Last year I had the pleasure of interviewing author Geraldine Brooks prior to the release of her novel, CALEB’S CROSSING. Today I have the pleasure to share that Geraldine’s book is now available in paperback.Thanks to Geraldine and Rebecca at Penguin, I have a copy of CALEB’S CROSSING to offer as a giveaway to one lucky visitor who comments on today’s post by 8 p.m. (EST) on Friday, June 8. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to include your e-mail address with your comments if it’s not included in your profile.
Here’s a little bit about the story:
CALEB’S CROSSING is inspired by the life of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665. Brooks first learned about him during her time as a Radcliffe fellow at Harvard in 2006. Caleb was from the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans who lived on Martha’s Vineyard and this year Tiffany Smalley will become the second Vineyard Wampanoag to graduate from Harvard. There is little official information on Caleb’s life and Brooks’ novel is an informed imagining of what he might have gone through.
CALEB’S CROSSING is inspired by the life of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College in 1665. Brooks first learned about him during her time as a Radcliffe fellow at Harvard in 2006. Caleb was from the Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans who lived on Martha’s Vineyard and this year Tiffany Smalley will become the second Vineyard Wampanoag to graduate from Harvard. There is little official information on Caleb’s life and Brooks’ novel is an informed imagining of what he might have gone through.
What makes this novel truly special is its narrator, Bethia Mayfield. Bethia is the strong-willed daughter of a preacher who lives in the settlement of Great Harbor on Martha’s Vineyard. She struggles with the restrictions placed on her—namely, that she is denied the education freely given to her brother. Bethia finds respite in the wild landscape of her home and it is while clamming one day that she meets Caleb, the son of a local chieftain. They form a secret friendship that, in time, leads to Caleb coming to live with the Mayfields. Bethia’s father eagerly takes Caleb under his wing, determined not only to convert him to Christianity, but also to groom him for matriculation to Cambridge and eventually, Harvard.
The harsh realities of life for both women and Native Americans are fully confronted in CALEB’S CROSSING. It is a story of difficult friendships, cultural transitions, and facing injustices.
For more about the interview with Geraldine and background on the book, check out the prior post.
For more about Geraldine and her writing, visit her website.
Do you remember hearing about Caleb?
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Remember to comment for a chance to win a paperback edition of CALEB’S CROSSING.
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