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The Thanksgiving Visitor
 
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The Thanksgiving Visitor [Hardcover]

Truman Capote (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)


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Book Description

6 and up
Illustrated in full color. Another masterpiece by the great American writer Truman Capote is brought to an audience of all ages. Buddy and his closest friend, his eccentric, elderly cousin, Miss Sook - the memorable characters from Capote's A Christmas Memory--love preparing their old country house for Thanksgiving. But there's trouble in the air. Odd Henderson, a scrawny, freckled, red-headed bully makes Buddy the target of his relentless torment. But Miss Sook only counsels patience and understanding, "He can't help acting ugly; he doesn't know any different," she says. Filled with emotions that are universal to both young readers and adults, this poignant story brings to life what we all should cherish and be thankful for--the gifts of friendship and love. Enchanting illustrations by Beth Peck make The Thanksgiving Visitor a perfect companion for the holiday bookshelf.  

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With Peck's wistful, muted paintings, Capote's brilliantly polished reminiscence makes a moving holiday read-aloud for older children. Buddy, the narrator, tells of the Thanksgiving that his eccentric spinster cousin invited Odd Henderson, the school bully, for dinner?knowing full well how Odd had tormented Buddy. Without a drop of schmaltz, Capote explores issues of graciousness, compassion and forgiveness. Replacing the watercolor and ink medium she used for her illustrations of Capote's A Christmas Memory (1989) with more substantial oils, Peck retains the previous work's fluidity and emotional appeal. A natural holiday centerpiece. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6-Those familiar with Capote's A Christmas Memory (Knopf, 1989) need no introduction to Buddy and his elderly cousin, Miss Sook. When Miss Sook convinces him to invite Odd Henderson, his classmate and tormentor, to Thanksgiving dinner, the holiday takes a wrong turn that eventually gives Buddy a new understanding of some of the complexities and ambiguities of life. This story is meant to be read aloud, and Capote's elegant and precise Southern voice is very much in evidence. His wonderfully vivid figures of speech (a tub of chrysanthemums is "...heavier than forty fat pirates") and his formal tone will appeal to youngsters who are ready for a more sophisticated experience. Peck's paintings enhance the overall mood and create a sense of time and place. Her depictions of people are especially good; using only the sketchiest details she conveys character and gesture with authenticity. Pair this with A Christmas Memory and offer both books to families looking to add something special to their holidays.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  • Hardcover: 37 pages
  • Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (September 17, 1996)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0679838988
  • ISBN-13: 978-0679838982
  • Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (102 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,376,479 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Truman Capote was born in New Orleans in 1925 and was raised in various parts of the south, his family spending winters in New Orleans and summers in Alabama and New Georgia. By the age of fourteen he had already started writing short stories, some of which were published. He left school when he was fifteen and subsequently worked for the New Yorker which provided his first - and last - regular job. Following his spell with the New Yorker, Capote spent two years on a Louisiana farm where he wrote Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948). He lived, at one time or another, in Greece, Italy, Africa and the West Indies, and travelled in Russia and the Orient. He is the author of many highly praised books, including A Tree of Night and Other Stories (1949), The Grass Harp (1951), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958), In Cold Blood (1965), which immediately became the centre of a storm of controversy on its publication, Music for Chameleons (1980) and Answered Prayers (1986), all of which are published by Penguin. Truman Capote died in August 1984.

 

Customer Reviews

102 Reviews
5 star:
 (82)
4 star:
 (15)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (102 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Warm & Heartfelt, December 5, 2001
By 
Truman Capote does an amazing job of telling us three delightful stories of a young boy's favorite Christmas & Thanksgiving memories. Told with the candor and innocence that only a child can hold, you'll fall in love with Buddy and his favorite Aunt Sook. Buddy's love and affection for his dear Aunt Sook are evidenced in how he refers to her throughtout the stories...always calling her "my friend." Buddy & Sook will feel like your friends too! Plagued by a painful childhood and seemingly drawn on Capote's own life, Buddy is the victim of his parent's bitter divorce and custody battle and ends up living with his spinster aunts & hermit like uncle. It is during his time living here, that he recalls some of his most cherished memories. You'll remember the troubles of your youth as well as be amazed at this young boy's insightfulness. A great holiday tradition would be to re-read this book once a year.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Timeless Treasure, November 12, 2001
By 
This review is from: A Christmas Memory (Hardcover)
"A Christmas Memory" is truly one of the most enduring and heartwarming holiday tales ever to grace the pages of American literature. This soothing bit of classic Americana written by Truman Capote is as warming on a cold winter night as a steaming cup of hot, mulled cider in front of a crackling fire under my grandmother's afghan. The touching and refreshing friendship between Buddy and his "friend" is not only delightful but something to cherish as one teaches the other of the old timeless traditions of the past and the new wonders of the future. Buddy's total acceptance of his "friend" and her somewhat offbeat perspective on life and the changing world around them is what drives this story throughout it's moments of childlike magic to it's ultimate bittersweet conclusion. The belief in love and the bond that can exist between two people of completely different generations and the hope that wherever we go and however many miles may come between us, that bond can never be broken is the foremost message of this precious tale. Given the events of resent months, a story like this helps to heal as well as entertain and is more then just another book to be put away on the shelf. "A Christmas Memory" is a blessed gift to be read again and again, year after year and to be welcomed into home and hearth as a dear, old friend unexpectedly visiting on a chilly Christmas morning.
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Three polished and charming stories, January 26, 2001
By 
The three stories in this little book--it's a hardback only slightly bigger than a paperback, and barely 100 pages--are skilfully told and charming; all are based on Capote's southern childhood. "A Christmas Memory" is the most straightforwardly nostalgic, told in the present tense, and covering the Christmas rituals the narrator, a little boy, shares with Miss Sook Faulk, an eccentric little old lady who appears in all three of these tales. The narrator of "One Christmas" is six years old and the child of divorced parents. He travels to New Orleans by bus to spend Christmas with his father, and the story is about his coming to terms with reality, as much as he can. The third story, "The Thanksgiving Visitor", is the tale of how Miss Sook invited the school bully to Thanksgiving dinner one year, and what happened.

All three are perfectly formed short stories. The first two are sad, or at least nostalgic; the third, the longest of them, is surprisingly upbeat. Capote was witty, precise and talented, and these three stories are a wonderful showcase for his talents. Recommended.

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