Happy Thanksgiving, readers! I hope you've had (or are about to have) a wonderful, warm holiday filled with good food, good company, and, of course, a great book.
Thanksgiving is more than just turkey and football; it's a moment woven into the fabric of American life that forces us to pause and consider the foundational themes of gratitude, family (found or biological), and history.
It got me thinking: what literary themes perfectly capture the spirit of this holiday?
The Unspoken Theme: The Complicated Family Gathering
While few adult bestsellers are explicitly "Thanksgiving novels," the holiday often serves as a brilliant backdrop for a specific, universally relatable plot: The Tense Family Reunion.
Why is this setting so useful for authors?
Forced Proximity: The tradition demands that deeply different, often estranged people sit elbow-to-elbow for hours. This forced intimacy is a pressure cooker for drama.
The Weight of Tradition: Every family has its "Thanksgiving traditions," and those rigid expectations (who sits where, who carves the turkey, who asks intrusive questions) provide the perfect scaffolding for conflict and humor.
The Inevitable Secrets: Holidays are often when old resentments, buried secrets, or unresolved traumas bubble to the surface, usually right before the dessert course.
The books that use these gatherings well are brilliant because they remind us that family is a glorious, messy, frustrating, and ultimately essential element of life.
📚 The Literary Spirit of Gratitude
Beyond the immediate family drama, the truest literary connection to Thanksgiving lies in the themes of appreciation and reflection.
1. The Gratitude for Community (Found Family)
As we discussed before, the found family trope perfectly embodies the spirit of being thankful for those who choose to support us. These books celebrate the vital, non-biological bonds that sustain us when our formal ties falter. A community that shares a meal, a laugh, or a tough moment together is the very essence of the holiday table.
2. The Acceptance of Imperfection
Many novels about gatherings (like The Corrections or Homegoing) show that perfection is a myth. The meal is burned, the conversation is awkward, and someone inevitably cries. But the act of showing up, breaking bread, and sitting together anyway is an act of love and acceptance—a form of deep gratitude for the whole, flawed picture.
3. Reflecting on the Harvest (Past & Future)
The simple harvest theme—taking stock of what you've reaped over the year—can be seen in characters who pause to look back on their journey, appreciate the progress they've made, and express hope for the winter to come. It’s a moment of necessary narrative transition.
📖 Your Thanksgiving Reading Side Dish
If you're looking for a book to curl up with after the feasting and the dishes are done, consider one that embraces these themes:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman: While not a holiday novel, its themes of community, kindness, and finding unexpected family (a perfect gratitude read) make it the ideal post-meal book.
The Holiday Sisters by Susan Mallery: A heartwarming novel specifically centered on three sisters navigating their differences and finding common ground during the holiday season—pure, satisfying family drama.
This week, whether your table is large or small, quiet or chaotic, take a moment to be thankful for the stories—both the ones you read and the ones you live.
Happy Thanksgiving! Now, tell me: What book are you most grateful for having read this year?
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