The Master of Tawhai--Notes

"The sign says his name is Satan, honey."
(Giphy)

Literature: (17) A bull named Mephistopheles trees her, (36) Without knowing Forrest for any time at all, Rowena suggests that he favors Penny over Lindsay in the manner of Isaac favoring Jacob over Esau, (63) He compares her to Katharina in The Taming of the Shrew, (67) Forrest plays 'The Spring Song', 'Where'er You Walk', Westering Home', 'The Eriskay Love Lilt' and 'The Bells of St. Mary' on the piano, (79) She wants to go to bed early and he calls her Miss Methusaleh, (86) He forecasts the weather and she thinks of him as King Canute who will not find that the wind and weather will obey his will, (95) On Anzac Day she reads a memorial. "On holy mountains, out of the lap of the dawn, the dew of Thy young soldiery offers itself to Thee", (96) Another memorial window at the church reads "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, (122) Rowena reads the writings of early settler, Lady Barker, which alerts her to sheep fleeing a massive storm, (135) The family sings together. One song is 'Galway Bay', (136) Forrest puts a poem to music by Jane East, an Australian writer:

I have loved green--the green of lovely things;
The pale, flat discs of new nasturtium leaves,
The feathers of a mountain-parrot's wings,
The first frail grass that Spring, new-awakened weaves;
And depthless pools where tides have ceased to run,
And winter apples hanging in the sun!

I have loved green--bright-dropping beads of jade,
Soft pussy-willow silk with silvery folds,
Books with green covers carelessly arrayed,
And emerald bottles capped with tinselled golds!
But the green wonder of your laughing eyes
Stirs me each time, O Love, to new surprise!

Locations: (10) Tawhai Hills is beyond the Rangitata  (This is a fascinating article which references Lady Barker and this area. It talks a lot about the famous Canterbury winds.),

(Giphy)

(104) When Forrest takes Rowena to the family seaside home, they travel through Takahe, (122) They travel through the Rakaia Gorge to Lake Coleridge (also referenced in that winds article), (172) When the flash flood hits, Five Forks is used as a rendezvous point.

New Zealand: (13) Rowena is thirsty but declines to drink from a stream for fear of hydatids, (26) Rowena thinks a 14-pound salmon is quite large but the minister's wife says it's small for New Zealand, (27) the minister's wife doesn't like mutton-birds (too fishy). She recommends whitebait, kumeras, Maoris sweet potatoes, toheroas, shell-fish... Rowena is introduced to 'baches', though in Otago they call small beach cottages 'cribs', (34) Forrest tells Rowena she'd be terrified by a Maori haka, (39) Morning tea is served at ten which equalled elevenses at home, (41) Forrest is quick to say he belonged to the New Zealand Navy, not the Navy, (47) the doctor threatens to 'bung' (British Slang. to throw or shove carelessly or violently; sling.) 

Let she who has not had technical difficulties,
bung the first computer.
(Giphy)

Forrest into the hospital, (53) Forrest introduces a Maori shearer named Fergus McLaren and tells her there's been so much intermarriage that you can't go by names. Pakehas have adopted some Maori names like Ngaio, Huia and Tiaki, (59) Rowena polishes a kauri bannister, (72) she references a belisha beacon (which is more British, I think), (80) New Zealand birds are listed: bell-birds, tuis, and moreporks. Also, they are preparing to go on a pig hunt which surprises her, (82) the first home at Tawhai Hills was wattle-and-daub, then raupo. His great-grandfather came in December 1850 with the First Four Ships on the Charlotte Jane. An old man nearby can remember the Maori Wars. (93) N.Z.'s only eagle went extinct before white colonialization, (95) they celebrate Anzac Day, (109) they enter the D.I.C. lounge, (128) Lindsay spends her time 'swotting', (129) N.Z. surprises Rowena by celebrating the Queen's Birthday on the Monday nearest June 3rd since the reign of George V, (145) Helen speaks at both the Women's Institute and the Women's Division, (152) Rowena is called an excellent 'rouseabout', (166) Forrest tells her he's seen the Aurora Australis, (170) Forrest confesses to working a 'slinter' with Aunt Lavinia to get Rowena away for the day, (184) Lindsay, though 20, is still a minor and can't marry without her uncle's consent.

"I'm sure we have his blessing anyway!"
(Giphy)

Manse Life: (25) The minister's wife is named Nancy, a laughing, copper-headed girl who looks nothing to Rowena like what she is, (28) Nancy says that parish cars always impoverish a minister. "Another bill for thiry or forty pounds would have rocked our budget completely. We call that car 'The Millstone', (30) Nancy only smokes cigarettes to feel wicked and worldly when she is getting too fed up with parishioners. She also smokes one when she's feeling too saintly--it gets her back to everyday levels, (95) three ministers of different denominations take part in Anzac Day services at the chapel on the estate, St. John-in-the-Wilderness--Presbyterian, Anglican and Methodist.

The Time and The Place--Notes

Locations: (5) Kate meets Hugh while hiking  on a high bank overlooking the Motor Highway on the Cashmere Hills, above the Canterbury Plains, (6) they stop in a layby on top of the watershed that divides Lyttelton Harbor from the Plains with a scenic look-out, (11) St. Enoch's is in Kahikatea Valley, (13) Victoria Park is above the school and her home, (26) Ken the Fink's mother lives in Timaru, (35) Hugh and Kate travel to Oamaru to deliver Roddy home to his father after his mother dies, (67) Hugh runs her out to Paekakariki with a picnic hamper during the teaching conference, (68) on this same trip they see Kapiti, the island bird sanctuary,

You, me, a bird sanctuary.
What could go wrong?
(Giphy)

(69) the Rector tells her he taught at a school not far from Slough, England

Literary references: (10) There is an inscription under the cross-beam of the eatery they stop at: "Jog on, jog on the footpath way and merrily hent the stile-a, A merry heart goes all the day--your sad tires in a mile-a." (18) He says to her, "A Daniel come to judgement!...O wise young judge!", (46) Kate is reading a book and quotes a character asking, "Is yon lad a man to ride the water with, lassie?" (55) I suspect Essie is quoting herself when she has Kate quote a poem: "No moon? But overhead the stars are bright! No moon? What need have we of heavenly light When you blue eyes, like moonlit skies Are burning bright?" and then she thinks of the Victorian-era Robert Browning poem, "Never the time, the place and the loved one--all together!"

Victorians were the first to discover that
the forehead was an erogenous zone.
(Giphy)

(56) "If 'twere done...'twere well it were done quickly.", (60) the Rector references the Old Testament figure of Methuselah when speaking of his age, (61) the boys call the Rector 'Bulldog Drummond', (93) They see the play The Middle Watch, (120) Hugh tells her he likes her a little disordered and quotes Herrick's poem Delight in Disorder, (125) He quotes Shakespeare: "Methinks the lady doth protest too much." (137) The line I always think of when I think of this book is from Kipling "And he learned about women from her!" (147) He announces their engagement to the whole school by singing 'Where'er You Walk' followed by 'A Gordon for Me' (173) Kate laughs when Della tries to tell her that Hugh and she are lovers. Kate references the Old Testament story of Potipher's Wife, (187) Kate tells Ken that she was in love with the Rector quite early on. "When the true gods come, the false gods go."

Ladies and gentlemen,
The moment you've been waiting for...
The pride of Easter Island!
(Giphy)

New Zealand: (20) Ken is a former All Black rugby player, (28) Kate draws the 'child allowance' for Beth, just as every parent in the country does, (37) on their way to deliver Roddy to his father, Hugh points out the sod fences built by early pioneers, (38) Roddy shows them his Meccano set, (43) The Rector wants the school to have a soccer team as well as rugby for the students whose parents come from out of the country, (47) Ken has 'footer' practice, (76) Kate references articles that the marriage council publishes, (106) piggy-back is called pick-a-back, (117) Ken doesn't miss a rugby match, especially ones that play for the Ranfurly shield, (119) Kate collects 'wattle' or mimosa for the Rector's rooms, (134) Kate thinks that Hugh would prefer a table cloth to 'table-mates' or place-mats

Bachelors Galore--Notes

Clothes: I didn't take a copious list of the clothes in this book but I wish I had. Essie uses it to great effect. Marty allows Joy Logie to help her shop for several dances because Joy was an orphan and she wants to allow Joy to do a little vicarious shopping. This leads to one outfit that is a bit TOO sweet and young.

But she could dance in it...
(Giphy)

But Marty wears it just to be kind and is subsequently sneered at by Louise. Genius. There is meaning both coming and going. After Marty trashes a purple gown because of his unkind words, Philip pays 25 guineas he can ill-afford for a lavender dress that Joy gives to Marty as though it comes from her.

Food: (29) They enjoy a banana split and an iced drink after Philip's pilgrimage to his father's grave, (55) Joy has passion-fruit jam in the larder that Marty isn't sure what to do with at first, (63) Philip assumes that Marty is short-cutting the meals because the housekeeping is so difficult. Instead of a picnic, he finds her serving steak-and-kidney pudding, baked potatoes, cauliflower in white sauce and apple pie.

Take THAT skeptical bachelor!
(Giphy)

(70) After Marty nearly murders the cows, she serves the tired farmers (and interested vet) mutton, roasted carrots and potatoes, baked pumpkin and cream of celery soup, (134) THE Hervington-Blairs hold a dance at their station and serve breakfast at dawn. Bacon, eggs, coffee, tea, mounds of toast. (137) Joy fixes pineapple juice over iced water and ginger ale. (139) Joy and Marty cook beetroot and 18 pounds of steak to feed the shearers but thunderstorms have put them off. (142) After a day of travel, they feed the children cornflakes and make themselves a mixed grill of bacon, egg, sausage and tomato. (166) Marty makes bacon-and-egg pies to take to the crew working on the midnight harvest.

Locations: (23) Curacao is where she babysits all the ship's children on the shore and Philip tells her she sacrificed just so the parents could go on a bender, (23) The ship goes through the Panama Canal where we see "...burly, good-natured natives and United States Security Police (31) They finally see a long line of cloud on the grey horizon which signifies that they are nearly at New Zealand or Aotearoa, the-land-of-the-long-white-cloud.  (33) They make land-fall in Wellington Harbor. (122) Philip's home is near Rakaia. (141) They pass the town of Cheviot on their trip to the Logie's holiday house. "A little village with an English air." (147) Joy tells of how she ran away from Len before they were married and went to the Chatham Islands. "Very remote, primitive, though improved of late." Her prospective mother-in-law chartered a boat to get her back.

New Zealand: (39) Philip tells Marty there is not much tipping.

Your money is no good here, little English girl.
(Giphy)

(40) a Maori woman explains how Maori names are pronounced. (I suspect that she was also included here to show that New Zealand accommodations weren't racially segregated unlike some places Essie could name...*cough*.) (42) a pa is a Maori village (45) a nor-wester hits them. Moisture-laden winds that drop their moisture in the Alps and race across the plains as hot, dry winds. But they make wonderful conditions for sheep "No foot-rot. Too dry." (49) A farm hand is off doing his 3-months of military service. (51) New Zealand was fighting hydatids. They'll win when all the farmers dose their dogs regularly and stop feeding them raw offal. (59) Fields are called paddocks here. (74) Families that came over on the Charlotte Jane are to New Zealand what Mayflower families are to the U.S. (84) Marty studies the road code booklet and we get lots of tips about things like how fast one should go through townships, (140) Philip has a whare (a small cabin) near the Logie's, (151) Philip sneaks Marty away from Louise's drunk friends to see glow worms, (158) New Zealand had a Marriage Guidance Council

Vicarage Life: Essie was married to a Presbyterian minister and when she speaks about ministers and manses, I often think she was speaking about her own life. Reverend Fergus MacNeill helps the emigrating passengers. (36) He races off the ship to meet his wife, Rachel, who tells him she's been using the manse glebe to raise pigs for sale. She rakes in a tidy profit. (36) When Marty says she's Anglican, not Presbyterian, Philip says Fergus would visit her if she was a Roman Catholic or a Communist. (58) When the power goes out, Marty thinks of her father (a minister) who said that a house is never really your own until you can walk comfortably around it in the dark. (77) Fergus gets 300 pounds a year on car allowance because of the large distances traveled in his work, (113) the padre is the MC of the local dance. "There's no end to what you get dragged into." (166) Fergus is one of the men working in the dead of night to get the harvest in before the storms.

Literature: (101) Louise reminds Marty of "Tiger, tiger, burning bright, in the forest of the night...", (112) Marty quotes, "Oh it is excellent To have a giant's strength, but it is tyrannous To use it as a giant!", (115) Noel West takes her to see the play The Young Elizabeth, (117) and then whistles Greensleeves, (119) Philip takes her to see Macbeth (121) and after wards she thinks of "old, unhappy, far-off things." (123) Philip tries to comfort her with a line from the play: "Give sorrow words...the grief that does not speak, whispers the o'er fraught heart and bid it break." (134) At THE Hervington-Blair's party, they end by singing the Doxology, (147) Joy quotes: "Little Orphan Annie's come to our house to stay, To wash the cups and saucers up and brush the crumbs away, (160) Philip whistles a tune that goes 'Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise, Birds in the trees keep in singing Louise, Each little sigh tells me that I...Adore you, Louise!"

Philip, Philip, Philip...
(Giphy)

(167) During the midnight harvest, Marty hears the men singing: "This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall, Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands; This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, This England." (168) After delivering the tea to the men she quotes Shakespeare, "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank."

Heatherleigh--Notes

These posts are meant to be sort of clearinghouses of all the fun little details to be found in the novels of Essie Summers. I've missed some things in Heatherleigh but I think I got most of it. In future, most of these things will only be brought up if they are particularly special to a novel. But I thought I'd throw the whole kitchen sink at this one. (Where possible, I'm including page numbers for my edition which may not correspond to other editions but, in a book that is 190 pages long, will give you a rough idea of where to look.)

Location:

Oamaru, North Otago, New Zealand

Literary mentions:
29--Books on Muir Buchanan's bedside table: "...a couple of whodunits from the library in Oamaru, a textbook on soil conservation, a theological study book, a Bible, and a huge copy of Robert Burns."

The original hot Scot.
"Hey girl..."

30--Burns quotes: "Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow'r. Thou's met me in an evil hour.", "Oh, what a panic's in thy breastie!", "The best-laid plans o' mice and men gang aft a-gley." After she accepts his proposal, he sends her red roses in reference to the poem, "O my Luve is like a red, red rose That's newly sprung in June..."

30--his living room has copies of Punch, the Scotsman and the Auckland Weekly

37--Muir is a piper and whistles the song that goes: "Gan on the forty-second, gan on the forty-twa." (73) He later whistles: "Pipes of the misty moorland, voice of the glens and hills..." (80) He sings: "Lassie, will ye lo'e me." (91) He plays and sings Silent Moon: "Your hands lie open in the long fresh grass, The fingerprints look through like rosy blooms; Your eyes smile peace. The pasture gleams and glooms 'Neath billowing skies that scatter and amass..."  (112) He whistles: "A hundred pipers and a' and a'"

I am posting this strictly because the Unipiper is a Portland institution.
My friend has interviewed him. He is the treasure you always hope
renowned citizens will be.

53--Muir quotes Emily Climbs, an L.M. Montgomery novel: "No man is free who has a thousand ancestors."

61--Shakespeare gets a look in: "Sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care."

80--Muir finds a very cheeky poem that fits the occasion when she comes and tidies his house. "The lass that made the bed for me.", whereupon, Roberta remarks that Robert Burns was not always such a nice man.

82--Muir says, "I should never dream of taking anyone who had no appreciation of the play to see Othello."

83--Seeing First Church floodlit, Muir tells her a story with the hymn "The Church Her Watch is Keeping"

85--Muir quotes Twlefth Night: "Give me thy hands And let me see thee in thy woman's garb."

94--Muir says, "I was going to read Browning to you," he said gently, "but I've changed my mind...you are in far too skeptical a mood. Browning believed in people..."

95--He was also going to read Christopher Marlowe (The Passionate Shepherd to His Love): "Come with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove That hills and valleys, dale and field, And all the craggy mountains yield." She responds with a bit of a sting, quoting Sir Walter Raleigh: "If all the World and Love were young, And truth in every Shepherd's tongue These pretty pleasures might me move To live with thee, and by thy Love." Then she goes and sings Shakespeare at him: "Sigh no more, lady, men were deceivers ever."

Roberta's poetry tolerance was HIGH.
Muir opened all the sluices.

118--The children call a large boulder the Balancing Rock after reading some Zane Grey books in Grandfather's library. (Meep! It's about evil Mormons! I would love you to remember that The Founding Betties are Mormon, super adorable and would be first in line to throw a sharp fist into the nose of Evil Mormon (tm).)

148--The Bible is mentioned several times. Ian, Grandy's youngest son, is described as Grandy's 'Benjamin'. The relationship between Muir and Dead Robert is described as similar to that of David and Jonathan.


New Zealand-isms:

Native flora and fauna are mentioned: tui, kowhai, macrocarpa hedge, koromikos, ngaios, totara, flaky Oamaru stone, and paua shells

Rabbits are discussed as an invasive species and the estate puts up 'rabbit fences' to combat them. Do click this link for a short video of a time just after the publication of Heatherleigh.

88-A local eatery is decribed as having pictures from the time of Cobb & Co. decorating its walls.


Food:

13--Before Roberta takes over the housekeeping situation for Heatherleigh, she gets this: "...watery mince with a ring of fast-congealing fat about it, a large helping of insufficiently-cooked spring cabbage, tough and dark, and lumpy potatoes that would have been vastly improved by being well beaten and having butter and milk added."

14--Old Robert worries that Roberta will want a half grapefruit, OJ and tiny rolls for breakfast. She wins his admiration when she takes salted oatmeal porridge.

31--Muir makes her girdle scones and oatcakes.

88--"It was an excellent dinner. The salmon was perfect, the duck melted in her mouth, the sweets and the savory all as they should be." Somewhere, Betty Neels is rolling her eyes at such a scant description.

129--A Colonial Christmas dinner is described as homegrown lamb, new potatoes, green peas, mint sauce and plum pudding.

143--Berry picking season sees the women of the house make jam and large fruitcakes, shortbread and biscuits to keep when harvest begins and lunches must be taken in the paddock.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these things--What you think of salted oatmeal (I am CON. Oatmeal should be drowned in butter and brown sugar), how you like poetry, what your own tolerance for it is (Mine is high in books and low when someone is talking to me.), etc.