This Summer Will Be Different: Chapter 44 Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Chapter 44, “Behind the Book,” is a first-person essay by Carley Fortune. She recounts a 2008 trip to Prince Edward Island with her best friend Meredith. They drove around the island, ate seafood, attended the Canadian Oyster Shucking Championship in Tyne Valley, and visited Green Gables Heritage Place. She fell in love with both PEI and her friend. Fortune explains that each of her novels is a love letter to a place; this one is for PEI and for Meredith. She wrote the book during a difficult personal period (sick children, health problems, a car accident, a family cancer diagnosis). She missed her best friend, which inspired Bridget’s move to Australia and Lucy’s grief. The author also shares that she had always wanted to set a book on PEI and admires Anne of Green Gables. She made two additional research trips: one shortly after Hurricane Fiona (2022) and another in 2023. She hopes readers have enjoyed the story.

Key Events

Author and Meredith take a 2008 vacation to Prince Edward Island, driving a PT Cruiser and eating oysters.
They stay with Meredith’s aunt in Summerside, follow a seafood-only diet, and explore the island: Green Gables, New Glasgow Lobster Suppers, Tyne Valley oyster championship.
A memorable side note: a boy wearing an “FBI: Female Body Inspector” shirt ruins the romantic mood while collecting Irish moss.
Fortune reveals the novel was written during a period of personal hardship: constant child illness, her own health issues, a car accident, and a family cancer diagnosis.
She decided Bridget would move to Australia because she missed her own best friend; Lucy’s grief mirrors the author’s feelings.
Two later research trips: October 2022 (after Hurricane Fiona) and July 2023.
The author describes falling further in love with PEI’s people, food, red cliffs, and oysters.

Character Development

Although this chapter is non-fiction, it offers insight into the characters Fortune created:

Lucy and Bridget’s friendship is rooted in the author’s real bond with Meredith. Bridget’s move to Australia echoes the author’s sense of distance from her own best friend.
Felix (Lucy’s love interest) embodies the charm and warmth of the islanders Fortune encountered.
Zach (Bridget’s husband) represents the lasting relationships the author admires.
The author’s husband approved of Anne of Green Gables, which Fortune took as a sign he was the right partner, paralleling the romantic certainty in the novel.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Place as love letter: PEI functions as both a real setting and a character. Fortune treats the island with the same affection she gives her fictional cast.
Friendship and distance: Physical separation from a best friend is depicted as a profound grief, mirrored in Lucy’s story.
Romance vs. reality: The author contrasts the chaste romance of Anne of Green Gables with her own “steamiest” scenes, and undercuts idealization with the “FBI” shirt anecdote.
Resilience in creation: Writing this book was an act of perseverance during personal crises; the novel itself becomes a testament to pushing through hardship.
Nostalgia and memory: The 2008 trip is romanticized, yet the author acknowledges that not all details (like the horse and rider) made it into the book—suggesting fiction is a curated version of reality.

Why This Chapter Matters

“Behind the Book” functions as an epilogue that reframes the novel as deeply personal. It reveals the real-life mental and emotional labor behind the story, making Lucy’s journey more poignant. Readers see that the vivid descriptions of PEI are not just setting but a tribute to a place and a person. The chapter also acknowledges the island’s vulnerability (Hurricane Fiona) and the author’s own vulnerability, adding a layer of sincerity. For students, it provides primary source material on authorial intent, the relationship between biography and fiction, and the role of setting in contemporary romance.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Carley Fortune call her book a “love letter to Meredith” as well as to Prince Edward Island?
The 2008 trip deepened her friendship with Meredith and created lasting memories. When writing, Fortune felt the pain of living in a different city from her best friend. By making Bridget move to Australia, she channeled that longing into Lucy’s grief, making the novel a celebration of their bond.

2. How did the author’s personal struggles during the writing process influence the story?
Fortune faced constant child illness, her own health issues, a car accident, and a family cancer diagnosis. These hardships made her feel overwhelmed and more connected to Lucy’s sense of loss. The difficult emotions gave the novel emotional weight and authenticity, especially in scenes dealing with separation and resilience.

3. What role does Anne of Green Gables play in Fortune’s novel, according to this chapter?
Fortune has a deep love for L.M. Montgomery’s classic and the CBC adaptations. She wanted to view PEI through a contemporary, romantic lens, consciously writing steamy scenes in a place famous for a chaste story. The contrast highlights how she updates the island’s literary tradition while honoring it.