Lizzie Bright And The Buckminster Boy

Gary D. Schmidt’s Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (2004), an historical novel for young adults, received the Newbery Honor in 2005. It is based on actual events occurring on Malaga Island, Maine in 1912, when the government of Maine placed the residents of the island in a mental hospital and tore down their homes.

Turner Buckminster is the son of a reverend living in Phippsburg, Maine in 1912. Turner has just relocated to Phippsburg from Boston, Massachusetts and finds himself frequently taunted for trivial reasons. Further, the boys he meets in his new town immediately dislike him because he plays baseball differently than they do. Although Turner is uncomfortable in social settings, he develops a friendship with a black girl named Lizzie Bright Griffin. Turner finds himself in the position of having to come to the rescue of Lizzie, her family, and their friends before they have to leave Malaga Island. To do this, he must go up against various authorities, including his own father.

Turner and Lizzie’s friendship leads to a number of confrontations inspired by racism. As these events are narrated, themes such as the role of power when used and abused, and the nature of freedom emerge. It is early in the twentieth century, still in many ways the twilight of the American Civil War. Ongoing tensions linger in the east coast town of Phippsburg where the population includes both conservative white people and blacks who live in poverty on Malaga Island, just across a body of water.

Amid the racial unrest, Turner and Lizzie meet. Paralleling Turner being the son of a minister, Lizzie’s grandfather is a preacher on Malaga. Lizzie is the first person of color Turner has ever met. He is smitten with Lizzie whom he finds to be the most free-spirited and down to earth person he has ever known. His father and everyone in the town are against the friendship of Turner and Lizzie but that does not dissuade Turner from pursuing the relationship. This leads to Turner being punished by his father; it also fuels the desire of the town to find a way to evict the residents of Malaga Island and turn the land into a tourist location.

As time goes on, Turner seems to have a knack for getting into difficult situations. Following one especially bad event, Turner’s father requires that he go and read to Mrs. Cobb, an angry old woman. Following another situation, Turner is forced to play the organ for Mrs. Cobb. Finally, Turner and Mrs. Cobb develop something of a friendship. This relationship, as unexpected as it might have been, reaches the point where Mrs. Cobb lets Lizzie into her home with Turner. Meanwhile, the conflicts grow in the town, putting more and more pressure on Reverend Buckminster to join with the wealthy and powerful residents of the town to destroy Malaga Island and remove the residents. The reverend is torn as he tries to keep the people happy and to keep his son under control. Turner continually ignores the rules, sneaking across to Malaga. In addition to disciplining Turner, Buckminster wants to encourage him to mature and make decisions for himself.

Farther into the story, Lizzie is injured, and Turner seeks help for her. While doing so, he sees a whale. He looks into the eyes of the creature and feels somehow changed. He begins to think about what such a feeling of change might really mean. Soon after this, Mrs. Cobb dies. Turner finds that the elderly woman has left him her house. This raises the ire of the people of Phippsburg who try to force Turner to sell the home to them so they might use it as part of the proposed resort community. Turner refuses to sell and, to his surprise, is supported by his father. This only serves to increase the desire of the wealthy citizens of the town to get rid of the people of Malaga Island. The two communities eventually engage in a confrontation that leads to the accidental death of Reverend Buckminster and finds members of the Malaga Island community, Lizzie among them, being sent to in insane asylum where eventually she and many others die.

After Lizzie’s death, Turner feels adrift and confused. He does not know if he can live his life in a way consistent with the changes that knowing Lizzie inspired in him. In a first step, he remains firm and refuses to sell the house left to him by Mrs. Cobb. He decides to keep it for himself and his family. Seeing a whale again has him thinking about his beliefs and he feels that he has done the right thing.