A Day With A Book
What a great, luxurious Veterans' Day. I treated myself to a CPL copy of Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks. It's weird how that when I'm thirsty for reading, I actually check out a book and read it, rather than endure exercises in reading comprehension, context clues, or even that great Holy Grail of education, critical thinking. People who howl the loudest about the lack of critical thinking in others are very often on the darndest bandwagons.
Caleb's Crossing isn't my typical fare, but Brooks is such a remarkable writer, and the story is so compelling, that I had trouble putting it down until about 2 PM today. In one scene, the protaganist, Bethia Mayfield, is explaining the concept of original sin to a young Wampanoag she has befriended, and he's bewildered by the concept in spite of her insistence that it makes sense. It all reminds me of the poor individuals who have tried to
