The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson – Plot Synopsis – Book Ten: Boston
After the trial the family expect life to return to normal, but they feel uncomfortable having been used to the freedom of the island. Billy, as an orphaned black boy is looked down by society and ex-seaman Ben is also ostracised by Boston society as beneath them.
To the family’s horror, David is arrested and thrown into gaol. The family discover that Kwang Sen, who has his own vendetta against the family, has hired a top lawyer to get the murder trial reopened on the grounds that the original trial was improperly conducted.
The family find their lives beginning to come apart. Ben feels uncomfortable working for Oscar, and Oscar encourages this discomfort, wanting to rid himself of this embarrassing relative. Oscar finally convinces Ben that Joanna would be better off without him and gives Ben money to go away and start a new life in Australia.
Joanna discovers this at the last minute and stops Ben as the ship is about to sail.
Billy feels redundant and resents being treated like a pet, as he sees it. He disappears, much to Christina’s distress. He is driven to steal a loaf of bread out of hunger. Suddenly he is grabbed by a gang of men.
Christina, distressed at Billy’s disappearance goes off in search of him. She gets herself lost in the woods, but is rescued by Ernst.
David is finally vindicated at the second trial and released. The family, thoroughly disenchanted with “civilisation” decide to return to their island. An envoy from the President asks David to claim the island for America and become its first governor. Ernst and Emily decide to stay in Boston and pursue their own careers
On board ship the family are delighted to be reunited with Billy, who had been press-ganged as a cabin boy by the group of men we saw earlier.
The family return to their island with Billy and other settlers – to renew their old life and start a new colony. The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson are far from over…