Geraldine Brooks is an incredibly gifted writer. She conveys a historical time not just through her descriptions of places, people, and events, but through the choice of words and manner of expression of her characters. Caleb's Crossing is as beautifully written as her earlier novels, yet as a work of fiction, I feel it falls flat. Titular character Caleb is actually not the main character, but rather is seen through the eyes of Bethia, daughter of a minister working to convert the native population of Martha's Vineyard in the mid-1660s. We learn a great deal about the life of a girl in those times, but I never felt that the character of Caleb truly came alive, and I finished the book with no greater insight into his soul than when I started. Geraldine Brooks's books are always worth reading, yet I can't give it more than 3 stars. It was fine, but I wouldn't consider this one of her great works.