CALEB'S CROSSING by Geraldine Brooks

Finished We 5/l6/l2

CALEB'S CROSSING is in the style of a 'young adult' novel, but the writing is vastly superior to anything geared toward children. The novel is narrated by a young girl from the 17th century who lives on Martha's Vineyard, and her language is beautifully descriptive and extremely evocative of that historical era. The story is loosely based on a real event, and I found it most strange to learn that Harvard was formed to teach both American and Native American youth. The founders of the college felt that by educating the Indians, they would become better Christians. I was completely taken with the novel, and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in an historical novel, or even a 'coming of age' tale.

This novel was the selection for my Contemporary Book Club for May, 2012.