Surprising Summer

The Story of Young Polly that began in 'The Pink Maple House' continues in 'The Surprising Summer.' Christine Noble Govan was born in New York City. When her father died, she and her mother moved to Sewanee, Tennessee. She also lived in Nashville, Franklin, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, all of which have been incorporated into her stories. She has lived on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga since the age of ten. As a child, her biggest influences were mysteries, especially The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Govan is most noted for her mysteries for young adults. Many of the scenes in her books reflect the settings and people she grew up with. Govan's mysteries became so popular that many of them were published in England, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Sweden. She also wrote mysteries under the pseudonyms of Mary Allerton and J. N. Darby. Govan died February 28, 1985.-Print ed.