I just read the beautifully illustrated graphic novel BLUFFTON by Matt Phelan.
Matt Phelan's watercolor illustrations are a work of art and perfectly depict the magic and imagination of summers in the early 1900s.
It's the summer of 1908 and Bluffton was the name of a small neighborhood on the western bank of Muskegon Lake in Michigan. Bluffton is also a wonderful story of friendship and big dreams. The story is a fictionalized look at summers in an actors' colony and the early life of Buster Keaton ... with just the right amount of history sprinkled throughout.
It's a fast paced book with creative segues between summers.
Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book. It may inspire you to read a bit more about Buster Keaton or The Actors' Colony at Bluffton, which existed in Muskegon Michigan from 1908 - 1938.
Also check out...
Buster Keaton's film The General on YouTube
For me, this book lead me to look into the Gerry Society or as it's known in our house... the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. It was interesting to me how the Society was seen in such a negative light for the Keatons. It just goes to show that even the best intentions can have flaws.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
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