Samantha Saves the Day: A Summer Story (1988)

Publisher's Summary

This summer everyone is at Piney Point, Grandmary's home in the mountains. Admiral Archibald Beemis has come all the way from England, as he does every summer. And Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia have brought the mischievous twins Agnes and Agatha with them. Samantha and the twins love to explore. One day they find an old sketchbook made long ago by Samantha's mother. It shows them something Samantha had forgotten—a waterfall she visited with her parents before they drowned in a boating accident. Using the sketchbook as their map, Samantha and the twins head off for Teardrop Island. When their secret exploration puts them in the middle of a dangerous storm, Samantha must save the day.

Kate's Breakdown

Samantha Parkington spends every summer at Piney Point, Grandmary's home in the mountains. She's thrilled to spend time with Uncle Gard and Aunt Cornelia, Agnes and Agatha, and Admiral Archibald Beemis, Grandmary's situationship.

The girls enjoy painting, hiking, swimming, and stargazing together. They also explore the attic of the main house, which is full of neglected mementos of Samantha's parents' time at Piney Point. We learn that the boating accident that killed Samantha's parents actually occurred there in Piney Point. Their boat capsized in the dangerous pass coming back from Teardrop Island. Samantha is enthralled by her mother's sketches and paintings of the family's days on Teardrop Island, and the three girls decide to go themselves— without telling anyone.

The day on the island is beautiful. Samantha visits the sites of her parents' memories, and feels connected to them in a new way. Unfortunately, the girls failed to tie their canoe securely, and find themselves stranded as night approaches and a storm rolls in. They find shelter, but then hear a cry— Admiral Beemis has come after them, but gotten hurt. His head is bleeding and he's losing consciousness. Samantha takes the lead, organizing the girls to rescue Beemis and row his boat back home. She braves the same rocky path in the same weather that killed her parents, but makes it to safety. The other adults are shaken but glad everyone is safe, and Grandmary admits that it might be time to stop hiding away memories of Lydia.

Historical Context

The book doesn't specify the location of the fictional Piney Point, but the Pleasant Company catalogs specify that it is in the Adirondacks, where wealthy New Yorkers of Samantha's class often decamped for the summer.

The "Peek Into the Past" chapter covers "America Outdoors in 1904" — vacations for rich families, who wanted to feel like they were "roughing it" but traveled with servants and modern conveniences, and people like John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and Sarah and James Philip who worked to protect nature.

Cover Gallery

Editions & Revisions

Doll Collection

• Samantha's outfit from the front cover is the Middy Dress, a sailor suit complete with hat and the bo's'n's whistle given to her by Admiral Beemis. A matching ensemble was sold for girls.
• Many of the girls' summer pastimes were sold for dolls. The Nature Paraphernalia set included outdoor items like a butterfly net, flower press, and wicker backpack, while the Summer Amusements included Agatha's "I Pine For You" pillow, a painting set (with tiny tubes of real paint), and Lydia's sketchbook.

Hear Kate's Full Breakdown

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