Caleb’s Crossing is the new book by Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize winning author of March and People of the Book.  Caleb’s Crossing tells the little known story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, the first Native American to graduate from Harvard in 1665.

There is little known about this extraordinary man and his life growing up on what is today Martha’s Vinyard, and then finally travelling to Cambridge. Brooks has created a wonderful piece of historical fiction imagining his life and times, as two cultures come together and often clash.

The book is told from the point of view of a colonist he meets as a youth, Bethia, the minister’s daughter, who he names Storm Eyes. I loved this novel and found it very interesting, yet it was much more Bethia’s story than Calebs’. She was denied an education because she was a girl, yet she always listened in on the boy’s studies while doing her chores. She is a fascinating character in her own right.

Whether you read it to learn about a small piece of history or simply to read a really good story, it is a beautifully written book, well worth reading.