We Gather Together by Denise Kiernan
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Castle and The Girls of Atomic City comes a new way to look at American history through the story of giving thanks.From Ancient Rome through 21st-century America, bestselling author Denise Kiernan brings us a biography of an idea: gratitude, as a compelling human instinct and a global concept, more than just a mere holiday. Spanning centuries, We Gather Together is anchored amid the strife of the Civil War, and driven by the fascinating story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a widowed mother with no formal schooling who became one of the 19th century's most influential tastemakers and who campaigned for decades to make real an annual day of thanks.
Populated by an enthralling supporting cast of characters including Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, Walt Whitman, Norman Rockwell, and others, We Gather Together is ultimately a story of tenacity and dedication, an inspiring tale of how imperfect people in challenging times can create powerful legacies.
Working at the helm of one of the most widely read magazines in the nation, Hale published Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and others, while introducing American readers to such newfangled concepts as "domestic science," white wedding gowns, and the Christmas tree. A prolific writer, Hale penned novels, recipe books, essays and more, including the ubiquitous children's poem, "Mary Had a Little Lamb." And Hale herself never stopped pushing the leaders of her time, in pursuit of her goal.
The man who finally granted her wish about a national "thanksgiving" was Lincoln, the president of the war-torn nation in which Hale would never have the right to vote.
Illuminating, wildly discussable, part myth-busting, part call to action, We Gather Together is full of unexpected delights and uneasy truths. The stories of indigenous peoples, immigrant communities, women's rights activists, abolitionists, and more, will inspire readers to rethink and reclaim what it means to give thanks in this day and age. The book's message of gratitude--especially when embraced during the hardest of times--makes it one to read and share, over and over, at any time of year.
Denise Kiernan is the author of The Last Castle, which was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. The Girls of Atomic City, her previous book, was a New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and NPR bestseller. Kiernan's work has appeared in a variety of magazines, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Village Voice, Reader's Digest, Discover, and many others. She has also worked in television, as the chief writer for ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire during its Emmy-winning first season and as a producer for ESPN and MSNBC. She has been on NPR's Weekend Edition, PBS NewsHour, MSNBC's Morning Joe, and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780593183250 |
| ISBN 10 | 0593183258 |
| Title | We Gather Together |
| Author | Denise Kiernan |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Penguin Books Ltd |
| Year published | 2020-11-10 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |