The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote (1967-08-01)

This has been my favorite Christmas story for years. Each Christmas I give a copy to 2 or 3 friends who aren't familiar with the story in my attempt to bring it to the attention of more people! This is a beautiful edition which I hope will become a favorite of those to whom I gave it.

went to Monroeville, Alabama to see the courthouse and town from "to kill a mockingbird" and saw the exhibit for Truman Capote inside the courthouse. didn't realize he grew up next door to Harper Lee. his story was fascinating and the book relates some of his early experiences with his beloved cousin. truly heart warming. i highly recommend it.

Part of my husband's and my Christmas traditions is the reading of my most favorite Christmas book. We sit together and I begin reading out loud. When it reaches the point when I can no longer see the words on the page because my eyes are full of tears, he takes over and finishes reading the book to me.

I purchased this book " A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote for a friend. I have my own copy and I love it. I place it on a par with Dickens Christmas Carol and I'm sure many people would relate very readily to each of the characters, particularly Aunt Sook.. The story is beautiful and the illustrations also. Agnes Lorentzen

Reading this little book reminded me of my own childhood aunt who was just a little different from everyone else. After reading it, I purchased a copy of the 1966 TV dramatization, which I remembered having seen. I also sent copies as Christmas gifts with the hope that their reading would also bring back childhood memories.

The story is good, as others have said, but please study the writing itself: exquisite and, in my opinion, the model for all writers--clear, fluid, seemingly simple, but every word perfect, with deep emotional weight, fine observation, indelible images. Two kites entwined? Unforgettable. A perfect gift for any writer, and hold onto your own copy, too.

A Christmas classic. Truman Capote is a genius at creating word descriptions that dance through your mind and touch all emotions. I know some families that read "A Christmas Memory" out loud every Christmas season.

I didn't realize this was a biography until I read the caption at the end. I then reread it with a slightly different perspective. I truly loved the story. Truman Capote really had a flair for story telling.

Since I first discovered this story years ago it has been a favorite. Capote has put together words that create strong emotions to a reader. For those of us old enough to have some parallel remembrances this story is a treasure.

The book had a bright holiday cover appropriate for the contents of the book. This book has long been one of my favorites . It is a reminder of my simple childhood, and an excellent example of Truman Capote's writing as well as being biographical. The original movie, now on dvd is hard to find and once again the store came through!

This is a sensitive, touching memoir about Capote's aunt Miss Sook. His affection for her is also evident in the short memoirs, One Christmas and The Thanksgiving Visitor. Beautifully written. Highly recommended reading for the November-December holiday season.

My wife mentioned this on Facebook the other day and I immediately put in my order. When it came, I gave it to her as an early Christmas present and she was very surprised. Our 9-yr old granddaughter came by today and already read it too.

I bought several of these to give as Christmas gifts for my adult friends. I did not realize that they were "instructional" versions for school children. All I wanted was to share this beautiful story and did not need explanations of vocabulary etc.

I had never read any of Truman Capote's stories until a good friend recommended "A Christmas Memory". I own the Modern Library edition which contains three stories, i.e. "A Christmas Memory", "One Christmas", and "The Thanksgiving Visitor". This particular edition features only one story, "A Christmas Memory" which also comes with a bonus CD containing a narration of the story.

"A Christmas Memory" recounts one Christmas in the life of young Buddy (who is actually Truman Capote himself) and his favorite cousin, Sook, an older lady who is deemed simple by many other adults but who is Buddy's kindred spirit and primary caregiver. When Cousin Sook announces "It's fruitcake weather!" one November morning, young Buddy knows he is in for an exciting time. Together the pair go about the countryside, looking for pecans, buying whiskey from Mr. Haha, a bootleg liquor maker, and finally, once all the ingredients have been assembled, the pair embark on a marathon baking session, making fruitcakes for an interesting group of people such as the President of the United States, people who have passed through Sook's and Buddy's lives, mere strangers who for some reason Sook shares an affinity. With her meager savings, Sook manages to get the cakes baked and delivered. The story is short but very well-written, it evokes a time long gone, and Sook is a memorable character indeed. The reader can tell that Capote who is the Buddy in the story loves Sook deeply and the pair's antics will have readers alternately chuckling and crying.

This is a classic Christmas story that is appropriate for children and adults. The theme of this story is friendship and love, the greatest gifts of all. Young Truman cherished his handmade gift from Sook and the wonderful times they spent together more than anything money could buy.

The last two pages of the story are poignant and heart-wrenching. Like life itself, time moved forward and things changed. I don't usually like stories with sad endings (especially when dogs are involved), but the end came in a way that accentuated the love and joy that Truman remembered from his past.

This was the last Christmas that Truman and Sook had together. Truman was sent off to military school, poor Queenie was killed by a neighbor's horse and Sook's health declined. But the memories lived on. 

This short story is the best Christmas literature. Yes, better than A Christmas Carol and The Night Before Christmas. Don’t bother to lecture me.

I have read this bittersweet story so many times that I’ve lost count. And every time I cry. The simple friendship of an abandoned child and his child-like cousin is made even more poignant when you find out the story is true, right down to the rat terrier Queenie: Buddy is actually Truman Capote, and the cousin is his mother’s cousin Nanny “Sook” Faulk. Tru and Sook were steadfast friends until his unreliable, self-absorbed mother removed him from the only home he’d ever known only to ship him off to military school a few years later when she tired of him.

P.S.: Reading Tru & Nelle by G. Neri will make you love “A Christmas Memory” even more.

In “A Christmas Memory,” Capote eloquently shares what was likely one of the most poignant Christmases of his life. It is the story of seven-year-old ‘Buddy’ and his closest friend, an elderly cousin. The captivating nature of this considerably older cousin springs the story into action with a simple declaration, “Oh my, it’s fruitcake weather!” Thus begins our journey with Buddy and his friend, and there’s not a moment to lose. Dozens of fruitcakes must be baked and given away as Christmas gifts, which is no simple task. However, this is only the beginning. There is still a tree to be cut, countless decorations to make by hand, and naturally, all the busy activity of the big day itself – Christmas.

Capote paints such a delicious picture of this memory that like Buddy and his friend’s Christmas tree, you feel you could almost eat it. Sweet and delightfully funny, it is the touching story of two friends encountering the highs and lows of the Christmas season together. Perhaps, most importantly, it is a reminder to us all that, like Buddy, we never know what the next day or the next Christmas will bring. Wherever we are and whoever we are with – these are the places and the people we must enjoy to the fullest, wringing out every drop of joy that we can because there is no guarantee it will come again. As Buddy’s friend may have very well said, “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I read Capote's In Cold Blood earlier this year, my toes appropriately curled up in horror the whole way. But I've always heard the legend of Capote himself, the troubled young socialite/writer who tattled tales on all his celeb friends and fell out of favor. A personality like that intrigues me and I wanted to read more. I picked up a copy of The Thanksgiving Visitor and Christmas Memory at Landmark Booksellers over in Franklin, TN. The little book felt like a treasure in my hand, light and precious. It's a time of year when I reach for comforts--down comforters, hot cocoa (damn these 60 degree Decembers in Tennessee!). This little book was another comfort, though a disquieting one. The stories are autobiographical in nature--we know that tragedy is waiting for him as we read about his 7 year old self. But it's hard to not fall in love with his best friend, a woman in her 60's called Sook, a woman who is childish and childloving, qualities we should value more when we find them. She is able to go with the little boy into the woods, hike for seeming miles, and return with a lovely Christmas tree the two of them down themselves with a little ax and haul home in a baby carriage. They make whiskey-soaked fruit cakes from ingredients they've saved all year to buy. And then Sook gives her 7 year old cousin a little nip and they have a very festive little dance party, just the two of them. It was such an innocently horrific gesture. I love it. I know I am cheating by reading all of these little short books here at the end of the year--but sometimes a little space is all you need to say wonderful big things. When Sook dies, Capote says he already knew without being told: "And when that happens, I know it. A message saying so merely confirms a piece of news some secret vein had already received, severing me from an irreplaceable part of myself, letting it loose like a kite string. That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying towards heaven."

A Christmas Memory
by Truman Capote

Book Review by Jay Gilbertson

Initially I was all set to review Olive Kitteridge but then I realized, this is the Christmas season and what book is more fitting than A Christmas Memory?

This wonderfully written short story (we're talking an afternoon read here) is one that no one should pass by. Not only have I read this many times, I've discovered that the story doesn't get old, it simply becomes more familiar; more distinctive in the way it seems to pull your own memories of childhood out into the room and that says something about author Capote. Boy, could he evoke a mood, mix in some heavy emotions and serve it all up just in time to lay in an ending that will leave you full and satisfied and a little uncomfortable too.
This particular story is one of three short stories that are all wrapped around two central characters; a little boy of seven, Buddy, and his distant cousin, Soot, who is sixty-something. Buddy is haunted by his parents bitter divorce and equally nasty custody battle, so he ends up living in a rambling old house with a gang of unsavory older relatives who seem to have a silent power over Buddy and Soot and frequently make them cry. Yet their bond of friendship is one that will wind its way into one and all of Capote's novels because this is truly the story of Capote and it proves once again the influence our childhood memories have over the rest of our lives.

"...Her face is remarkable--not unlike Lincoln's, craggy like that, and tinted by sun and wind; but it is delicate too, finely boned, and her eyes are sherry-colored and timid. "Oh my, she exclaims, her breath smoking the windowpane, "it's fruitcake weather!"

Making thirty fruitcakes and then sending them off to strangers the two of them perhaps only met once, adds more charm to this timeless tale. Occasionally they receive a thank-you card and these are carefully added to an old scrap book that's more like a window to the world neither one of them ever intends to visit. With Hershey-bar tin foil (remember that?) and a pile of colored paper, they spend days together creating ornaments for their magical Christmas tree. Though they are pauper-poor, it is obvious they're rich in their love of the season and all the joy it can bring--and their time together--this is the gift they give one another.

And kites.

Each year they share what they would really like to give one another; Buddy would give her a pearl-handled knife, a radio, a whole pound of chocolate-covered cherries and Soot wishes with all her might that she could give her Buddy a bike. But the night before Christmas they steal away from each other's company and make what they do each and every year--a kite.
Though the ending (I'm not telling) seems abrupt, it also seems true and that's what a Christmas memory should be.

Wishing you a Christmas filled with magic that will give you wonderful memories too...

There is often confusion about the publication history of Capote's beloved "A Christmas Memory."

It was first published in the magazine Mademoiselle in 1956. Since then it has been bundled and re-printed in several collections, including The Selected Writings of Truman Capote.

The first stand-alone edition (a 1st Thus) didn't occur until Random House released it in hardback in a slipcase in 1966! (Some confused cataloguers claim that this is a 1956 1st edition; it isn't -- the 1956 copyright appears but the book was released in 1966 w/ LOC number 66-21461.

The fact that the publisher published this story in a rather classy binding many years after it first was released is a testament to the growing cult status of Capote in general and the reputation of this piece of prose in particular.

Probably the most satisfying aspect of the first stand-alone edition is the slipcase's inclusion of the photo of young Truman with his best friend Sook. And, just as Capote's prose recalls it, her face does have a weathered dignity reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln.

Best two closing sentences ever: "That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."

There is often confusion about the publication history of Capote's beloved "A Christmas Memory."

It was first published in the magazine Mademoiselle in 1956. Since then it has been bundled and re-printed in several collections, including The Selected Writings of Truman Capote.

The first stand-alone edition (a 1st Thus) didn't occur until Random House released it in hardback in a slipcase in 1966! (Some confused cataloguers claim that this is a 1956 1st edition; it isn't -- the 1956 copyright appears but the book was released in 1966 w/ LOC number 66-21461.

The fact that the publisher published this story in a rather classy binding many years after it first was released is a testament to the growing cult status of Capote in general and the reputation of this piece of prose in particular.

Probably the most satisfying aspect of the first stand-alone edition is the slipcase's inclusion of the photo of young Truman with his best friend Sook. And, just as Capote's prose recalls it, her face does have a weathered dignity reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln.

Best two closing sentences ever: "That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."

There is often confusion about the publication history of Capote's beloved "A Christmas Memory."

It was first published in the magazine Mademoiselle in 1956. Since then it has been bundled and re-printed in several collections, including The Selected Writings of Truman Capote.

The first stand-alone edition (a 1st Thus) didn't occur until Random House released it in hardback in a slipcase in 1966! (Some confused cataloguers claim that this is a 1956 1st edition; it isn't -- the 1956 copyright appears but the book was released in 1966 w/ LOC number 66-21461.

The fact that the publisher published this story in a rather classy binding many years after it first was released is a testament to the growing cult status of Capote in general and the reputation of this piece of prose in particular.

Probably the most satisfying aspect of the first stand-alone edition is the slipcase's inclusion of the photo of young Truman with his best friend Sook. And, just as Capote's prose recalls it, her face does have a weathered dignity reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln.

Best two closing sentences ever: "That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."

I've never read a short story, with the exception of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Babylon Revisited', that quite tugged at my heart strings quite like this. Every sentence and every chunk of prose dripped with poignancy and life. There's certainly plenty of beauty and a feel-good theme throughout, but there is also a very strong thread of tension and foreboding. I found myself so invested in this story that when I read the last lines, I found that I was holding my breath and holding back tears. My breath escaped in a shudder and tears slipped from my eyes. Capote is truly a master of humanity.

Why more people don't know about this great book, I don't know. I could hardly believe it when I found the story at the end of Breakfast at Tiffany's. I was thrilled when this version came out, with great illustrations.
A beautiful family story about love and friendship and fruitcake.
The young boy and his distant elderly cousin, both unwanted by the rich people in the larger house, are confined to a cottage, to mostly fend for themselves. But they have a great deal of freedom and an amazing and touching bond. I hate to sound corny, but this story is so sweet and moving and as my 6 year old says, happy-sad.
As Christmas approaches, they go about their annual fruitcake making activities, from gathering pecans, to counting up the pennies they saved throughout the year, to purchase fruit and even whiskey from an ominous Indian fellow in the bad part of town.
Based in part on Capote's own childhood, this is a story I can whole-heartedly reccomend for all children.

There is often confusion about the publication history of Capote's beloved "A Christmas Memory."

It was first published in the magazine Mademoiselle in 1956. Since then it has been bundled and re-printed in several collections, including The Selected Writings of Truman Capote.

The first stand-alone edition (a 1st Thus) didn't occur until Random House released it in hardback in a slipcase in 1966! (Some confused cataloguers claim that this is a 1956 1st edition; it isn't -- the 1956 copyright appears but the book was released in 1966 w/ LOC number 66-21461.

The fact that the publisher published this story in a rather classy binding many years after it first was released is a testament to the growing cult status of Capote in general and the reputation of this piece of prose in particular.

Probably the most satisfying aspect of the first stand-alone edition is the slipcase's inclusion of the photo of young Truman with his best friend Sook. And, just as Capote's prose recalls it, her face does have a weathered dignity reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln.

Best two closing sentences ever: "That is why, walking across a school campus on this particular December morning, I keep searching the sky. As if I expected to see, rather like hearts, a lost pair of kites hurrying toward heaven."

A trip down my own memory lane as Capote shares eloquently his story, I paused, often, and recalled my own seven year self prepping for Christmas with my maternal grandmother, Thornie. By the books end my eyes were leaking, thankful for just such a time.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Fruitcake weather and a nice warm memory of why it's made and with who.
His cousin Mrs. Falk is remembered fondly. Detailed descriptions of the scenes as they are brought into the picture.
I can just imagine the smells as the baking starts. He's only 7 and she's in the 60's.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

I loved this book about a young boy, his kind old cousin, and other relatives that just didn't understand her eccentric ways! Capote gave us a deep look into the loving and giving heart of his elderly cousin--a heart that few people ever took the time to really see. A beautiful story and a memoir of Capote's early life in rural Alabama. I will read this book again and again and give it as gifts to my friends. For adults and children. Great read!!!
Denise George
Author of: Johnny Cornflakes:A Story About Loving the Unloved

There is a sadness that colors all of Capote's writing. And there's also a sweetness and innocence. Capote set high standards for himself and it shows in his virtually flawless writing. "A Christmas Memory" is a classic holiday story written in the distinctive Capote style. And like all of his writing it is sweet and sad and superb!

Also recommended: Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--an excellent Capote-like tale of enduring and prevailing.

This touching tale is my favorite Christmas story. I enjoy Capotes writing. I read it several times. Each time I found the connection between the two main characters so real. It is a story full of life joy and a touch of wistful sadness. I think its one of Capotes finest.

Truman Capoete's A Cristmas Memory really made me have so many different emoitions. My gandma owns a Nursing Home, so I have been around elderly all my life. This story reminds me of so many different realtionships that I have had with diffent people. In the end when buddy was taken away struck my emotions the hardest, because a lot of the people that I have been close to in the Nursing Home has been taken away in death or in another way. This story book made me laugh and made me edgy at certain points. it was kind of like what I would be feeling if i was actually one of the chracters in the story. I loved it when they went to Ha Ha Jone's cafe, I thought that something was going to happen to them. The little edginess that I felt left when they went home, and got the dog drunk. This book is a true classic. This story made me think about the people that have been taken away. It brought sadness and cheer to my heart. After I read it, and started thinking about the people I was once so close to. This book might stir up some emotions about the different people that have been in your life, it did for me. But it is such a wonderful book, everyone should read it.

The price is steep but these stories are spectacular
in the way only Truman can be. I found many readers
who had ruled out truman after being forced to read
"In Cold Blood" in school were willing to give him
another try with this volume. This is probably due
to the fact that the book is nicely made and short.
I really think it's worth owning and worth giving
Capote another shot.

Truman Capote was arguably one of America's best writers of this century. Once quoted as saying that writing for a living is like being a professional "pool shark," he was weird, witty, and wonderful. But this warm simple story stands in sharp contrast to his public persona. Try reading it aloud with a dry eye. A perfect addition to any family's Christmas tradition

I first heard of this story through a PBS production about eighteen years ago. My six year old son and I watched it and were both keenly aware of the special bond between this young boy and his older, somewhat excentic aunt. They were related but spoke to each other as individuals sharing a special love for each other, more as friends by choice. You become aware of the simple appreciation they have for anything that strengthens that bond. The sincerity of their caring is a wonderful model for any child or adult. They are rich for the experiences they share, not the circumstances within which they live. It is a secular holiday story that anyone should be able to find meaningful. Sometimes such stories can deepen faith! Even the way he deals with the death of their beloved dog, Queenie, eases the saddnes of her passing. I frequently purchase this as a gift for friends and they report back it has become a favorite to reread. Everytime I read it, tears well in my eyes.

Lovely,touching,heartwarming. A quick but unforgettable read for the season.The illustrations were beautiful.I will read this every year! Never heard of this book until a few months ago.I can't believe I've missed out on it all these years.

Truman Capote is a successful author, especially in the novel The Christmas Memory. This novel is guaranteed to bring strong emotions! If you ever read the novel, you'll even agree that this writing will point out to all the audience that it teaches us something about grown ups need to spend more time with younger kids and all ages. Older people can always inspire kids if they try. Sook is a old woman that has no friends. Buddy being around helps her out more than it does him. The old woman being around Buddy helps him learn to be a good young boy. Buddy keeps Sook company. So she doesn't get depressed and lonely as much. It made me realize how important it is for all families to get along and get close. Everyone is a better person that way. They're no arguements in the family then. The other part of the family does care about others, but dont take time out to understand others. The proof of others not caring anymore is when they want to send Buddy off. He could do just as good there. They just wanted to get rit if of and to be rude to Sook. I think this novel is a perfect novel to show others how important your family can be to you.

Actually, I never realized that Truman Capote had written anything about his early life. A Christmas Memory is such a tender story of love between Truman, a 7 year old boy and his 60 something year old cousin, who never married. I am giving this to people as Christmas presents, and the price is right.

This is one of the greatest short stories ever written. If this doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you have no heart. It's a "have heart" test. Capote had a gift and it was on full display in this book. I also recommend his companion short story - "A Thanksgiving Visitor". This is great to read to the family during the holidays. You won't be sorry with these reads.

A short tale about Buddy, a boy who has been having trouble at school. It seems another boy at school, Odd Henderson, has been beating him up. When Buddy complains to his best friend, an older relative, Mrs. Sook, she thinks he's making too big a deal out of it. Mrs. Sook decides it would be a great idea to end the rivalry by inviting Odd to Thanksgiving dinner. Buddy is appalled at the idea and feels utterly betrayed by his best friend. Mrs. Sook thinks it's something that Odd would enjoy, as his family is not as well off as Buddy's family and sometimes wants for enough food to eat.

This was an ok story about life and not knowing what is going on in someone else's life or what might be motivating them. The writing did not grip me, nor the characters really engage me. Glad it was short.

My English teacher handed this story out to us today and told us to read it. It was one of the most beautiful Christmas memories I have ever heard. He used such beautiful words, it was as if I was watching the movie right then. The only thing that kept me from crying were the 14 other students sitting in the classroom!

This year our Winter Party for Book group chose to read this book aloud. As we sat around the table, we took turns reading the story. Truman Capote's writing is so eloquent, the changing of reader's did not influence the story. I was captivated by his experiences. I am waiting for a "30 fruit cake day".

I ordered this book after first reading the story in a collection of Capote stories from the library. I knew I wanted to own it and share it. I ordered one for myself and one for a friend who loves Christmas so she could enjoy it and share it with her friends and family. I haven't listened to the CD that comes with it, but that was a nice surprise. The only thing I didn't like about the book are the illustrations. After having read more about Capote and seeing photos of him and his aunt, the pictures just didn't seem to match. They seemed too charming to me, not conveying the reality. For someone without a preconcieved idea of what the characters should look like it won't matter and this book is actually geared towards children, whereas the original story was not. I enjoyed my initial reading the most being able to create the scenes in my mind with his beautiful descriptions and my own experience with elderly relatives. I plan to search for version with no illustrations.

A warm tale of bonding across a generational gap. I am confident that this is one of those stories that will stand the test of time. A delight for any reader and I suggest it as a great read aloud to be shared with pre-pubescent children. This is Capote at his writing best.

The book, A Christmas Memory, by Truman Capote, is an exremely emotional book. It is full of great characters and sad situations. I put myself into Buddy's shoes and imagine if I was him and being sent away to military school, how would I feel? I would feel like I was not wanted and I was being sent away. Sent away from the people you love and make you who you are. This part of the book made me think about how difficult it would be to leave everything you love. Buddy and Sook spent all their time together and suddenly Buddy was being sent away and Sook felt like she was losing him like her old friend who died also named Buddy. This book is a very strong and moving novel that I would recomend to anyone.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote is very heart warming. The book is very touching from the part Soot and Buddy are friends to the part they are seperated. To the day Soot and Buddy were in the field flying kites. Since they were both happy you could feel the love between them as the kites were floating easily above them as if they were being held. A Christmas Memory is a novel that will make you realize what friendship is.

This is a Christmas story, but it really is a book about bonding. About how you can create a bond with a person that lasts your entire lifetime - and how it can affect you.

Although it of course can be read at Christmastime, Truman Capote has written a tale that can be read anytime you want to sense just how close people can be, despite age or time.

A Christmas Memory is a wonderful story to read out loud at Christmas. It is beautifully written and illustrated and invokes all your senses. You will laugh at loud and you will cry a little because this is a story written from the heart for the heart.

This may become your favorite Christmas story! The visual imagery in this autobiograhical short story is memorable. A simple last Christmas between a young boy and his "60's something" cousin will stay with you forever.