Caleb8217;s Crossing

This is historical fiction at its finest. Brooks assumes the voice of a time,while artfully blending the lyrical and concise: 8221;He is coming on the Lord8217;s Day. Though my father has not seen fit to give me the news,I have the whole of it.8221;

Brooks also brings to life a little-known time and place,Martha8217;s Vineyard in the 1600s,and the history behind the United States8217; oldest institute of higher learning.

Finally,and perhaps most interestingly,an unusual friendship between an American Indian boy and a young girl hungry for knowledge and ahead of her time in many ways illuminates two cultures that continue to clash in many ways today.

One of the novel8217;s few shortcomings is its pacing,which sometimes feels a bit plodding despite the story8217;s inherent drama. Shipwrecks,fatal illnesses,even an accidental drowning; all feel similarly accepted and overcome with the austerity of the time. Of course,it also is possible this was all part of a masterful writer8217;s original intent.