*I received a copy of Thanksgiving Tales for review purposes only. All opinions are 100% my own.
Thanksgiving is just next week. Have you started getting your thanksgiving traditions in order? Every year on Thanksgiving I have gone with my family to my grandmas for dinner. The whole crew is there and we all share stories and things we are thankful for.
A little about the book:
Not every Thanksgiving in America is a folk-art painting. They are as varied as Americans themselves, and run the spectrum of emotion and experience – from as rural as watching Grandma slaughter the holiday bird by the barn, to the traditional with family football games in the yard, and to the modern with multicultural meals complete with eggrolls. In Thanksgiving Tales: True Stories of the Holiday in America, 48 writers from across the United States share their individual stories and memories.
But, whether held in a country farmhouse, amid the frantic pace of New York City, or in a restaurant, there are a number of common elements.
It is a holiday for everyone – regardless of whether your family came here via the Mayflower, Ellis Island, international airport, or any other way. Thanksgiving is a holiday steeped in traditions. Whether or not they’re faithfully followed, radically ignored, or adapted to individual circumstances..
These stories reveal how simple things – like the passing of traditions and favorite foods can have special meaning and leave warm and indelible memories. Some of the stories describe chaos and mishaps of meal preparation, family arguments and first-time hosts. While all crises then, these moments are now looked upon with laughter. Other stories recount family traditions, meaningful moments, and memorable guests and hosts. Some stories are about remembering those no longer with us, being alone, or out-and-out hating the holiday.
Thanksgiving Tales is a reflection of Americans, as much as it is a look at the holiday.
It is a testament to the importance of the holiday that Americans will go to great lengths for Thanksgiving. Spending money to travel long distances or taking days to prepare meals, sometimes only to find themselves seated next to the weird cousin – or sick all night from bacteria-laden food. Yet, we do it all over again the next year.
This is a great book to bring to any holiday get together. With reading this book, you realize that everyone has a different thoughts when it comes to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not alwasy a favored holiday for everyone – some people even hate it. Personally I love hearing stories about others family traditions or their get together… How do you and your family celebrate this holiday?
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