This memoir is adapted from the journals of Jane Furneaux Crosbie, who provides a behind-the-scenes look at her marriage to politician John C. Crosbie. The first in a series, it begins with the diary entries she penned during the turbulent Joey Smallwood years of 1963 to 1980. While John made headlines—from his run against Smallwood for the provincial Liberal leadership, to crossing the floor and joining the Progressive Conservatives, to a storied career in the federal PC Cabinet—life inside the Crosbie home was just as colourful and exciting.

Jane Crosbie provides a candid, never-before-seen glimpse at a family viewed by many as Newfoundland royalty—from children to charity work to political involvement, from Jane’s unwavering support of her husband, to her anger at those who challenged him. She also lays bare a lifelong love story, of a woman who stood by her man while still being a force to be reckoned with in her own right. John had often said that Jane was the reason for his political success, and here the reader will become privy to the personal thoughts and aspirations of the woman responsible for the man the public knew as one of the province’s true fighting Newfoundlanders. There are also moments of sadness and loneliness, of loss and disappointment, which Jane shares openly. And humour: raw, in-the-moment observations on political stalwarts like Joe Clark, Pierre Trudeau, and Frank Moores. Jane holds nothing back. This is a must-read for anyone who has followed the Crosbie family over the years.

Jane Ellen Audrey Furneaux was born in St. John’s by a midwife and doctor in 1931. The Jane Ellen part of her name is a tribute to her grandmother, who died of breast cancer six months after Jane was born.Jane is the daughter of Jack and Margaret Furneaux. Her father was the only veterinarian in Newfoundland for many years. He treated mainly horses until after the Second World War, when his practice focused mainly on small animals. Growing up, Jane was often referred to as “The Horse Doctor’s Daughter” when she followed him on his calls and people asked about “the little one.”Jane Furneaux married John C. Crosbie in 1952, when both were twenty-one years old. In addition to a lifetime spent heavily involved in municipal, provincial, and federal politics, Jane served as honorary patron of the Bannerman Park Foundation during the years her husband served as lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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