I dedicated The Baby’s Christmas Blessing to my sister because she inspired some of my heroine’s quirky tastes in food.
How quirky, you ask?
As a kid, my sister used to mash up her Christmas dinner into a big pile and eat all the different foods—turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy—in one bite, and we used to joke about how one day we’d invent a product called Christmas-in-a-Can and become wealthy businesswomen! (We might have been onto something, too, because I guess Heinz beat us to the punch last year and sold out almost immediately!!!)
Of course, having this hilarious memory, I wanted the heroine of my new book to do the same thing with her holiday meal. 😆
However, at the time I started writing the book, I thought it would be too presumptuous (!) to write a Christmas book for Love Inspired. Surely, I thought, Love Inspired would only want Christmas books from well-established authors who’d been writing for them for a long time.
So, I wrote the first draft of the manuscript and set it during the Thanksgiving season, and the heroine was going to dream about creating Thanksgiving-in-a-Can.
Imagine my surprise when my editor asked me to rewrite the book—and make it a Christmas story!!! 🎉🎀🎄
I was happy oblige, but it got me thinking that there are way more Christmas books than Thanksgiving books. Since Thanksgiving is almost here (in the U.S., at any rate), I wanted to share a few books that feature Thanksgiving in case you want to add them to your TBR.
Ten Terrific Thanksgiving Reads for Your TBR
- My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
- Becky Wade’s debut Christian romance novel! A must read!
- Pathway to Peace by Elizabeth Maddrey
- The hero and heroine meet at Thanksgiving dinner, and the Amazon reviews are great! “The story is a good one that kept me reading well past bedtime.” 🦃
- What Could Be by Jaycee Weaver
- A fabulous series starter by the talented Jaycee Weaver. ❤️
- An Unexpected Legacy by Amy Anguish
- The hero and heroine of this story meet in a smoothie shop. Hmm, maybe since Heinz already introduced Christmas-in-a-Can, my sis and I can invent Thanksgiving-in-a-Smoothie!!! 🤣
- Lighten Up by Angela Ruth Strong
- An oldie but a goodie! “Smart, snappy, real, and convicting.”
- Not Until Now by Valerie Bodden
- A powerful story of faith, love, and forgiveness, Not Until Now will draw you in, touch your soul, and leave you with a happy sigh and a heart filled with hope.
- Cadence of Cranberries by Valerie Comer
- I love, love, L😍VE this title! Cranberry sauce is my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, and I’ve been to a real cranberry bog on Cape Cod, too!
- Call You Home by Jan Thompson
- To save a landmark family restaurant in Savannah, two chefs must put aside their twenty-year-old feud and cook together. “The many scripture passages…spoke to my heart.”
- Muskoka Blue by Carolyn Miller
- Did you know that up until I was 18, I celebrated Thanksgiving in October? Come read about Canadian Thanksgiving in this charming story! 🇨🇦
- The Gathering Table by Kathryn Springer
- This might be at the end of my list, but it’s at the top of my TBR! I’ve enjoyed every Kathryn Springer book I’ve read, and this one has such a beautiful fall cover that it’s impossible to resist! “A tale of hope and saving grace amongst the hurt and fears of life.” 🍁🍂
Have you read any of the books on this list? And… would you ever consider trying Thanksgiving- (or Christmas-) in-a-Can?
P.S. I don’t have a giveaway on this post, but I’m going to be giving away 24 paperbacks in December! Find out more (and sign up if you’re so inclined) at: https://bonus.meghannwhistler.com/christmascountdown
RuthieH says
Hi Meghann, these books all sound great, I don’t think I’ve read any of them. Here in the UK we don’t have Thanksgiving but I always think it sounds like such a nice holiday and I love finding out more about it. Thanksgiving recipes I’ve seen look amazing, but I’m not sure about all at once in a can 😂
Alicia Haney says
Good morning, I loved reading your post! And Thank you so much for sharing about these Thanksgiving books, they all sound like great reads. Your new upcoming book sounds like a very good read. Have a great weekend and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
Trudy says
Loved your post!! I haven’t read any of these, YET, but I’ll be checking them out!!! I don’t think I want to try Thanksgiving or Christmas in a can!
Trudy says
Ooops!! I did read Valerie’s book!! Way back!! LOVE her books!!
Meghann Whistler says
Hi Ruthie — I was surprised to see that the Christmas Dinner in a Can from Heinz did so well last year! It probably helped that they only made 500 of them!!! 😆
Meghann Whistler says
Thanks, Alicia! Hope you have a great weekend, too! ❤️
Meghann Whistler says
Awesome!!! But, ha ha, yeah! I can’t say that Thanksgiving in a Can would be my #1 choice, either 😉
Bonnie Heringer says
I love your Thanksgiving story. I would so try Thanksgiving-in-a-can. The books you recommend sound good. I have read other books by some of the authors (all very good authors) , but none of these books. God bless and have a great day. ❤❤
Anke says
I love Valerie Comer’s Cranberry book. In Europe, esp. France, people bake a Camembert cheese and serve it with cranberry sauce.
I’m a linguist but I’ve never heard the term “cranberry bog” and the dictionary definitions were not helpful. What is that?
Meghann Whistler says
Thanks, Bonnie! I’m glad that my sister and the heroine of my new book aren’t alone in their penchant for Thanksgiving-in-a-Can!!! 😁
bn100 says
not yet
Meghann Whistler says
Ooh, Camembert with cranberry sauce sounds fantastic!
A cranberry bog is a marsh where the cranberries grow :) Here’s more info: https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/cranberry-bogs.htm
Meghann Whistler says
👍
Lelia (Lucy) Reynolds says
Thank you for sharing. Blessings
Meghann Whistler says
Thank you, Lucy! 💕
Debra Pruss says
I have not read any of these Thanksgiving books. I do not think I would try Thanksgiving in a can. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Meghann Whistler says
❤️❤️❤️
Lori Smanski says
welcome . no I have not read any of these books. now my TBR list just grew. LOL Hope you have a fantastic weekend. I would love to read more autumn/thanksgiving stories
Meghann Whistler says
Glad I could add to your TBR, Lori! Hope you’re having a great weekend, too!