An Orange from Portugal: Christmas Stories from Maritimes and Newfoundland

R. Gordon Moyles is professor emeritus of English at the University of
Alberta, co-author of Imperial Dreams and Colonial Realities: British
Views of Canada, 1880–1914, and author of The Salvation Army and the
Public.

As varied as the decorations on the tree, as enticing as the wrapped
presents beneath it, this anthology of Christmas stories from Atlantic
Canada is a potpourri of seasonal delights that will bring back memories
of Christmases past, add a new perspective to the many meanings of
Christmas, or just beguile its readers during the leisure time that each
Christmas season offers.

From the pens of the region’s classic writers (Charles G.D. Roberts,
L.M. Montgomery, Ernest Buckler, Alden Nowlan, and Hugh MacLennan, from
whose story the book’s title is taken) and those of the present
generation (Wayne Johnston, David Richard Adams, and Alastair MacLeod),
from pure fiction (e.g., Joan Clark’s “Merry Christmas, Nancy
Rose”) to personal reflections and sketches (e.g., Wilfred
Grenfell’s “How Santa Claus Came to Cape St. Anthony,” Mary
Pratt’s “The Far-Away Present”), the reader is treated to as
diverse and entertaining a collection as one could hope to find. Anne
Simpson sums up its impact nicely: “Every story and poem in this
collection is a gift that is unexpected, simple and delightful: an
orange in the hand of a streetwise boy in Halifax. Each one can be
lingered over and savoured individually. Together they make a Christmas
feast.”

One small quibble: given the rich poetic tradition of the Atlantic
region (think of Bliss Carman, E.J. Pratt, Elizabeth Brewster, Robert
Gibbs), it is disappointing to find only three poems in the book. But,
that aside, this is a collection worth owning, one to round out the many
pleasures Christmas offers. It is also worth remarking that Goose Lane
Editions is now producing some of the most stylish books in Canada.