Caleb's Crossing

A Novel

By: Geraldine Brooks

Narrated by: Jennifer Ehle

Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times best seller People of the Book. Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life.

In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure. The narrator of Caleb's Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At 12, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures.

Like Brooks' beloved narrator Anna in Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, Caleb's Crossing further establishes Brooks's place as one of our most acclaimed novelists.

©2011 Geraldine Brooks (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

“Caleb’s Crossing could not be more enlightening and involving. Beautifully written from beginning to end, it reconfirms Geraldine Brooks’ reputation as one of our most supple and involving novelists.” (Jane Smiley, The New York Times Book Review)

“Brooks filters the early colonial era through the eyes of a minister’s daughter growing up on the island known today as Martha’s Vineyard…[Bethia’s] voice - rendered by Brooks with exacting attention to the language and rhythm of the 17th century - is captivatingly true to her time.” (The New Yorker)

“A dazzling act of the imagination. . .Brooks takes the few known facts about the real Caleb, and builds them into a beautifully realized and thoroughly readable tale…this is intimate historical fiction, observing even the most acute sufferings and smallest heroic gestures in the context of major events.” (Matthew Gilbert, The Boston Globe)

Fabulous Story, Stilted Narration

The story was wonderfully engaging, despite the stilted pronunciation from the narrator. Brooks' word choice reflects the vocabulary of the era, so it didn't need exaggeration from the narrator, and I found that distracting. Geraldine Brooks always tells a great story, enhanced by historical information and details of the natural world.

narration made the story

The narration was an excellent balance between authentic 17th c vernacular and an accessible, understandable 21st c listen. Jennifer Ehle's voice is beautiful, yet firm -- a perfect reflection of the narrator - Bethia - a bright girl chafing under the limitations of 17th c social and economic strictures. I came to the audiobook w/ anticipation from Jennifer Ehle's wonderful performance in Pride and Prejudice, and, surprisingly, in Contagion, and she did not disappoint -- I thought her careful enunciation conveyed the formality of Colonial speech in an understandable way for a modern listener. I also read the book after listening on my walks, and it helped to have heard the unfamiliar Native words and names as I encountered them in print. I thought Geraldine Brooks created a rich story from a history that has very little primary or even secondary source material, and especially enjoyed the addition of the perspective of a Pilgrim girl the same age as the Native boys. My only criticism is that some of the story is kind of soap-opera-y, but maybe the author is anticipating a movie? The book inspired me to visit Martha's Vineyard and Aquinnah, and I got a deep sense of the landscape from Brooks' narrative -- even with the tourist trappings around it, the cliffs and meadows and hills are spectacular -- you really appreciate the home Caleb and Joel left when they "crossed over."

Super strong girl women who dared what if.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes as I know that friends would love this book like I did.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Caleb's Crossing?

How hard life must have been and the plain make sense part about growing corn.

the language was delicious

I learned unfamiliar words. Rich context and beautiful way of describing such a difficult story.

So beautifully written

I was swept away by the gorgeous writing and the depth and the breadth of the characters’ experiences that weave this remarkable story. Thank you Geraldine Brooks for luring me into the 17th century as I believe it to have been. No anachronism jerked me away from the time and place of Bethia’s world.

Such a great story!

"Fictional" novel...yet, so factual! I loved the non-biased storyline. The story was very compelling and heartfelt.

Wonderful book!

Having read Mayflower and enjoyed some years ago, this book was like a continuation of the story. I could hardly stop listening!

Riviting

Where does Caleb's Crossing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best books I read in a long time. The history factor was fascinating, and the story was good. Had issues with so many deaths, but it worked itself out in the end.

What other book might you compare Caleb's Crossing to and why?

Don't have any comparisons. This was a book group pick and we never know what will be selected as they usually vary.

What about Jennifer Ehle’s performance did you like?

Yes, I did like her performance made the characters so real.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listen while I travel to projects and while doing light work around the house.

Any additional comments?

I love to read, but it seems with a busy schedule I just don't have the time and feel guilty just sitting (although I do do this in the winter when my schedule permits me to sit in front of the fire). Audible allows me to listen when driving to clients and doing meanial tasks in the yard, or just enjoying the outdoors.

Excellent!

Superb story, and very well performed in the audio. The narrator is brilliant! I highly recommend it. Order it now.

This book deserves a better narrator

Would you try another book from Geraldine Brooks and/or Jennifer Ehle?

Geraldine Brooks offers a well-researched story with evocative details of time and place. About halfway through decided to skip the Audible version and go to the printed word because Jennifer Ehle's narrative was so bad as to be distracting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bethia was the only character I was deeply involved with. I'd have like deeper development of her brother, I think he can be rendered more realistically and as less of a cad (in the context of his time and mores). I'd like to know more of Caleb's interior life -- the title character, but never fully realized.

How could the performance have been better?

Ehle's stilted English disturbed the reader's involvement with the story. It's one thing to enunciate clearly, but this reading lacked flow for the determination to enunciate syllables in a way that would never be heard in conversational English.

Do you think Caleb's Crossing needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No need, the book stands on its own.