Geraldine Brooks is known for her compelling historical novels, and Caleb’s Crossing does not disappoint. The story of Caleb, the first Native American Indian Harvard graduate, is narrated by young Bethia Mayfield, daughter of the local minister who begin’s Caleb’s education. Bethia, constrained by the puritanical times of the 1600s, forms a forbidden friendship with young Caleb, learning about the life of his tribe and their surroundings on beautiful Martha’s Vineyard. Their friendship takes her to Cambridge, where she is indentured as a housekeeper and where she can observe the changes in her friend. This is a beautiful and absorbing story!