The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | E. L. Konigsburg |
| Products | Young adult novel |
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (2004) is a young adult novel authored by E. L. Konigsburg. It acts as a companion piece to Silent to the Bone, which was released four years after as a prequel. The publisher Simon & Schuster suggests it for readers aged 10 and older.
Setting
The narrative takes place during the summer of 1983 at 19 Schuyler Place, situated in downtown Epiphany, Clarion County—a fictional locale within the Greater New York region.
This setting also features in other works by Konigsburg, such as Silent to the Bone (2000) and The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World (2007). Additionally, The View From Saturday is set in a different middle school district within Epiphany.
Summary
During her summer break, Margaret stays with her Uncles, who have spent 45 years constructing three towers made from scrap metal, glass, and ceramic in their backyard at 19 Schuyler Place—once company housing sold by Tappan Glass Works to workers and immigrant families like the Roses. Despite Old Town’s decline and recent gentrification, the uncles resist efforts by new residents aiming to demolish the towers.
When her Uncles abandon their fight, Margaret initiates a last-ditch effort to preserve the towers. She partners with Jake Kaplan and enlists influential members of the Cultural Preservation Committee through their mothers—longtime Epiphany inhabitants—including art museum director Peter Vanderwaal and Infinitel attorney Loretta Bevilaqua. Their initial objective is to prevent demolition; following Loretta’s counsel, Margaret purchases the towers for one dollar and takes up residence in them. Jake then brings in his mother and the Meadowlarks from Camp Talequa.
In later stages, media coverage buys crucial time; Peter obtains academic validation identifying the towers as exceptional examples of outsider art; meanwhile, Loretta convinces Infinitel to acquire and relocate the towers to a hilltop park overlooking campus, where they are topped with cellular antennas.
Margaret’s success carries mixed emotions: she wishes to celebrate it with her returning parents but recognizes that their relationship has ended. Meanwhile, Tower Hill evolves into a suburban housing development.
Characters
Margaret Rose Kane, aged 12, is the daughter of University Registrar Kane and Naomi Landau, a professor of psychology. She mainly resides with her parents, who are away on vacation until near the story’s conclusion (page 285 of 296 in the Aladdin Paperbacks edition).
Alex and Morris Rose are Margaret's great uncles; their sister was Margaret’s namesake. The brothers emigrated from Hungary in the 1930s or earlier and purchased 19 Schuyler Place from the departing glass factory. They operated "Jewels Bi-Rose," specializing in crystal, ceramics, jewelry, and watches. Morris, skilled in watch repair, now sells digital watches at a mall kiosk due to business decline.
Mrs. Kaplan (Tillie) manages Camp Talequa with strict discipline.
Jake Kaplan, Mrs. Kaplan's son and former handyman at Camp Talequa, is an artist who previously painted billboards.
Peter Vanderwaal, roughly Naomi’s age, grew up next door at 21 Schuyler Place; inspired by the towers, he now leads an art center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
Loretta Bevilaqua, Peter Vanderwaal, and Naomi Landau were all born shortly after World War II. Raised at 17 Schuyler Place, Loretta is a lawyer and executive at Infinitel’s New York City office.
Margaret’s adult supporters Jake, Peter, and Loretta also appear in The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World (2007). Jake is absent father to narrator Amedeo Kaplan, whose appreciation for fine art partly stems from him. Deo lives with his mother Loretta; Peter continues as an important ally.