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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Would've Benin 4, beautifully written, however ending felt rushed.
Very well written - Brooks captured Bethia's voice and cadence wonderfully. Not as gripping as some of Brook's other novels, however.
I wanted to like this book a lot more, because I loved [b:People of the Book|1379961|People of the Book|Geraldine Brooks|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404861986s/1379961.jpg|3020568]. It took a little while to get into, and the ending felt a bit contrived and formulaic. A lot of the reviews have talked about how slow it is, or how they couldn't get invested, and the book does start off pretty slow. Moreover, the style of the writing, while beautiful, takes some getting used to. However, the middle 2/3 of the book are fascinating, and I frequently found myself having trouble putting the book down. I was shocked that people hadn't given it enough of a chance to make it far enough into the book, or that they hadn't become totally engrossed after a little bit. And then I got to the final section of the book, and it was a complete let down. By telling most of the rest of her life in a smaller final section, I felt cheated after becoming invested in her life. I understand that the real focus of the story in many ways, as is indicated by the title of the book, is on Caleb--but Bethia is really the main character and it is her life and story which we really become invested in. For all of the drama which plays itself out in the final section, it's written quite breezily, almost in an uninterested way.
I loved the previous two Geraldine Brooks' novels I had read—People of the Book and Journal of a Plague Year—and while I'm glad I read this one, it was a bit of a slog. It's a fascinating portrait of the brutal life in very early Colonial Massachusetts, including the decades old Harvard College and new settlement on Martha's Vineyard. It's especially bleak for women, and of course the native peoples. I appreciate that Brooks was fascinated by the scant details known about the real-life Caleb, and tried to create a plausible account of how he came to attend the short-lived Indian College at Harvard. But I had trouble falling into the narration of the young female protagonist; it was too...something. Too self-flagellating (although these were people who lived in fear of a vengeful God)? Too overdone in trying to recreate 350-year-old language and speech patterns?
I do think it's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in early America generally, or the early history of Harvard and Martha's Vineyard in particular.
I do think it's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in early America generally, or the early history of Harvard and Martha's Vineyard in particular.
Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is a wonderful novel about life in 17th century Martha’s Vineyard and Cambridge. The novel is focused around Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first American Indian to take a degree at Harvard. It is narrated from the point of view of Bethia Mayfield, a girl whose thirst for knowledge is only slaked with great difficulty in Puritan New England.
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/calebs-crossing/
See my complete review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/calebs-crossing/
medium-paced
Based on the true story of the first native American to graduate from Harvard, the story is full of grim reminders of the sad lot of women and minorities in 17th century America. Fascinating.
I can say that I somewhat enjoyed this book. But quite honestly, I had no real idea of where it was going. What were leading up to? It eventually closed out and wrapped things up, but seemed like a much longer book than needs be. And I wasn’t sure about who liked who and what not.
So many histories in this world!
So many thought provoking issues in this story.
All pieced together and beautifully woven by a strong young heroine.
Incredible characters, harsh realities.
How difficult it must have been to have lived in those days.
Insightful and fresh.
Feeling pensive.
So many thought provoking issues in this story.
All pieced together and beautifully woven by a strong young heroine.
Incredible characters, harsh realities.
How difficult it must have been to have lived in those days.
Insightful and fresh.
Feeling pensive.
I was a admittedly a reluctant reader? reluctant starter of Caleb's Crossing. It was a bookclub pick and it didn't hook me immediately but - with encouragement from Audrey - I kept reading and found myself really engaged. I think it helped that I gave up on the one chapter at a time approach and gave myself enough time to get into it. Which seems to have been key. That Bethia was the narrator (as opposed to Caleb) I think is what hooked me more as was the element of her persistent self definition and independence despite the obstacles to that. That the narrative demonstrated how she negotiated her place in her society/community illustrates what I think a number of historians of the era have also articulated and the novel ultimately seems to be about identity and culture and the crossings of the two.