We Gather Together (Young Readers Edition): Stories of Thanksgiving from Then to Now by Denise Kiernan (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: We Gather Together (Young Readers Edition): Stories of Thanksgiving from Then to Now by Denise Kiernan Wesley Jacques Kiernan, Denise We Gather Together (Young Readers Edition): Stories of Thanksgiving from Then to Now. Philomel, 2023 [320p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593404386 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593404409 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 4-8 In this provocative, longform approach to celebrating all things Thanksgiving, Kiernan's take on the holiday is revised now for younger audiences. It is thoroughly researched, both political and personal, as well as steadfastly invested in ensuring the legacy of Sarah Josepha Hale, the oft-forgotten mother of the holiday. The focus here is undoubtedly on Hale's early American life, her illustrious career in publishing, and her campaign to spread a cornerstone of her New Hampshire upbringing to the masses, regardless of whatever wars or divisions plagued the country at the time. Figures like Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and FDR are significant but only supporting characters to this endeavor, and the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag were codified into the mythology of the country long after Hale's death. Millenia of thanksgiving proclamations are explored, as are the historical, medical, and near universal value of gratitude; however, any romanticization of the American holiday is marred, as Kiernan notes, by tremendous injustice, violent colonization, and persistent misrepresentations of history. Ultimately, this impressively robust history—like Thanksgiving itself—remains deservedly controversial, as few readers will be convinced of the holiday's merit who weren't already, but many will find useful bits of historical ephemera to share alongside stuffing at family gatherings this fall. [End Page 61] Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois