The Mother of Thanksgiving

Lady Editor re-creates the life of Sarah Josepha Hale, a major nineteenth-century woman whose career as a writer, editor, and early feminist encompassed ideas central to American history. For half a century, Hale was the most influential woman in America, serving as editor of Godey's Lady's Book and shaping American culture through her advocacy for women's education, employment, and financial independence. The book explores her role as a pathbreaker who promoted American authors, wrote the first antislavery novel, compiled the first women's history book, and penned "Mary Had a Little Lamb," while also detailing her successful campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

David Silverman's "This Land Is Their Land" offers a comprehensive and nuanced account of the Wampanoag Indians' history, their interactions with the Plymouth Colony, and the complexities surrounding the Thanksgiving narrative. The book challenges the traditional, sanitized version of Thanksgiving, revealing the brutal realities of colonization and the lasting impact on the Wampanoag people. Silverman meticulously details the events leading up to the first Thanksgiving, the treaty between Massasoit and the Pilgrims, and the devastating consequences that followed. He sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of Native American history, including slavery and the devastating impact of disease. The book serves as a crucial corrective to the simplified and often misleading narratives commonly presented.

Published in 1827, 'Northwood; or, Life North and South' is a pioneering American novel set in a fictional New England village. It follows the experiences of two families—one from New England and one from Virginia—highlighting the cultural and moral differences between the North and South, especially regarding slavery. The novel is notable as one of the first American novels to address slavery, advocating abolition and national reconciliation. It also reflects Hale's broader social concerns, including the promotion of unity and moral power through shared national values such as Thanksgiving.