Jack and the Manger

A Christmas Jack Tale

By: Andy Jones

Narrated by: Andy Jones

A down-to-earth version of a heavenly tale.

Jack and the Manger retells the story of Jesus’ birth as if it were a Newfoundland folktale. It’s all seen through the eyes of Jack, the hero of many a story, who befriends a young couple on their walk to Bethlehem. There’s a bit of "angel talk", some gravel pit camping, an edge-of-your-seat birth drama, and the low-down on how Caesar Augustus’ "count-and-tax plan" brought them all together.

Gentle, playful, and very funny, Jack and the Manger is the second in an on-going series of Jack tales, written by Andy Jones, one of Newfoundland’s finest storytellers and actors, and the first produced as an audiobook. It was a Christmas sensation in St. John’s when it was first performed and is sure to please even the most Grinch-like of listeners.

This audiobook was recorded and produced by award-winning audio-documenatry maker Chris Brookes at Battery Radio Studios in St. John's, NL, and features music by acclaimed Newfoundland fiddler Christina Smith.

©2010 Andy Jones (P)2019 Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides

Critic reviews

“Everyone needs joy and beauty at Christmas, and this latest Jack tale supplies both in abundance.” (Jean Graham, The Northeast Avalon Times)

“The usual Christmas story of Bethlehem, shepherds, and stars has taken an unexpected turn. Such is only to be expected when it is being told by Andy Jones. Jones has performed the traditional Jack Tales for years and recently debuted the stories in print with The Queen of Paradise’s Garden.” (Joan Sullivan, in The Newfoundland Quarterly)

“The Christmas nativity story has been set in Canada before - notable examples are The Huron Carol and Kurelek’s A Northern Nativity - but never has it been combined with a folktale character, set in outport Newfoundland, and served up with such cunning craft.” (Alison Mews, in Canadian Review of Materials)