Case 12
- Novels, Banks Peninsula
Essie Summers. The Bay of Nightingales. London: Mills & Boon, 1970.
The author knew many of Banks Peninsula’s bays and hills close to Christchurch from her youth. In those years, she must have required both stamina and a trusty bicycle to visit them. Her characters have the benefit of motor or ferry transport to reach their destinations.
In The Bay of the Nightingales, the focus is upon Akaroa Harbour, where many European settlers were French, a heritage still proudly preserved. As always, her account of local routes, landmarks and geography is impeccable. The title refers to an area close to French Farm, which looks across the harbour at bays en route to Akaroa village.
Essie Summers. Through all the Years. London: Mills & Boon, 1974.
Through All the Years includes the hero and heroine of No orchids by request, and a return to that special area, 'Harvest Moon Bay'. A newcomer, Thomasina (Tamsin) arrives after an unexpected windfall. She finds a new family there, but it takes a natural disaster to spell out her future.
Essie Summers. To Bring you Joy. London: Mills & Boon, 1985.
One of the remote headlands on Banks Peninsula was renamed 'Port Beauchamp' by Summers when it took centre stage in To Bring You Joy. The novel also pays homage to past generations and their antique treasures, both elements familiar from Bay of the Nightingales and Essie’s earlier fiction.
Essie Summers. Design for Life. Sutton, Surrey: Severn House, 1997.
In Summers' last novel, Design for Life, she returns toan area familiar from childhood. The location is 'Hauroko Bay', near Diamond Harbour, a cove on the southern side of Lyttelton Harbour. There, a farmhouse from pioneering days awaits restoration, and the heroine is just the person for the task. Her new employer is a farmer who is also a successful writer, and the couple find both professional and personal challenges in their seaside environment.
