Great Books for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving seems to be about food and family, and while gratitude is certainly an important aspect of this holiday’s symbolism, that tends to get lost in some of the shuffle. In that light, I’ve compiled a list of great books for Thanksgiving. They aren’t necessarily books about Thanksgiving, but they do explore human connection, gratitude for the small and simple things in life, and the difficult problem of getting along with family. Mixing food and family can sometimes be vexing and controversial, as many comedians like to point out.

Because of my own family situation, holidays can often be hard and painful. They often bring up feelings of loneliness, uselessness, and exclusion. While I certainly can’t complain since my immediate family that I’ve built with my husband is one of love and happiness, I do tend to see the darker side of family relationships. These books represent some of that as well.

Here’s my list.

The Ghost at the Table by Suzanne Berne

This is about two sisters who come together for Thanksgiving with their estranged father. While the family dinner is aimed at reconciliation, it only brings up more questions about the past and their mother’s death.

The Family Tree by Carole Cadwalladr

A failed holiday dinner led Rebecca’s mother to lock herself in the bathroom, and Rebecca, now grown, is afraid of becoming her mother. Rebecca explores her family tree in an attempt to understand what really makes us who we are.

Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks

A young woman turns to professional baking after her husband surprised her with a divorce. The descriptions of baked goods (and healing) are gorgeous in this book.

The Dinner by Herman Koch

This is a disturbing tale of a dysfunctional family whose son is in trouble. We find out just how messed up he is during the course of one dinner.

Linden Hills by Gloria Naylor

A dark exploration of privilege and race, this book about one African American neighborhood teaches us just how much socioeconomic divides dehumanize all of us.

We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

Through Oates’s masterful writing style we see how easy it is for a family to drift away from each other and fall apart, despite seeming to have it all.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

One of my favorite books, this most American of novels tells of the depression and its devastating effects through the experiences of one family. We learn in the end that a small act of kindness can be a great feast to the recipient.

The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan

This novel, as most of Tan’s novels, is an exploration of the past in order to understand the confusing present. The immigrant experience is an important one when examining the American family.

Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor

We are reminded that it can be lonely to age, especially when one has been forgotten by family.

Strangers at the Feast by Jennifer Vanderbes

Middle and lower classes collide in this novel about a Thanksgiving feast turned into the scene of a crime.

 

After compiling this list, I’m struck by how many novels use holidays to point out the stark differences that exist between classes and races. Holidays are a clear site of conflict for many people and for the American experience as a whole. Not all of us have the means for celebrating, and perhaps there are many among us who celebrate differently than the mainstream. And when “celebration” has become about consumerism, rather than symbolism, what does that mean for our psyches and our culture?

From your perspective, of perhaps more functional and warm thoughts toward holidays, what books remind you of Thanksgiving?