"Geraldine Brooks is worth reading. No matter the subject, she can spin a story from the barest of threads. Her latest novel, “Caleb’s Crossing” (Viking, 2011), exemplifies her talents.

From an obscure reference to an unlikely Harvard graduate, she re-creates an elapsed time and place through the eyes of a remarkable young woman. In 2006, Ms. Brooks moved from Virginia to Martha’s Vineyard with her husband, author Tony Horwitz, and their family.

Though she has lived in far flung places — she was born and raised in Australia and as a long-time war correspondent lived in Bosnia, Somalia and the Middle East — the little island seven miles across the Nantucket Sound from mainland Massachusetts worked its magic on her. True to her nature, she dug into the history of the place and its people. In her research, she found a map prepared by the Wampanoag noting significant places and history of their people which mentioned “Caleb, Harvard class of 65.”

Thinking of the 1960s civil rights era, she assumed Caleb was the first local native person to graduate from Harvard. She was correct, just off by 300 years. Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk graduated from Harvard in 1665, a scholar proficient in Latin, Greek and Hebrew as well as English and his own Wampanoag tongue. Her search for more about his young man led her to Harvard’s archives, as well as to an archeological dig in Harvard Yard of the mid-1660s Indian College. She hopes Harvard will include mention of Caleb and other native scholars in their 375th celebrations."

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BOOK NOTES: 'Caleb's Crossing' (The Princetown Packet 10/31)