Fireside Book of Thanksgiving : An Anthology of Poems, Fiction, Family Traditions, Recipes & History for America's Oldest Holiday

Since the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621, the November holiday has become a fixture of the American cultural landscape, and yet – sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas – it has often been overlooked. But to those who appreciate its emphasis on gratitude, family, thankfulness, togetherness, and home cooking, it has long been an annual time of bonding and remembering. This small collection of Thanksgiving treasures starts with atmospheric poems (like Lydia Maria Child’s “Over the River and Through the Woods,” and Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”) and an assortment of Thanksgiving-themed stories from some of America’s greatest writers (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Jack London, O. Henry, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and more). Next you will find a series of historical artifacts – Thanksgiving proclamations from Washington and Lincoln, an eye-witness account of the first Thanksgiving, and an editorial by the woman who successfully campaigned to make the holiday official. At the conclusion of these cozy readings, you’ll find two sample family ceremonies (a bonding, around-the-table reading that my family reads every year after the feast) and a dozen fail-proof recipes for the perfect Thanksgiving turkey, cranberry salad, and more. If you feel like you are missing something from your annual Thanksgiving – something special, cozy, and nostalgic – this book will be the perfect fireside companion for you and your family.