Christmas in the Prairies means snow and blizzards and bitterly cold winds. But what happens when a warm Chinook wind blows like an unexpected gift down from the Rocky Mountains, turning December into April in the blink of a child's eye? What happens when the Chinook promises a temporary magic? What happens is the people of a small prairie town abandon old habits and emerge momentarily from the grip of the harsh cold to embrace this wonder.

Smack in the middle of what used to be winter, nine-year old Eric grabs his bike and sails crazily through a maze of paths and puddles that shouldn't be there at all. And on this special Christmas Eve, Eric and his sister Anni marvel at the surprise of a frozen landscape melted into vivid colours and fresh smells. And when they return home from church, they discover an anonymous gift on their doorstep. Who could have left this mysterious treat? As the Chinook whispers in his ears, Eric is certain he knows the answer.

Rudy Wiebe was born near Fairholme, Saskatchewan in 1934. From the University of Alberta, he received a B.A. 1956 and a M.A. in Creative Writing in 1960. He studied under a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Tuebingen in West Germany, and in 1962 he received a Bachelor of Theology degree from the Mennonite Brethren Bible College. In 1962ᆧ63 he was editor of the Mennonite Brethren Herald, a position which he resigned because of the controversy over his first novel,Peace Shall Destroy Many. From 1967 to 1992 he was Professor of Creative Writing and English at the University of Alberta. Wiebe has published twenty-five books, including nine novels and the non-fiction best-sellerStolen Life: The Journey of a Cree Woman, co-authored with Yvonne Johnson. He was awarded the Governor General’s Award for fiction forThe Temptations Of Big Bear in 1973, and again in 1994 forA Discovery Of Strangers. He is also the winner of the Lorne Pierce Gold Metal of the Royal Society of Canada for his contribution to Canadian literature ླ87). Wiebe has served as chairman of both the Writer’s Guild of Alberta and the Writers’ Union of Canada. He now lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

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David More's colourful and intense canvasses are carefully balanced landscapes with a distinct Group of Seven influence. Over a 20-year career, he has built a solid national and international reputation, with work in major private, corporate and government collections. He has also collaborated on several best selling humour books.

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