My wife, Denise Kiernan, did a somewhat last-minute interview this AM with Eastern Panhandle Talk, the morning talk radio and TV show for WRNR in Martinsburg, WV. It was a full 30-minute chat, mostly on the topic of We Gather Together, her 2020 book about the creation of the Thanksgiving holiday through the efforts of a crusading magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale.
This is the second time she’s appeared on this program. The last time was back in summer, around the time the new Oppenheimer movie stoked interest in her 2013 book about the Manhattan Project, The Girls of Atomic City.
Every year at this time people come out of the woodwork asking to do interviews about the Thanksgiving book, which is a nice tradition to have going. She had a great time talking via phone with the three hosts, one of whom is fellow New York Times bestselling author, John Gilstrap.
I hope you’ll check out the interview. We originally hoped that Denise would join the guys for an in-studio visit this time around, but they wrote out of the blue, asking if she would join them today.
As I’ve said in the past, the three books that comprise Denise’s family read on the subject of Thanksgiving are NOT the story of Pilgrims and Native Americans. It’s a way better story than that. It touches on the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, and the crusading woman editor who lobbied for a national day of gratitude. (You can click on the images to learn more about the books; affiliate links). You can also go to the buy page on Denise’s website. A family read, by the way, means that these books come in three different age ranges, so the whole family can read and get a sense of the story. Grown-up, kids, and very little kids alike.
The adult book.
The book for young readers.
The picture book for youngest readers.
Thanksgiving image courtesy of Dutton Books.