and the first English to settle in the NE.


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