Mike Mason is the best-selling, award-winning author of The Mystery of Marriage; The Gospel According to Job; Practicing the Presence of People; and many others. He has an M.A. in English and has studied theology at Regent College. He lives in Langley, BC, Canada, with his wife, Karen, a family physician. They have one daughter, Heather, who is pursuing a career in dance and the arts . The Blue Umbrella is Mike's first novel. J. I. Packer (D.Phil., University of Oxford) is Board of Governor's Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also serves as a contributing editor to Christianity Today. Packer's writings include books such as Knowing God (IVP Books), A Quest for Godliness(Crossway), Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (IVP Books), Growing in Christ (Crossway) and Rediscovering Holiness (Servant). Most recently, he served as General Editor for the English Standard Version Bible. - Editorial Review.