Thanksgiving
An American Holiday, An American History
From the Jacket:
Thanksgiving is as lively as
American life – and, indeed, the
history of this holiday is itself a
vital history of America.
Yet while Thanksgiving is
America’s oldest and most
beloved holiday, it is the country’
s most misunderstood. For
instance, the celebrated
Plymouth thanksgiving, although
among the earliest
thanksgivings in the New World,
was not the first. Nor was the
Pilgrims’ harvest feast nearly as
abundant as legend would have
us believe.
In Thanksgiving, author Diana
Karter Appelbaum sifts fact from
fancy about this uniquely
American holiday. She not only
clarifies the times, places and
circumstances of the earliest
thanksgivings, but she also
traces the evolution of the
holiday and its historical parallel
to the growth of America.
This delightful yet authoritative
"A fascinating history of a
revered American institution."
Booklist Magazine
NEWS:
'Thanksgiving' is featured
prominently in a seasonal travel
piece about Plymouth in The
Boston Globe.
'Thanksgiving' provides the
basis for seasonal musings by a
columnist for the St. Petersburg
Times.
book recounts the role of Thanksgiving in colonial days, through the Revolutionary
War and into the turbulent times of the 19th century, when the holiday became a
point at issue in the Slave vs. Free State controversies. And this history moves
west with pioneers and into the families of prairie homesteaders and prospectors.
The trappings that served to form our present Thanksgiving tradition dating from
Victorian times are also examined, as well as the various celebrations of the
holiday held overseas by Americans living abroad or serving n the armed forces
during both World Wars.
Photographs, poems and lyrics further complement this charming history. In all,
Thanksgiving offers a complete account of the roots of this rich American holiday
from its earliest celebrations up to the present day.
