Caleb's Crossing question

I am selecting books from the Chautauqua reading list (http://ciweb.org/phocadownload/Litera...) — partly because it's a challenge, partly because there are interesting choices here. I'm working from the more recent years and just finished "Brookland," by Emily Barton. My next choice was "Caleb's Crossing," by Geraldine Brooks. To my chagrin, both historical novels feature a strong central female protagonist/narrator who blames herself (and her "sins") for the trials and tribulations of her mother and younger sister. From my modern viewpoint, such blame is misbegotten and it was hard enough to read one novel with this central conflict, let alone two. Can anyone provide the incentive I need to continue reading? :-)