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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A compelling look into the relationship between Native Americans and the first English to settle in the NE.
First, let me say that I am a Geraldine Brooks FAN. That said, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, only to find that it really missed the mark compared to her other novels. It felt like a basic storytelling novel, without the depth of her other books. And it felt like it just... ended.
All in all, very disappointed. I always look forward to this author's books, but I wouldn't recommend this one.
All in all, very disappointed. I always look forward to this author's books, but I wouldn't recommend this one.
I love her books but did not enjoy this one, and I was unable to finish it.
Very good writing! An imagined account of the factual first Indian to graduate from Harvard in 1661. Written from standpoint of a fictional girl as they grew up.
