Caleb’s Crossing

I listened to this book and had a bit of a problem really getting interested in the first third or so of it. The story takes place in the 1600s on an Island off the coast of Boston. As usual for that time period, there's lots of death, and the main protagonist, Bethia, ends up losing everyone in her family, except for her brother, when she is in her late teenage years. She has developed a friendship with Caleb, a Wampanoag Indian, who is being groomed to attend Harvard. When her family dies, she ends up as an indentured servant at a preparatory academy near Harvard which Caleb also attends. The story follows Caleb through his graduation and shortly thereafter, ending with a series of flashbacks when the protagonist is quite elderly. There are some surprises in the book, and the latter part moves along pretty well. It is certainly a worthwhile read.

I enjoyed the read, but the narrator jumped around quite a bit (which she admitted, but still), which would get me off track a little and test my patience. Overall, I feel like there isn't an incredibly intriguing plot, but still a fine story.

That an American Indian, a member of the Wopanaak tribe, graduated from Harvard in 1665, more than a century before American independence, seems amazing today, as it must have seemed then. It becomes even more amazing when you consider that the second member of his tribe to earn a Harvard degree didn't do it until 2011. Beyond that little is actually known about Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, Geraldine Brooks imaginatively fills in the blanks in her 2011 novel "Caleb's Crossing." The title refers literally to his crossing over from the island now known as Martha's Vineyard to the mainland to attend the college and figuratively to his crossing over the wide gap between two cultures.Brooks tells her story through the eyes of Bethia, the daughter of a Christian missionary to the island Indians, and indeed the novel is more about her than it is about Caleb. The two become secret friends as children and become familiar with each other's language and culture. Each possesses a great intellect and a thirst for knowledge. The irony is that while Caleb is permitted to attend Harvard, Bethia is not because the college admits men only. Yet Bethia finds a way to get a Harvard education anyway, getting a job as a servant that allows her to eavesdrop on college lectures.There is much here about the negative attitudes of the day toward both Indians and women, and especially Indian women, as we find when an Indian girl in the Harvard community becomes pregnant and Bethia puts her position on the line to save her.The novel spans many years in its 300 pages, and Bethia is a very old woman when she concludes her story. Caleb, however, died while still a young man, perhaps a victim of the very culture he crossed such a wide divide to join.

An interesting, enjoyable and thought provoking
read which I would recommend

All I knew about this book (or all that I could remember since putting it on my to-read list) was that it was historical fiction and supposed to be good. It was good; good writing and an engaging tale. I am surprised actually how engaging it was for all that it was a life story - and if you haven't been paying attention, I tend not to invest in life-stories unless the character is exceptional. The setting did it for me. I appreciate any form of learning and while I worried at times that the book would get too preachy, it never crossed over the line. And I am fascinated by all things Native American. There were a few times I wondered where the book was going but when I read the book I did not know it was based on a true story. I struggled with the fact that woman had absolutely no rights int he 1600s, which was very clear in this book. But it historically correct so I can't blame the author. And Bethia wasn't just any woman. Overall, a nice read.

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks takes a theme of religious differences in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and pictures it vividly through the lens of a teen aged Puritain girl named Bethia of Martha's vineyard. The book is generously detailed with historically accurate nuances, even though structured as a journal of a young woman, while a journal would have been unprecedented and unlikely in the circumstancesComing of age, as narrator, Bethia sometimes is defined by the narrowness of her views and experience. She brings us along on painful self-examinations, wonderful nature jaunts, fearful encounters with Wampanoag Indians on the shores of the Cape, and lots of cowering, submissive endurance of mal-treatment due to the harsh judgements of her male relatives in accordance with their standing in the religious community of the time. Even such a structure can not make the subject drab, since it's redeemed from its harsher moments by Bethia's childish gaze at the wonder of her explorations in encountering the Sonquem's son, Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk (later a documented attendee of Harvard's 17th C Indian College in Cambridge).Caleb, while just a youngster, grasps upon his chance encounter with Bethia, and begins speaking with the young English berry-gatherer, to get a grip on a new power tool - the written word she holds in her hand as a small book. Having seen his uncle, a powerful shaman, get visions of his native culture being overwhelmed by the English, Caleb immediately conceives of using writing and communicating for benefit of his tribe As youngsters foraging and enjoying explorations, Bethia and Caleb begin communicating through language sharing, and share the mysteries of nature spiced by the beauty of the sparsely peopled landscape inhabited by settlers and Indians as they mix in Martha's Vineyard in the 1640's. Bethia Mayfield, the minister's daughter, loves the scholarship and lessons she overhears as her father trains her elder brother Makepeace. Despite her wish to participate in studies, Bethia is usually life's observer in Cambridge, in Martha's Vineyard, and in Padua with her little actions in daunting chores only enlivened by moments of grace in finding the gifts of learning through what she observes, and other little actions that are in service of fellow mankind. "Caleb's Crossing" only sometimes suffers from the self-absorption of the journal as vehicle in the storytelling, and can not be said to be at par with the unprofitable musings written into "The Red Queen" by Phillippa Gregory. Gregory uses a lens of her character's situation to tell the tale of "The Red Queen", but the novel becomes claustrophoic. Luckily, the setting and adventures make "Caleb's Crossing" much more light and interesting.This novel has more than a just a flavoring dash of unlikely religious trespassing into foreign beliefs of Native American shamanic pawaaws, and shows us a good deal of Bethia's self-loathing at intervals, but I would still rate this one highly for those who would like to vividly lose themselves in the pull of Geraldine Brooks' signal enlivening descriptions. She finely captures that joy in the discovery of commonality when culturally different people come face to face with the mystery of life's joys and sorrows over decades and with enough open-mindedness to observe the bright beauty of strengths in character despite their differences. This novel rightly creates the spirit of open charity and wonder, akin to the pleasure of finding the brightest gem to be the shining droplet of water beading on the edge of the goldenrod's curlicue bloom.

"In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College.The narrator of Caleb's Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At twelve, she encounters the young son of a chieftain whom she names Caleb and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. "-------Thought provoking, intricately developed.............a great piece of historical fiction(in my opinion)Reading of Geraldine Booke's research (including participating in an archeological dig for the Indian college at Harvard) and her careful depiction of the time period,I valued the story even more.

Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite authors. Her ability to blend history, descriptive language, and develop characters are second to none in my opinion for current authors. All readers find authors that write in a way that is beautiful and connects on a personal and intellectual level and Brooks is one of the authors for me.This is my third novel by Brooks and while I loved everything I said above, this story was not as strong as the previous two I read. The history and beauty and characters were all done exceptionally well, but the story itself was more of a chronology of events and I never felt that it built toward a climax. We find out what happens with all of the important characters and I have no problems with how the story played out, but if she didn't write so well, I might not have been as interested as I have been with her previous books. Either way, I still recommend it for those who love to read beautiful language.

Diverting story, but a little overwrought and YA-ish. I liked the fact that it was so concerned with local history and my museum was even mentioned in the afterword.

“They say the Lord's Day is a day of rest, but those who preach this generally are not women.”Martha’s Vineyard, 1665. Caleb, is the first Native American to graduate from Harvard. Our narrator is Bethia Mayfield, a highly intelligent young woman, working on the island and witnessing all these events, through the lens of a difficult puritan setting. It is her story. Brooks does a wonderful job with historical fiction and this one does not disappoint. The narrative is not as smooth as her earlier books but it still kept my attention throughout.

3.5 stars
I liked this book and found it very informative but not as enjoyable as I would have liked. I found it so interesting that this was based on true events and I felt like I learned something from reading this book. That being said, the title of this book and the description made it seem like this book would be entirely about the first Native American person to go to Harvard, Caleb. However, it was narrated by a woman named Bethia and her family and her relationship with Caleb. This wasn't entirely a negative thing for me because this booked talked about how Bethia really wanted to be educated and go to school for things like Latin but was unable to because she was a girl. There were also other things discussing prejudice towards both women and Native American at this time, which I found interesting to read as a woman. I also enjoyed reading about Bethia's view on the marriage she was going to have to enter. I do wish that Caleb had been included more in later parts of the book. Once he got to Harvard, which I thought would have included Caleb the most, didn't. In fact, I felt like he almost disappeared in some parts of this section. But I did like reading about Caleb's relationship with another Native American boy named Joel. In fact, all the relationships in this book were written very well. There were a lot of people dying in this book and it never really felt like those deaths were written very well. I never felt very impacted and it felt like all the characters moved on incredibly quickly. The book also moved around in time a lot which left me confused at the beginning but I got used to it. I did enjoy this book and felt it was interesting and informative but there were some things that made me not like it. I would recommend it though if you are interested in the topic.

True to form, Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is a well-written glimpse into the hardships of the past. Moreover, it involves a story that does not get much exposure but one that reflects today’s culture even as it picks apart the past.Ms. Brooks has an excellent eye for historical detail. Just as in her previous novels, in Caleb’s Crossing she brings the early colonial period back to life with her attention to the minutest aspect of life in the colonies. Readers get a clear understanding of the Puritan mindset, wherein one’s sin and the question of salvation are uppermost in the mind, as well as the harsh life they live. Ms. Brooks makes sure all readers understand that Bethia’s life is not an easy one and that those moments she steals to ramble across the island are as rare as they are precious.Of particular interest is the portrayal of the relationship between Native Americans and English colonizers. She presents the relationships with insight, recognizing the racism inherent in their interactions. However, she also tries to show how hidden the racism was; not everyone thought the Native Americans were inferior simply because of the color of their skin. At times informative and other times infuriating, Caleb’s Crossing recognizes the tragedy that became colonial and Native American interactions even as they started with (racist but) good intentions.Having never heard of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, Ms. Brooks quickly drew me into his story with her attention to detail and skill of writing. I not only wanted to learn more about Bethia’s fight for some semblance of education and happiness but also to follow Caleb’s path to Harvard College and beyond. The tragic ending is not necessarily surprising given the time period but it still manages to pack a punch. It has been a long time since I read any historical fiction that took place outside of the Victorian era through World War II, and Ms. Brooks always impresses with not just her writing but her choice of subject as well. Her ability to weave fact within fiction always brings the past to life.

A plot that leads where you might not expect. The theme of noble savage and perfidious white man is a little shop worn, but this tale rises above it.

A favorite, beautiful writing, loved character Bethia and the story was beautiful. Bethia was intelligent, humble, loyal and so brave. The story stayed in line to the reality of the historical time. She wanted to learn and found a believable way around the lack of formal education for women.

So interesting and well written - Brooks does it again!

I overall liked the writing in this book and learned a lot about Native Americans and English colonists. It was interesting, and Brooks provided characters I cared about.

Really good historical fiction written around a true story. I always enjoy Geraldine Brooks' work and this one is no exception.

I read this book because it is the "One Book, One San Diego" pick for 2013. "One Book, One San Diego" is a community reading program cosponsored by KPBS, the San Diego City Library, and the San Diego County Library. Geraldine Brooks, the author, will be in and around San Diego during October at several sponsored events to speak about the book -- and, well, I'm a sucker for these types of things.

The book is interesting and is loosely based on the lives of real Native American Harvard graduates - graduates when the states were really nothing more than individual settlements (what we like to refer to as colonies). The history of the university and of Martha's Vineyard is intriguing. The book, however, is more about the main protagonist, Bethia, than the title character. I wonder if this is because so little is known of the actual Caleb that the author felt the need to protect the person he was and keep what little is known of him intact, refusing to burden him with her characterizations of him since he was (in numerous ways) unable to speak for himself. I will have to ask her. The relationship between Bethia and Caleb is supportive, nurturing, and fulfilling making the book an enjoyable summer read.

Caleb’s Crossing is another excellent work of historical fiction by author Geraldine Brooks. I find all her books to be well researched and observant of the times she writes about. In this case it is Colonial America of 1660, and Bethia Mayfield is finding her way in a life that is limited and constricted by the constraints that are a result of religion, lifestyle and most obviously by her being a female. She is controlled by the men in her life and although she does try to accept that this is the way that it should be, she is an intelligent, strong-minded woman and there are times when she can’t simply bow her head and accept that others have the right to make decisions about her life. This is much more than simply a story about a woman’s inner conflicts. Bethia was raised on the island of Martha’s Vineyard and as a young girl spent a great deal of time with an Indian boy. She taught him how to read and write and even the basics of Latin, which she in turn had learned by eavesdropping on her brother’s education. This Indian boy comes to be recognized for his skill, and taking the English name of Caleb, comes to live with Bethia’s family in order to be groomed to attend Harvard College.The character of Caleb is based on an actual person but the star of the book is the fictional main character of Bethia. She is engaging, honest and thoughtful. Through her thoughts and writings her time in Colonial America comes alive on these pages. Geraldine Brooks is an excellent writer and has produced an insightful and compelling work of historical fiction with Caleb’s Crossing.

Bethia, daughter of Puritan minister, and Caleb, son of powerful Wampanoag chieftain, forge a secret friendship over a desire to learn about the mysteries of the other's world while growing up in 17th century Martha's Vineyard. A passionate but somewhat disjointed story of two brave friends willing to risk it all for a chance at knowledge and the freedom to choose. A fictional story inspired by the life of the first Native American graduate of Harvard.

I guess you either love Geraldine Brooks' work or you don't. I find it interesting but I don't love it. Like Year Of Wonder and People Of The Book, I followed the story but felt no sense of emotional connection with it. If I had not read the other two I might put this down to the quality of the reading. With so many titles to choose from, I think I will leave Brooks' for her ardent fans in future.

I have loved all her books, this one included.I love her "loose" historical background and love her style of writing.Each of her books have been a joy for me to read and this one just as much as those I've previously read.

I felt always at arm's length from this book, which should have been a poignant and emotionally strong story. The historical information is fascinating-- the early days of what is now Martha's Vineyard, the relationship between the English and the Wampanoag, the early history of Cambridge and Harvard. But I felt little connection to the main characters, and felt some of the foundation of the story was rushed, though the later parts of the novel were wonderful.

I didn't hate it. Parts of it held my interest. But--I didn't like the ending, and I never believed that Bethia could possibly have existed in the milieu of the novel; her sensibility was simply too modern.

I appreciate that the book was meant to showcase the beginnings of Harvard and the injustice to indigenous people. I also appreciate that the author, as a white woman, did not choose to tell the story from Caleb's perspective, and instead used Bethia's experiences to tell Caleb's story. That being said, this meant I stopped caring about Bethia's storyline once it stopped intersecting with Caleb's, as I was completely invested in his story.

I'm slightly confused at the title of this book. It's called Caleb's Crossing but he is barely in the book. Yes, he was at the beginning some and some at the end. But this book was more about Bethia. This book did not interest me and I would have quit early in the book except I have committed myself to read the books I select this year whether they are good or not. I found this one kind of boring.

While this is based on the true story of the first American Indians to graduate from Harvard in the late 17th century, it does much more than tell Caleb's story (about which very little is known anyway). Instead, by choosing as the narrator Bethia, the young daughter of the minister of the newly founded colony on what is now Martha's Vineyard, the book is as much (or more) about the struggle of a young woman to educate herself and fight for her independence in a society where a woman's role is strictly limited.
The language that Geraldine Brooks creates for Bethia is a believable mixture of the archaic and religious. The cultural and religious clashes in the conversations between the teenage Bethia and Caleb are a strong point of the novel.
I also admired the way that Brooks has avoided turning it into a simple romantic story of cross cultural forbidden love. There are plenty of dramatic events and yet they often take place off page and are born with the stoicism that must have been common in such harsh times.

Once again Geraldine Brooks delivers a marvelous work of historical fiction. Set in colonial America, the reader meets a cast of colonists and Native Americans, who struggle to cohabitate. As always, Brooks creates engaging characters whose relationships tell the tale. She adeptly illuminates the common traits shared by all people, as well as the traits which are culturally based, and the complications of trying to force assimilation. Excellent read.

Based on a real individual – the first Native American to graduate from Harvard – Brooks has crafted a fine work of historical fiction that explores the dangers and exhilaration of crossing boundaries – geographic, religious, and cultural.

Bethia Mayfield is a curious and intelligent young girl growing up in what we will know as Martha’s Vineyard in the mid- to late-17th century. Her father is a minister who endeavors to bring The Word to the Native Americans with uneven success. Bethia has learned to read, write and cipher alongside her brothers, but that education stops when she reaches age nine; her father does not feel it necessary to give her more education as it isn’t necessary for a Godly wife. But Bethia manages to educate herself, eavesdropping on her brothers’ lessons, and more importantly befriending a young Wampanoag boy she encounters one day. Caleb is about her age and over time the two explore the island, teaching each other their languages and sharing their ideas on religion, morality, nature, family and love.

It took me a few chapters to fall into the rhythm of Brooks’ 17th-century syntax, but once I did I was fully engrossed. Bethia is a good narrator in that she is privy to much information – people will frequently speak about things in front of children (or others who “don’t count”) because they assume they won’t be understood. However, as the book progressed, I grew frustrated that I wasn’t hearing more about Caleb and his inner thoughts and feelings. Of course, I had expected this because of the title - Caleb’s Crossing. It’s still a very good book, but it could have been better if Brooks had found a way to give us more of Caleb’s story.

The narrative skills of this Pulitzer-Prize winning author impressed me. There was not one occasion when I paused to note an awkward phrase or cringe at stilted or unnecessary dialogue. All of the important characters were well-rounded and authentic to the second half of the 17th Century yet universally identifiable. Sensory detail was evocative. The thought processes of the narrator character were interesting and realistic. Here is an example of narrative eloquence. Late in the story the main character, Bethia Mayfield, an old woman soon to die, tells us: “God is gathering me, little by little. He has already taken much but he has left me my sight, and for that I am thankful. I can still see the glory of his sunrise through the wavy panes of my chamber window. I can still watch the wind riffle across the water, the osprey’s sudden plunge from the sky, the thunderheads gathering in billowing, wine-dark blooms. I sit here, propped up like a poppet, and I watch. I watch, and I remember. Now, when everything else has gone, this is what remains: vision and memories.”At the story’s beginning Bethia, twelve, lives with her preacher father, housekeeping mother, and jealous, discontented brother Makepeace on what today is Martha’s Vineyard. Her father’s purpose in life is to convert the Algonquian “salvages” living on the island to Christianity. “‘For several years I drank the dust of those huts, helping in whatever practical thing I could do for them, happy to win the ears of even one or two for a few words about Christ. And now, at last, I begin to distill in their minds the pure liquor of the gospel. To take a people who were traveling apace the broadway to hell, and to be able to turn them, and set their face to God…. It is what we must strive for. They are an admirable people, in many ways, if you trouble to know them.’” He had taken to live in his house an outcast of the local tribe, a man named Iacoomis, possessing a quick mind, to learn English. The native, in turn, sought to teach Preacher Mayfield Wampanaontoaonk speech to assist Mayfield’s mission. Bethia, possessing also a sharp mind, “confined to the hearth and the dooryard as adult business ebbs and flows around her,” had learned Iacoomis’s language faster and better than her father. It is both her ability to speak the native language and her independent spirit and thirst for knowledge that causes her to live a life fraught with inner and external conflict.It is Bethia’s independent nature and aversion to obey Puritan dictates especially concerning the role of girls and women that cause her to explore secretly the far reaches and shorelines of the island. During her explorations she encounters a local native boy approximately her age. Being able to speak his language, they develop a friendly relationship that becomes strong and enduring. His English name will be Caleb. Part of the fascination of this novel is how their lives intertwine. Many of the best scenes in the novel are the interchanges they have that reflect both their divergent cultural viewpoints and their deep friendship and great concern for each other’s welfare. Their relationship transcends the bigotry toward “salvages” prevalent among the British settlers and the resultant hostility harbored by the native inhabitants, protective of their territory, culture, and religious practices and beliefs. Bethia’s actions at the end of the novel regarding Caleb’s welfare epitomizes the singularity of their relationship. Of particular interest to me were the conflicts, inner and external, that Bethia must confront. She abhors not being afforded the right to make her own decisions. A female’s role in her society was predetermined exclusively by men. Girls were not to be educated beyond the ability to become good housewives. Bethia’s father stopped her education when she was nine while her plodding brother Makepeace continued to be educated, laboriously, for admittance into Harvard College. The father tells Bethia, “‘I would do you no favor if I were to send you to your husband with a mind honed to find fault in his every argument or to better his in every particular. A husband must rule his home, Bethia, as God rules his faithful.’” Her father and grandfather choose for her to marry (when she is of a proper age) the son of a prosperous, upstanding neighbor. After her father’s death, Bethia’s grandfather arranges to have her indentured to a Cambridge school master to pay for Makepeace’s college preparatory instruction. For four years she is Master Corlett’s housekeeper. Late in the book, speaking to her master (and future father-in law), she reflects: “My father had loved me dearly; Master Corlett, I believed, felt true affection for me. Both were learned men who devoted their lives to teaching others. Then why not me? Why did they want to confine me in the prison of my own ignorance? … Once again I had spoken too freely. I seemed too dense witted to learn the simple lesson: silence was a woman’s sole safe harbor.” When her future husband challenges her independent spirit, she declares hotly: “‘Since God has seen fit to take my parents from me, I see no one left above me whose views on my conduct matter more to me than my own.’” Bethia must also deal with her society’s belief in an authoritative, punitive God. Her faith in His existence is constant, but her nature is such that her conduct often strays beyond His dictates of behavior. Tragic events that occur to her she believes to be God’s punishment. Her mother dies in childbirth. It is God’s punishment for Bethia’s sinful behavior. “I broke the Commandments, day following day. And I did it knowingly. … Like Eve, I thirsted after forbidden knowledge and I ate forbidden fruit. … Every inlet and outcrop of this place, I love. We are taught early here to see Nature as a foe to be subdued. But I came, by stages, to worship it. You could say that for me, this island and her bounties became the first of my false gods, the original sin that begot so much idolatry.” After her mother’s death, Bethia believes it is her duty (her reparation) to assume at age fifteen all of her mother’s duties. After her father’s unexpected death, she feels it is God’s expectation that she accept indenture to Master Corlett to enable her brother’s continued college preparatory instruction. Hers, however, is an inquiring mind. She questions, at the age of fifteen: “Who are we, really? Are our souls shaped, our fates written in full by God, before we draw our first breath? Do we make ourselves by the choices we our selves make? Or are we clay merely, that is molded and pushed into the shape that our betters propose for us?” About her father and grandfather’s selection of her future husband, “There was a little ember of anger inside me when I thought this, a hard black coal that could be fanned into a hot flame if I chose to let my thoughts give it air. Most of the time, I did not do so. I went on, dutiful, trying to keep in mind what father preached, that all of this was God’s plan, not his, not his father’s, nor any man’s.” Caleb had embarked on his solitary journey into the deep woods to find his spirit guide, which would “enlighten his mind and guide his steps in myriad ways, until the end of his life.” She, her father, and their Puritan neighbors looked upon spirit guides as manifestations of the devil. She questions God’s supervision. “… did God make no design for the heathen? If so, what was father about, in his ministry to them? Perhaps it was pride, merely, to seek these souls that God had chosen to abandon. Perhaps it was in itself a sin…. But no. Surely my wise father could not err so. And why had God brought Caleb into my path if I was not meant to save him? Why had he set us down here at all?” Inquiry reveals incongruity, which, in turn, produces confusion, doubt and, perhaps, anger. My criticism of “Caleb’s Crossing” – that Bethia is a rather contrived character – is mitigated by the fact that she is a damned interesting person whom every reader will care about. The fact that she approximates a modern liberal-minded human being living in a three hundred fifty year old, close-minded society makes her especially appealing. Because the author must adhere to the facts that are known about the historical person -- Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck – the first native graduate of Harvard University, and she has chosen to narrate the story from Bethia’s viewpoint, she must contort the events of Bethia’s life to maintain her close proximity to him. This novel was an ambitious undertaking. The results should mostly be applauded.