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The Long Run

The Long Run

The Long Run



The Long Run is the story of a group of boys called the Dare Klub, who live in a home for orphans in Newfoundland run by Catholic Brothers. In the midst of the harsh discipline and the heavy-handed discourses, the group manages to live and breathe by their own set of rules.

By day the boys are obedient students who study the history of Newfoundland and the teachings of the religion; but when the sun goes down, they steal the night by raiding the bakery, passing slugs in the pop machine, talking about girls, sex, and the merits of Willie Mays. But above all, they help each other through the waves of loneliness and sadness that come in the eerily quiet night, as the repercussions of the abuse take their toll.Their secret society is their government, their rule and their law. When the Dare Klub goes too far, stealing wine from the sacristy, the Brothers go on a manhunt, offering payoffs and bribes to the boys who will rat out the culprits. The preparations for the long run begin.

As Canada's own Frank McCourt, Leo Furey has created a classic coming-of-age story of dazzling scope and powerful insight, leavened with razor-sharp wit and an eclectic cast of unforgettable characters. The Long Run is the brilliant debut novel from a gifted writer and a natural storyteller.



  • Key Porter Books, Canada, March 2004
  • Shambhala Publications, U.S., Spring 2006



  • Shortlisted for the Margaret and John Savage First Book Award



"The Long Run, Leo Furey's brilliant first novel, ... is a deeply moving book. It made me laugh and cry, stoked anger and hatred I didn't even know I possessed, and made me sad and melancholic. In the end, it left me cheering. Only a few books have ever inspired me to cheer."
The Edmonton Journal

"The Long Run is a ghastly-wonderful journey through a pious hell run by lunatics, an antic dance of grim humour, genuine pathos and final redeeming joy."
The Globe and Mail

"Furey pulls off a brilliant emotional coup in his handling of the multiple climaxes... By the end, what starts out looking like a test of endurance for the reader has broken through and become an inspiring testament to endurance."
The Montreal Gazette

"The Long Run is a wonderful first novel, the product of a long and fruitful incubation. Funny, sad, forgiving and redemptive."
— Wayne Johnston, author of The Colony of Unrequited Dreams



Leo Furey
Leo Furey was for many years the Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation. He holds an honours degree in English Literature from St. Francis Xavier University, an Education degree from Memorial University, and graduate degrees from Memorial University and the University of Ottawa. The Long Run was his first novel. Aside from growing up with a family full of brothers, himself, for over thirty years he has been involved in high school, college and community theatre, directing many award winning plays.

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