Caleb's Crossing: A Historical Novel by Award-Winning Author Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks transforms a remarkable fragment of history into a luminous narrative in Caleb's Crossing. Based on the true story of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665, this historical fiction novel brings 17th century Martha's Vineyard to vivid life through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator.
About This Historical Fiction Novel
Bethia Mayfield serves as the compelling narrator of this tale, a young woman growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor among pioneers and Puritans. Restless and intellectually curious, Bethia yearns for an education that her sex denies her. She escapes whenever possible to explore the island's beaches and observe the native Wampanoag inhabitants who share the land.
At twelve years old, Bethia encounters Caleb, the young son of a Wampanoag chieftain. The two forge a secret friendship that draws each into the unfamiliar world of the other. This relationship becomes the heart of a story exploring cultural collision, forbidden knowledge, and the transformative power of education.
A Story of Cultural Crossing and Colonial America
Bethia's minister father attempts to convert the Wampanoag people, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman and forcing him to test his own beliefs against indigenous magic. Among his projects is the education of Caleb. A year later, Caleb finds himself in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite at Harvard.
Bethia, reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper, follows to Cambridge where she closely observes Caleb's navigation between two worlds. Through her perspective, readers witness the challenges of cultural assimilation, the price of education, and the intimate struggles of the human heart.
From the Author of Year of Wonders
Like Anna from Brooks's beloved Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide. Her voice carries readers through the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and into the complex spaces where faith, friendship, and identity intersect.
This evocative and absorbing novel showcases why Geraldine Brooks stands among our most acclaimed historical novelists. Caleb's Crossing is a tale of love and faith, magic and adventure, perfect for book clubs and readers who appreciate literary historical fiction grounded in American history.
Available in large print paperback format from Thorndike Core.
