I
love a book with a map, so I was excited to flip through the first few pages of
Caleb’s Crossing and find a map of Martha’s Vineyard. Better yet, there was also a reproduction of
a historical document. I love historical
novels. I love novels based on true
stories. I knew I was going to love this
book before I got to chapter 1.
I
was not disappointed.
Beautifully
written in first person as the confessional of a young girl (in the first two
parts at least, in the last she writes as an old woman), Caleb’s Crossing
documents the journey of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard.
Bethia
is a smart girl, smarter than her older brother, Makepeace, and she wants to
learn. But she’s a girl, and girls in
the American colonies in the 1660s had their place. It was not in the schoolroom. Much of Bethia’s education was gained by
listening-in to the lessons Makepeace learnt from their father. But she also received an entirely different
education from her secret childhood friend, Caleb, a native of Martha’s
Vineyard.
The
earlier parts of the book give a sense of freedom through the wilderness of the
island and Bethia’s roaming to gather food for the family. As Bethia grows, her life becomes more and
more restricted, especially when she moves to the mainland to work at her
brother’s school and then as a buttery maid at Harvard. The choices Bethia makes to improve her
education and pursue her love of learning, reflect some of the sacrifices that
Caleb must make to do the same.
If
anything, the last portion of the novel could have had more romance, more
immediacy like the earlier parts. Instead,
an old woman looks back and summarises the intervening years, including Caleb’s
graduation and demise. But as I enjoyed
the beginning of the book so much I can forgive this small fault.
For
a writer, this book is a study in how to use archaic language and phrasing in a
modern and engaging way. The words keep
the reader firmly grounded in the past.
Not once did I have to stop and think, ‘Oh, that’s right, it’s 1660.’ I was there from the first line to the last.
Best
Bit of Caleb’s Crossing:
For with his name came an idea of
who he truly was. And with that
knowledge came the venom of temptation that would inflame my blood.
– Geraldine Brooks
