Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving (Dramatic Reading)

When Mr. and Mrs. Bassett rush off to tend to their ailing mother-in-law, they leave their seven children alone to prepare Thanksgiving dinner on their own. What follows is a warm, rollicking adventure as Eph, Tilly, Prue, Seth, Sol, Roxy, and Rhody tackle the challenges of adulthood with limited supervision: there are plum puddings that refuse to behave, a treacherous sledding expedition down the mountain, an unexpected encounter with a bear, and enough bickering and camaraderie to fill any family gathering. Through it all, the children discover that they are more capable than they knew, and that the true spirit of Thanksgiving lies not in perfection but in the bonds that hold a family together. Alcott wrote this story in 1881 as a gift to her publisher, and it carries the gentle nostalgia of a world where children could roam free and small crises became great adventures. The Bassett children are neither angelic nor impossibly naughty; they are real: sometimes brave, sometimes frightened, always dependent on one another. For readers who crave the warmth of a crackling fire and the simple magic of a family pulling together against the odds, this is a holiday treat to savor.