Reviews

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

zen_chick's review against another edition

3.0

Ok, that was depressing.

sci_mom's review against another edition

3.0

I can't say that I enjoyed this book, but I didn't not like it. I know that seems very odd, but that's how I feel. I found Bethia to be a very compelling character and I did appreciate her story. Unlike other reviewers who felt the title was not appropriate, I actually thought the title was good. I don't think it represented Caleb's crossing into Bethia's world, because the world of women at that time was very different, but he did cross into the white man's world. I like books with more dialogue than this one and that is probably my major issue with this story. It is hard for me to connect with characters when narrative is my main source of getting to know them. I also felt that the final 'act' was disjointed and incomplete. The beginning was slow, but it gave a very complete foundation for the rest of the book. The second 'act', after they went to Cambridge, was also very complete and provided many details. The end, though, was a little all over the place and seemed to provide only bits and pieces of Bethia's life after Cambridge which the reader had to then fit together like a puzzle. It felt like the author ran out of time or hit her page limit or just didn't think Bethia's life after getting married was as important as the rest of the story. So, that part was the most disappointing for me. All of that being said, I would recommend it to others and it did make me cry...a couple of times.

leasummer's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars but not enough to round to 4 (which doesn't totally make sense I know). I really enjoyed this book from about the mid point on. I'm a fan of Brooks' writing and have read all her previous books. I liked Bethia's pov and the language is fascinating but not much was happening. Once Anne came to the school I was sucked in and finished in that sitting.
The historical context seems legit, I appreciated the limited actual historical information at the end. Brooks' writing and the way she can paint a scene with her words is what kept me in this book. It's a beautiful story.

mary_juleyre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

amberw27's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

The title should refer to Bethia, the narrator. Spent most of the book very annoyed about that, but still very much enjoyed it. Fascinating

keruichun212's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked it all up until the epilogue. The title signifies that the book is about a Native American boy who ends up graduating from Harvard. However, the stiory is actually about a girl the same age as Caleb and her interactions with him, her family, and the various people she meets. With that said, Brooks ended up skipping over some of the most important parts of her life. It just didn't exactly make sense to me. I cared more for the girl than Caleb, but the end was all about him. Other than the last 50 pages or so, though, I really did enjoy the book.

moonshade's review against another edition

informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The book is well-written, but I hated reading it. I hated most of the men most of the time. Nothing seemed to matter or to be to any purpose. 

I didn't care about the main character falling in love or being happily married. This book just felt dry and unimportant.

hlogan's review against another edition

4.0

Geraldine Brooks can do no wrong, in my eyes. She writes on such diverse subjects, but always leaves me in awe of her meticulous research, vivid portrayal of different people and different times, and compassionate storytelling. This is yet another great work. I will continue to anxiously await her next novel or piece of non-fiction.

brettec's review against another edition

2.0

The book and the writing itself wasn't terrible and I understand why the author made the choices she did, but I feel that there are better books written about these events that are from the perspective of actual Native Americans and not seen through a white woman's eyes (both in authorship and narration)

thereadinghouse22laura's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0