The Last Summer at
A house to sell. A mother’s secret.
The telegram that changed everything.
A New Zealand story told through twelve illustrated envelopes filled with printed letters and keepsakes. Receive them by post over six months, or enjoy the complete collection in one delivery.
From NZ$149 · One payment · New Zealand delivery
Twelve illustrated envelopes.
One unfolding story.
A ribbon to untie. A letter to unfold. A secret waiting to be discovered.
The Last Summer at Kōwhai House is a fictional story told through twelve numbered envelopes filled with illustrated letters and keepsakes. Open them in order and discover a hidden past, one envelope at a time.
For the reader, the letter lover, or the person who treasures something a little different.
All twelve envelopes together, tied with blue ribbon and accompanied by a matching gift card.
NZ$149
Urban NZ courier included · Rural delivery +$6
New Zealand delivery only
Launch dispatch begins 20 November 2026. Christmas delivery order-by dates will be confirmed.
A matching blank gift card is included with the complete collection, ready for you to add their name and your own message.
As Eleanor prepares to sell Kōwhai House, she uncovers a secret her mother kept for years.
Discover the past through a collection of letters and keepsakes, opening each numbered envelope as the story unfolds.
Explore the collection
She was ready to leave the house behind. Its story wasn’t finished.
Step into Eleanor’s discovery through the correspondence and keepsakes of the people connected to Kōwhai House. Each numbered envelope reveals another part of a past her mother kept hidden.
Read in order. Notice the details. Let the story unfold through the things its characters wrote, sent and kept.
Illustrated correspondence, postcards and small keepsakes bring the world of Kōwhai House into your hands.
Receive the story by post over six months, or choose the complete collection in one delivery.
Twelve numbered envelopes guide you through the story, with letters and keepsakes along the way.
Settle into the next chapter, then keep the correspondence to return to whenever you like.
For the letter lover, the keepsake collector or the reader who enjoys discovering a family secret, Kōwhai House offers something a little different.
A thoughtful gift—or a quiet pleasure to keep for yourself.
Compare the two experiencesBuying the six-month postal experience as a gift? Download and print this announcement card, then add their name and your message by hand.
Download the printable gift cardFree PNG image to save and print at home. This card is for you to give; it is separate from the posted story envelopes.
Letters begin on the next available dispatch date. To discuss a later gift start date, please contact us before ordering.
Yes. The collection is a physical story told through twelve numbered envelopes containing printed letters and keepsakes. It is not a digital download.
Our first story dispatch is 20 November 2026. After that, we post on the 5th and 20th of each month, moving to the next working day when a date falls on a weekend or public holiday. Each customer receives twelve envelopes in order over six months. These are posting dates; arrival times vary.
Orders close three working days before each scheduled dispatch. Your story begins with envelope 1 on the next available dispatch date, followed by one envelope on each scheduled posting date. For launch orders received by 17 November 2026, the first dispatch is 20 November 2026. We will confirm your starting date by email.
Yes. The complete collection contains all twelve numbered envelopes in a single delivery, so you can open them in order at your own pace. Launch preorders dispatch from 20 November 2026. After launch, complete collections will be dispatched within three working days of ordering.
Yes. At checkout, enter the recipient’s name and delivery address and use your own email so the order confirmation comes to you. Enter your own billing address separately if needed. The complete collection includes a blank gift card. For the six-month postal series, download and print the announcement card to give them yourself. Gift messages are not collected at checkout.
The postal series normally starts on the next available dispatch date. If you would like it to start later, email hello@thelittlestorytrove.com before ordering so we can confirm arrangements. A later start date cannot currently be selected at checkout.
Ordering is currently available for New Zealand delivery only. Australian and other international delivery options are still being costed.
Email us with your order reference and details of the problem. We will investigate and provide an appropriate remedy under New Zealand consumer law. See our returns and cancellations policy.
For questions about your order or delivery, email hello@thelittlestorytrove.com. Please include your order reference if you have one.
Choose your experience above to continue to Stripe’s secure checkout. Both options are a single payment for the full twelve-envelope story. Preorders are open, with launch dispatch beginning 20 November 2026.