From the Bestselling Author of As the Old Folks Would Say
In Newfoundland and Labrador, Christmas is a special time of year. It is a time to gather around a festive table with family, to visit and enjoy the company of old friends who haven’t been seen in a long time, to enjoy the aura of peace and goodwill which emanates from brightly coloured lights and decorations which are everywhere to be seen, to laugh and sing as if yesterday never happened.
Above all, it is a time to exchange gifts which are symbolic of the love they represent and the deep emotions they evoke. For many, such tokens are practical and concrete, tangible proof of the feelings held in the heart, of the passion that still remains. For the main characters in these richly woven stories, the gifts they give are neither mundane nor hastily chosen, but are the product of soul-searching and profound inner change.
For old Levi Cohen, the gift becomes the perfect act of gratitude to someone who did him a kind deed many years ago. For Rachel Kearning, confronted with a loved one’s shocking revelation, the gift is her deep and enduring love. And for Jimmy Blanchard, upon returning to his hometown, the gift he seeks is redemption, for the criminal life of his youth and the hurt and suffering he has inflicted on others.

It started with a comical tale about raisin bread, baked in an outport kitchen without raisins. Today, Hubert Furey has been more surprised than anyone by what has followed for him. The outpouring of interest for his recitations about rural life in yesteryear Newfoundland and Labrador led to a full-length recording of stories. Concerts, live theatre performances, television and radio appearances promoting recitations, and the resurgence of the art form have been a delight for this former district superintendent of education and lifetime Harbour Main resident. Hubert and his wife, Eleanor, have five children and six grandchildren. The Most Perfect Gift is his second book. His first, As the Old Folks Would Say, earned critical acclaim and a permanent place among Newfoundland and Labrador’s finest literary works.

Hubert Furey's profile page

Robin McGrath is the author or editor of fifteen books, including Trouble and Desire (1995), Escaped Domestics (1998), Hoist Your Sails and Run (1999), Donovan's Station (2002),Covenant of Salt (2005), and Livyers World(2007).  She has published over two hundred pieces in magazines such as Beaver, Inuit Art Quarterly, Parchment, TickleAce, Fiddlehead and Room of One's Own. 

She is an occasional contributer to CBC Radio, has written and narrated three video scripts, had her first play staged in 2002, and is currently the non-fiction columnist for the St. John's newspaper The Telegram.

Robin was born in Newfoundland and lives in Labrador with her husband, provincial court judge, John Joy.  She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada and the Letterset Association of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Robin McGrath's profile page