We’ve written often about our love for seasonal reading in this space. Sometimes the right book at the right time looks like a story that matches what’s happening in our actual lives, whether that’s the time of year, the weather, the mood, or—in today’s case—the holiday.
Over the years, I’ve heard many readers lament the lack of novels featuring Thanksgiving. We’ve found a handful to feature in this space—like this 2013 women’s fiction from an early Summer Reading Guide, or the handful included in our 24 winter holiday romances that will make your season bright—but I’ve long been surprised this particular holiday doesn’t feature more prominently in the pages of the fiction we love to read.
But lo and behold, 2025 came around and brought with it THREE new novels I thoroughly enjoyed—so much so that I included two in our MMD Summer Reading Guide and the third in our 2025 Fall Book Preview—in which Thanksgiving plays a prominent role. You may have heard me talk about these books before—especially if you’ve perused our Guide and Fall Preview—but now that the holiday is upon us, perhaps you’ll view them with different eyes than you did earlier this year.
If you’re a seasonal reading fan, the 2025 publishing landscape served up: one darkly humorous novel in which a disastrous Thanksgiving happening sets the plot in motion, one seaside family saga with a fraught celebration, and one slim family tale with a paintstakingly planned and then lovingly celebrated feast.
However you feel about the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope there’s a novel for you this year. That will be especially true if we can add more possibilities to the metaphorical pile: would you please add your own Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving-adjacent reads in comments? I’ll be grateful, and so will your fellow readers.
3 novels set during Thanksgiving
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So Far Gone
The Irish Goodbye
Wreck
Do you have any favorite novels set during Thanksgiving? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 14 books about endearingly quirky families and How to make a book page pumpkin.
14 comments
Ah, too bad – I already read all three, but that’s just because you give such great recommendations!
The Briars Club, Kate Quinn. The story leads up to a dramatic Thanksgiving dinner.
Richard Paul Evans book The Mistletoe Promise begins with Thanksgiving so I always like to listen to the audio book as I prepare food on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The story is a Christmas story but its a nice segue story from Thanksgiving into Christmas
LOVE The Mistletoe Promise! Great recommendation!
If someone wants to read a classic: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott.
Ah, yes! I used to read this every year with the kids…years ago. Thanks for the reminder, Elizabeth.
I enjoy Jennifer Chiaverini’s Elm Creek Quilts series. A Quilter’s Holiday is a lovely Thanksgiving story.
Mystery lovers can check out the website Mystery Fanfare written by Janet Rudolph. For every holiday she posts a listing of all mystery novels and short stories set in that holiday. It is just a list; there is no description or critique of the book, but her listing is quite thorough.
Not sure if it Thanksgiving or Christmas, but one of my favorite books is Spencer’s Mountain by Earl Hammer Jr.
Well this is an interesting list. I liked Sandwich by Catherine Newman, might have to try Wreck this week.
For something lighter, Krista Davis’ Diva series of cozy mysteries starts with a thanksgiving theme. The Diva Runs Out of Thyme is fun, witty, and wonderfully food oriented!
I am DYING to read Wreck!
And The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler takes place at Thanksgiving…
I didn’t remember that about The Accidental Tourist—thank you!
What about The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote? Supposedly a children’s book but tears were running down my face by the end.
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