Search  for anything...
Modern Library

A Christmas Memory: One Christmas, and The Thanksgiving Visitor (Modern Library)

    • Based on 1,396 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for product changes
$18.99 Why this price?
Save $1.01 was $20.00

Buy Now, Pay Later

As low as $4 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout. Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, PayTomorrow, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Free shipping on this product

30-day refund/replacement

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

Availability: Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Fulfilled by Amazon
Arrives Thursday, Apr 10
Order within 12 hours and 58 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Recently Viewed

Description

Together in one festive, keepsake volume, here are the three holiday stories that Truman Capote regarded as among his greatest works of short fiction. “A Christmas Memory” and “The Thanksgiving Visitor” were inspired by Capote’s early years with a family of distant relatives in rural Alabama. These two childhood tales pay loving tribute to an eccentric old-maid cousin, Miss Sook Faulk, who became Capote’s best friend. In “A Christmas Memory,” Miss Sook, Buddy (the narrator), and their dog, Queenie, celebrate the yuletide in a hilariously tipsy state. In the poignant reminiscence “One Christmas,” six- year-old Buddy journeys to New Orleans for a reunion with his estranged father that shatters many illusions. And in “The Thanksgiving Visitor,” Miss Sook invites an unexpected guest to the holiday meal: the school bully, Odd Henderson, whom Buddy calls “the meanest human creature in my experience.” Distinguished by Capote’s delicate interplay of childhood sensibility and recollective vision, these three classics are gems that celebrate the unique bonds of friends and family. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Modern Library; Reissue edition (November 12, 1996)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679602372


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 78


Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 870L


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.6 x 7.54 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #69,227 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #320 in Holiday Fiction (Books) #2,318 in Classic Literature & Fiction #5,577 in Literary Fiction (Books)


#320 in Holiday Fiction (Books):


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Apr 10

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Similar Products

Top Amazon Reviews

    • Beautiful holiday stories that hold up to repeat readings
I had never read any of Truman Capote's stories until a good friend recommended "A Christmas Memory". I looked up the title here on Amazon and was pleased to discover that this particular edition by The Modern Library contains three stories, i.e. "A Christmas Memory", "One Christmas", and "The Thanksgiving Visitor". My favorite is of course the title story, "A Christmas Memory". The story 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. In "One Christmas", the author narrates the time when as a young boy, he is sent to spend Christmas in New Orleans with his father. Buddy is reluctant and unwilling to leave his beloved Sook and familiar surroundings in their small Alabama town, but eventually gives in and makes the trip all by himself. This was the period of the Great Depression where many are without, but Buddy discovers his father (who is divorced from Buddy's mother) is actually quite well-off. The story explores the fragile father-son relationship with a great depth of credibility. Buddy hardly knows this stranger who is his dad and is wary of the man, but over the short period of time leading up to Christmas, a tenuous bond forms between the pair. The ending is heartwrenching, and I wept as I read the pain within this little boy and the agony suffered by his father. "One Christmas" is one of those bittersweet family holiday stories that will remain in readers' hearts for a long time. Finally, there's "The Thanksgiving Visitor" which in brief is a story about Buddy and the school bully, a boy named Odd Henderson. Odd is described as "the meanest human creature in my experience", a twelve-year-old who makes Buddy's life at school a living hell, to the point that Buddy dreads going to school. Sook in an attempt to help Buddy, invites Odd to their home for Thanksgiving dinner. Buddy is horrified, picturing Odd thinking up new ways to torment him, but there's a surprise in store for all concerned. I loved this story for the compassion displayed by Sook, and would recommend this selection for anyone looking for a wonderful, heartwarming holiday read. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2012 by Z Hayes
    • Heartwarming Christmas Story.
The first story in this book is my most favorite Christmas story. It's about a young boy and his elderly cousin who takes him under her wing and together, poor as they are, gather all the ingredients they need to make fruitcakes to give away for Christmas. They go into the woods to gather the nuts, etc. and your heart will be moved when you read all about it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2024 by donald rockwood
    • Mildly interesting
I thought the stories were well written and since they are short each is a quick read. The characters linger after reading which for me is a good sign. The storylines were not compelling.
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2020 by Pego44
    • ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL
Capote writes from his heart and personal experience as a young boy growing up in a small south Alabama town near Mobile. His relationship with a much older cousin and their adventure in baking Christmas fruit cakes and flying kites make for an adorable and memorable story of old southern charm. At age 10, the boy, Buddy, is shipped off to military school. He leaves his friend and the traditions he grew up loving the most. It's a sweet story about two gentle souls who were best of friends and loved one another genuinely. Andif you nuy the edition that includes the CD of Celeste Holmes reading the story, you can double your pleasure and really sense the true love and pleasure these two shared with one another. It's the icing on a well baked cake, fruit cakes! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023 by richard e whitelock
    • Great stories
great book of stories gave as gifts everyone enjoyed
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2025 by AML
    • Gorgeous, poignant, and of another time.
This is the third Christmas season in a row that I have read Capote's holiday trilogy and I am NEVER disappointed. These pieces all come from Capote's personal childhood life and are all interconnected. They detail his southern childhood and the unique friendship he had as a child with an elderly cousin with whom he lived. The prose is gorgeous and the imagery palpable. I have recommended this collection to many friends and fellow readers and I have not heard one complaint yet. In fact, "A Christmas Memory" is my all time favorite holiday story. There is joy, sadness and an old fashioned charm that I have simply not found anywhere else. Each story can be read in about 20 minutes, but each is exquisite in that it will stick with you, maybe even haunt you. They are human and unique. I cannot recommend these stories enough. A fabulous Christmas/holiday gift for the reader in your life. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2010 by Fitzgerald Fan
    • A must read
Great short stories
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2025 by Beez
    • Used but in excellent condition
I am using this for a book group.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2024 by Ctoone

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.