Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy is beautifully written. Schmidt has interwoven metaphors that flow perfectly with the story and pinpoint images exactly for instant visual understanding. The words have color and texture and make you want to slow down and hold them and cherish them before moving on.
There are so many thoughts and emotions and issues blended into this story. The historical theme is the decimation of a community of poor, powerless people for the purpose of building a tourist resort. The other major theme is a boy’s struggle to find and stick to the right path when the majority (including his father, the minister) are pressuring him to do something else. It is unfortunate that he cannot discuss his thoughts and actions with his disapproving, unbending father (who is undergoing his own struggle).
The story doesn’t end how I want it to end because it is based on actual events that took place in the Phippsburg, Maine area in 1912. However, there is hope of positive changes to come in the town of Phippsburg.
I highly recommend this book. It is a great one to share with others.
related-race, clergy, Maine history, noncomformity
RL=6th-adult
It isn’t difficult to read, but I suspect it would have more meaning for adults, older teens, and people who have had to suffer some form of isolation.
For those interested, there is discussion on this book in the BookAdvice forums under historical fiction.
