Plot Summary
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers, and Turner's, want to change into a tourist spot
Critical Analysis
Its 1912 and 13 year old Turner Buckminster and his family have just moved to Phippsburg, Maine from Boston where Turners father in the new minister of the First Congregational Church. Turner has a hard time fitting in. Everything is different, they even play baseball differently in Maine. Then one day Turner meets Lizzie, an African-American girl from nearby Malaga Island. Lizzie teaches him how to play Maine style baseball, how to harvest clams, and takes him out in her boat to watch the whales. Everything changes when the town elders plan to boost the towns economy with tourism and decide that the African-American community of former slaves on Malaga Island needs to be removed. Through a series of tragic events we witness the growth of Turner from the miserable boy who first arrived into a thoughtful, compassionate young man.
This novel is based on the true story of the removal of the residents of Malaga Island and Schmidt does a good job building credible characters that touch the readers emotions. It is a tragic story of greed and power. There is no happily-ever-after, but I believe readers will connect with the honesty of the characters and story.
In 1911, Turner Buckminster hates his new home of Phippsburg, Maine, but things improve when he meets Lizzie Bright Griffin, a girl from a poor, nearby island community founded by former slaves that the town fathers, and Turner's, want to change into a tourist spot
Critical Analysis
Its 1912 and 13 year old Turner Buckminster and his family have just moved to Phippsburg, Maine from Boston where Turners father in the new minister of the First Congregational Church. Turner has a hard time fitting in. Everything is different, they even play baseball differently in Maine. Then one day Turner meets Lizzie, an African-American girl from nearby Malaga Island. Lizzie teaches him how to play Maine style baseball, how to harvest clams, and takes him out in her boat to watch the whales. Everything changes when the town elders plan to boost the towns economy with tourism and decide that the African-American community of former slaves on Malaga Island needs to be removed. Through a series of tragic events we witness the growth of Turner from the miserable boy who first arrived into a thoughtful, compassionate young man.
This novel is based on the true story of the removal of the residents of Malaga Island and Schmidt does a good job building credible characters that touch the readers emotions. It is a tragic story of greed and power. There is no happily-ever-after, but I believe readers will connect with the honesty of the characters and story.
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