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leasummer's review
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.
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.
rmbolton's review
4.0
Started this book Tuesday night and finished it Saturday afternoon. While working 16 hour days and preparing for vacation. It is that good.
Bethia, the narrator, is human and heroic and the story she tells of Caleb, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Harvard, and Cambridge is heart rending. Consider this, Caleb was the first Wampanoag to graduate from Harvard. He did do in 1665. Thus year, 2011, the second Wampanoag will graduate from Harvard College
Bethia, the narrator, is human and heroic and the story she tells of Caleb, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Harvard, and Cambridge is heart rending. Consider this, Caleb was the first Wampanoag to graduate from Harvard. He did do in 1665. Thus year, 2011, the second Wampanoag will graduate from Harvard College
amymcn's review
3.0
I loved March and Year of Wonders and wanted Caleb’s Crossing to be equally engaging, but I just couldn’t get into the characters or the story. I was disappointed, especially because I’m intrigued by the true story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk. I’m glad I didn’t read Caleb’s Crossing first - I would not have picked up Geraldine Brooks’ other books.
winewalknbooktok's review
5.0
Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite authors. She has an incredible ability to take a true event and create a beautiful historical fiction story. Caleb's Crossing is the story of one of the first Wapanaog Indians to attend Harvard College in 1661. The story is told as a diary written by Bethia, the daughter of a minister on Nantucket Island. The story shows the difficulty for women during this time, the struggles between whites and Indians, and the hardships of living on an island. Truely a beautiful read, just like Year of Wonders.
gillianberglund's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
chloew's review against another edition
3.0
I’m not a huge fan of historical fiction — the blend of truth and fiction gets to me. But I did enjoy the dive into local history. The narrative arc was a bit tired (young girl is frustrated with her station in life, finds a way to create the life she wants, interwoven with history).
asl4u's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great book! - The writer has an amazing fluency in old American English and the reader of the audio books is just as well versed in pronunciation and tempo... awesome to listen to - I expect I'll be back for seconds!
knit_and_purl's review
4.0
I was looking forward to reading this book (it's been on my to-read shelf for a year!), and when I first started it, I was a little disappointed. It seemed slow to get going, but once it did, I highly enjoyed it. Brooks's Year of Wonders is still my favourite, but I'd definitely recommend this to readers of historical fiction.
medievil_'s review
4.0
This book was wonderful. As a pre-revolution, southeastern New England Indian loving ubernerd, this was right up my alley. It's the fictionalized account of the first Native American, a Wampanoag, to graduate from Harvard, in 1665, told from the POV of a Puritan minister's daughter. This, as far as non-genre "literary fiction" really hit all of my prereqs except one - there was no doomed love story. Or, alternately, the whole thing was a doomed love story.
cornmaven's review
4.0
I would have given this 5 stars but I knocked it down because of the title. I didn't feel that this books was really about Caleb. I think Caleb was integral to the true main character, Bethia. So it bothered me that the title suggested otherwise.
Having said that, it's another wonderful historical novel by Brooks who has a knack for revealing historical details without just stating them.
Having said that, it's another wonderful historical novel by Brooks who has a knack for revealing historical details without just stating them.