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Melanie Kirkpatrick

Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience Hardcover – Illustrated, October 11, 2016

by Melanie Kirkpatrick (Author)

51 ratings

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We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Or do we? This uniquely American holiday has a rich and little-known history beyond the famous Pilgrim feast of 1621.

Melanie Kirkpatrick journeys through four centuries to craft a vivid portrait of our nation's best-loved tradition in Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience. Drawing on newspaper accounts, official documents, private correspondence, and cookbooks, she illuminates what the holiday has meant to generations of Americans.

Presidents play key parts: Washington proclaimed our first national day of Thanksgiving amid controversy over his constitutional power to do so. Lincoln aimed to heal a fractured nation when he called for all Americans to mark a Thanksgiving Day. FDR sparked a debate on states’ rights by changing the traditional date of the holiday. The story also includes the evolution of Thanksgiving dinner, how football became part of the celebration, and how Native Americans view the holiday.

While the rites and rituals have evolved, the essence of Thanksgiving remains the same: family and friends feasting together in a spirit of hospitality and gratitude. Kirkpatrick's exploration of America’s oldest tradition offers a fascinating look into the meaning of the holiday we celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November.

With Readings for Thanksgiving Day and historic Recipes & Bills of Fare.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Encounter Books
Publication date

October 11, 2016
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1594038937
ISBN-13

978-1594038938
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Melanie Kirkpatrick shows brilliantly how from cooking pot to melting pot, America is a product of Thanksgiving as much as Thanksgiving is a product of America.” ―Andrew Roberts, author of Churchill: Walking With Destiny

“A short, beautiful history of our oldest national custom.” ―Amity Shlaes, author of Great Society: A New History

“Wonderfully engaging.” ―Jeff Jacoby, The Boston Globe

“[A] Thanksgiving for patriots.”―The Washington Times

“The book is a mini civics lesson; it covers 400 years of our history.”―Natural Solutions

“This book is deeply touching, uplifting . . . a wonderful examination of the history of the holiday.” ―Kenneth Weinstein, Hudson Institute, on C-Span’s BookTV

“[A] tremendous amount of insight on the Thanksgiving holiday.” ―Newt Gingrich, foxnews.com

About the Author

Melanie Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a former deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal editorial page. She is the author of Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman, and Escape from North Korea: The Untold Story of Asia's Underground Railroad.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Encounter Books; Illustrated edition (October 11, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594038937
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594038938
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.34 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #131,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #51 in Holidays (Books)
- #63 in Thanksgiving Cooking
- #179 in U.S. Colonial Period History

Customer Reviews:
51 ratings

About the author

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Melanie Kirkpatrick

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MELANIE KIRKPATRICK is a writer and senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. She had a long career at The Wall Street Journal, where her jobs included running the op-ed page, editing the editorials, and serving as deputy editor of the editorial page. She grew up in Buffalo, attended Princeton University, and has lived in Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Manhattan. She now resides in rural Connecticut with her husband,Jack David.

Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		11%
3 star		9%
2 star		1%
1 star		8%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Readsalot

Ordered new book got used

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2021

Verified Purchase

I ordered a new book for a gift but received a used book, and charged the full price. The book's white cover had fingerprints on it that looked like someone had gotten into the Halloween candy. The print size is very tiny. There was no warning on the description that if you are of a certain age, you will need not just reading glasses but a magnifying glass, also, to read. Too bad a larger print version isn't available. Older readers might find this book interesting.

Helpful

Russell A. Johnson

Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2017

Verified Purchase

Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience is a delightful book that conveys the essence of the American Thanksgiving in a series of vignettes, commentaries, historical proclamations, and of course recipes. It is very well written in that it manages to be simultaneously both informative and entertaining as well as serious, thorough, and well documented.

The book is most remarkable for its completeness and balance. Beyond Thanksgiving’s traditional roots in New England, the author traces history of major American Thanksgiving celebrations with their own regional, cultural, and ethnic variations. However all of the celebrations are tied together by the common threads of gratitude and inclusivity and their impact, both positive and negative, on all of the peoples who have come to share our American experience.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

EchoDelta

Who was the "Grinch Who Stole Thanksgiving"?

Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

Never heard of "Forefathers Day"? These and countless other interesting facts, details and stories about Thanksgiving and it's history are skillfully and thoughtfully presented to us by Melanie Kirkpatrick in her excellent book: Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience .
A fascinating read and excellent gift, in November and throughout the year! Thank you Ms. Kirkpatrick!

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Holly Whiting

Giving thanks for this wonderful new book!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Melanie Kirkpatrick's beautiful new book about Thanksgiving is one that every family should own. It depicts the history, traditions, and food that all Americans enjoy on this important day often overshadowed by other holidays. The book reads easily and has charming illustrations. This is a book that can be brought out every year and shared with friends and family. I appreciate the time that the author took to compile the vast array of information about Thanksgiving and writing this wonderful book for all of us to enjoy.

5 people found this helpful

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Janice Bowman

WORTH THE READING

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021

Verified Purchase

Interesting little book with readings and a few recipes. Fun to read.

Helpful

George A. Davidson

A perfect gift for your Thanksgiving host

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016

Verified Purchase

A perfect gift for your Thanksgiving host, Melanie Kirkpatrick's book explores in an engaging and accessible way all the threads which have come together to form the Thanksgiving tradition in America .

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Gloria Weden

Heard this is a Great Book

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

Cannot wait to read it!

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bart

Interesting and well written

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2018

Verified Purchase