Thanksgiving, 1942

An American Family's Wartime Saga #2

by Alan Simon

Gene Kelly never actually appears within the pages of Thanksgiving, 1942 but the then-Broadway star is central to one of the tale’s plot lines.

Seventeen-year old Charlene Coleman dreams of fame after being told by Gene Kelly himself, the star of Broadway’s Pal Joey whose debut movie opens one week later – also a native of Pittsburgh, where the story is set – that she has a great deal of talent and should be out selling War Bonds across the country, and perhaps even try her luck in Hollywood. Despite the stars (literally and figuratively) in Charlene’s eyes, her mother has different ideas about her daughter’s future…leading to the inevitable clash of wills as the first Thanksgiving of World War II unfolds.

Meanwhile, Charlene’s two older brothers, Jonathan and Joseph, have traveled home to Pittsburgh all the way from Arizona for a brief holiday furlough from their Army Air Forces training... and for what all family members realize will be the boys’ last Thanksgiving at home for a long while.

For Jonathan, this Thanksgiving furlough presents a monumental predicament: what he should do when he encounters Francine Donner, his would-be fiancé. Jonathan had just started proposing to her the previous Christmas Eve when Francine blurted out a shameful secret that halted the proposal…but what will happen eleven months later when Jonathan and Francine come together again?

Irene Coleman is determined to make this Thanksgiving as joyous as possible for everyone who will gather around her table and share the festivities, despite the wartime circumstances and how difficult a year 1942 has been at war and also the home front…and even as the days leading up to the holiday itself unfold very differently than she had envisioned.

Come join Jonathan, Joseph, Charlene, Irene and Gerald, and the other members of the Coleman family during the days leading up to the first Thanksgiving of World War II in this sequel to The First Christmas of the War.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Holiday, Fiction, Family

225 pages, Paperback

First published November 26, 2012

About the author

From USA TODAY bestselling author Alan Simon...just published: THE DELUCA FURLOUGH BRIDES - BOOK 1: THE ONES THEY LEFT BEHIND...a "spinoff" novel to THE FIRST CHRISTMAS OF THE WAR and its sequels.

Also available: the USA TODAY bestseller GETTYSBURG, 1913: THE COMPLETE NOVEL OF THE GREAT REUNION...a very unique story (originally written as a 3-part serialized novel) set against the backdrop of the real-life, all-but-forgotten "Great Reunion" of more than 50,000 aging Civil War veterans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. In the midst of this tale of the greatest post-war healing event the world has ever seen you'll also find a sweet, turn-of-last-century love story between a widowed nurse and a lonely Philadelphia physician.

Author of a memoir about growing up watching the great baseball player Roberto Clemente who lost his life on a mercy mission to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua more than 40 years ago on New Year's Eve. Enjoy:

Clemente: Memories of a Once-Young Fan - Four Birthdays, Three World Series, Two Holiday Steelers Games, and One Bar Mitzvah.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 5 stars

This little novel (225 pages) is the follow up to First Christmas of the War, and continues the story of the Coleman family of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Brothers Jonathan and Joseph are in the Army Air Corps (Air Force) and have come home on Thanksgiving furlough from Arizona where they are in the midst of their training to become fighter pilots. They have not been home since the Christmas before and will soon be shipped off into combat.

I found myself totally engrossed in this book and picked up my e-reader every chance I had. As the brothers mentally prepare for their first battle assignments, we are privy to the family’s thoughts as they contemplate not seeing their sons/siblings for the next few years…or ever again. We also get the perspective of their young cousin Marty Walker of the Marines who has been part of the Operation Torch battle in North Africa and remains on duty on the battleship during the holiday. Charlene Coleman, 17 years old, has earned a “grownup opportunity” that must be signed off on by her parents. This leads to an intense encounter between Gerald and his wife Irene. As in the first book, I was really taken in by the wisdom of these people, particularly Gerald. During a discussion with his eldest son regarding the pitfalls of young love, Gerald again shows superb judgment and insight his in counseling. Then we have Thomas, the Coleman’s youngest son at age 16, who still feels like a kid beside his two maturing brothers despite starting to realize that he too will likely become immersed in the war.

Once again, Mr. Simon provides his readers with a good flavor of 1940s Pittsburgh, this time in the late fall. He captures the changing landscape of America because of the war and the consequences of those changes on the lives of almost everyone.

Within this tale we find themes of how important family is, the rocky terrain of young love, the somberness of having to grow up quickly, and the blessings of wonderful parents. We see sacrifice, courage, forgiveness, and letting go.

A couple of reviewers have criticized this small series as not having enough character development. That astonishes me. I feel very attached to this family; in fact, within five minutes of finishing this book I downloaded book 3 (The First Christmas After the War) and began reading. I highly recommend “An
American Family’s Wartime Saga” series for a heartfelt holiday reading experience.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

April 3, 2013
Thanksgiving 1942 ( A sequel to The First Christmas of the War) by Alan Simon
A review by Anthony T. Riggio
“Thanksgiving 1942” By Alan Simon is the second book in the Coleman Family saga and I hope there will be future books telling of the happenings of this most interesting family during the WWII years. When I read the first book The First Christmas, I concluded this was a matriarchal run family but the second book Thanksgiving shifts to the more paternal role in the hierarchy of authority, though other readers may disagree with this conclusion. The five children of the Coleman family are a bit older in this sequel and the two teen age boys are on leave from their flight training with the US Army Air Force in Arizona. The book was read on my Kindle and it was an equally short read as the first book and I read in two short sittings. The Coleman saga is about family relationships during a changing time in American family life. Having been born around the commencement of the war, I have some child hood memories that are imbedded in my memory cells and I was able to feel the plentiful emotions demonstrated in this warm story. I recommend this book for adults and young readers to get a glimpse of life during a seemingly simpler time yet one of great family suffering. My father served in the Pacific with the US Navy and experienced five major amphibious landings as a coxswain on LSM’s (Landing Ship Men). My paternal uncle was in the USAAF and saw plenty of action flying B 17’s and B 25’s. Both survived the war and both were changed from the teenaged men before the war to men with living scars and memories of the struggles they experienced.
Thanksgiving 1942 is about family values, family leadership, teen age struggles, finding love and experiencing the unknown futures of relationships in a time of war.

[Marie-Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, the second book in the Coleman family series, was just as good as the first book, The First Christmas of the War. It continues the story of the Coleman family, a family coming to grips with life during World War II. The oldest two sons of Gerald and Irene Coleman have been in Arizona training in the Army Air Forces. They are coming home for the last family Thanksgiving before they will go off to war. Irene would like everything to be perfect for this last family holiday. Things do not, of course, go the way she had hoped. There is drama with most of the Coleman kids. This drama helps you get to know the Coleman family and makes you care about everything they are going through. Alan Simon does a remarkable job of helping the reader travel back in time. You feel like you are in the 1940's. The war and all of its ramifications are bearing down and affecting all aspects of life. Gerald and Irene are trying hold everything together and you feel for them because so much is not within their control. I look forward to the next book in this great series.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

#2 in the Coleman family saga centers on the first Thanksgiving of World War II and the return home to Pittsburgh of the two older sons-Jonathan and Joseph-for a brief holiday furlough in the middle of their Army Air Forces training and what all family members expect will be their last Thanksgiving at home for a long while. I loved the book, characters, and the setting and am looking forward to the next book!

[Amy Malek Concepcion · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. A family based contemporary fiction set in ‘42 with the eldest two boys home from Air Force training for the Holiday. The author did a great job with character development weaving each storyline together flawlessly along with the history of the war and how it’s effecting each member of this close knit family. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading the next book.

[Ruth Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Thanksgiving season since the United States entered World War II finds brothers Johnathan and Joseph Coleman traveling home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are presently Army Air Corps trainees having enlisted the previous June. They have a week at home before returning to Arizona to complete their training. This novel covers the week their week of leave and tells the story of a family coming to grips with the changes that war brings to a family. One cousin is already on active duty and missing from the family's Thanksgiving celebration. What will the next few years bring to the family?
Interestingly, not only was the story set in a time of war, it's tone, language, morales, were very much of another era. I was surprised to realize the book is a product of the 21st Century. It's 'feel' is very outdated as the characters are true to the 1940s....it's definitely not a 2oth century story built around 21st century culture or characters. (So often historical novels definitely reflect the culture, norms and characters of the times in which the book is written.) This book definitely feels like it was written in the 1940s. Very out dated, simplistic, and hard to take seriously at times. And yet, it is a deep look into how a family as individuals and as a family are adjusting to fast changes that war brings. I'm glad I chose this book for my "Thanksgiving read" for 2023. Not sure I'll go back and read the first book of the Coleman family series.

[Kathie Kuehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the series just as much as I did the first one (First Christmas of the War). This book continues to follow the Coleman family of Pittsburg. The 2 oldest boys, Jonathan and Joseph, are in the Army Air Corps and have come home fir Thanksgiving from Arizona where they are in training to become fighter pilots. They have not been home since they enlisted and will soon be shipped off into combat. Their mother, Irene, wants everything to be perfect for this special holiday when all her children will be together again. The reader is drawn into the various dramas the Coleman siblings are experiencing. The parents, Gerald and Irene, are trying to hold everything together and to advise and guide their children as best they can. This book is about family relationships during a changing time in America where what the future holds is unclear.

[Karen Kepner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family’s perspective

The first Thanksgiving in the US after Pearl Harbor the previous December finds life changed. There is rationing, many young men are in the Armed Forces, some in war zones and others in training. This novel combines historical perspective with the ongoing lives of the Coleman family. Interesting read, but not riveting.

[Brenda L Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this second book in the series about the Coleman family and how they are coping with the war and the fact that 2 of their 5 children are serving. The boys are home on a holiday furlough to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family before completing their training in the Army Air Force. Looking forward to reading the third book.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #2 in this WWII series about a Pittsburgh family who is getting more involved with the war as two of their sons are now in the military. New and old relationships are being explored, as well as family relationships being tested and strengthened. I still enjoy this series enough to read the next book in the series. I want to know what happens with each person in the family.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the first book in the series but this was one was a bit boring. I didn’t like Jonathan’s double standard regarding men and women and thought Irene was irritating. I probably won’t bother to read any others, although I love the time period.

[Jan Chiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming story

It's about the way life is changing drastically because of the war and how each family member handles it. For 14+

[Laurie S. Pedley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this and the first book in the set...if you like Home Fires series, this is the American version.

[Joseph Passarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice. Fast read.

A simple story. Uncomplicated. Predictable. Totally enjoyable. I found myself caught up in the ordeals of the Coleman family and thoroughly enjoying it.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanksgiving 1942 is a slice-of-life novel about a family during WWII. The two teenage sons have returned home from military training for the holiday, and the story covers one week in the family's life. I was pretty disappointed, to be honest. The dialogue was lackluster, the characters one-dimensional and the plot dull. I usually enjoy books about this time period, and I like reading about day-to-day activities. However, these characters lack the rich inner life that would make this book more exciting. I felt that I did not get a good sense of who these people are. There were also grammatical issues that bugged me, like the excessive use of "quotation marks"...and ellipses. That being said, this book might interest people who lived through the war and remember seeing young men in uniform, eating rationed food and listening to radio programs. Teen readers might like to get a sense of what their grandparents experienced during the '40s, particularly if they are learning about this time period in history class.
I received this book as part of the First Reads program.

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series about the Colman family during World War II. This one is set during the 4-day Thanksgiving weekend of 1942. The oldest sons in the family are coming home for Thanksgiving leave from their Army Air Force training and the family is looking to have as big as holiday feast as their ration books will allow.

Again, the story is full of mundane life with the war & its dangers always looming in the background. Both the older boys find romance to hopefully take them through the conflict and their sister also finds herself, perhaps at the beginning of a theatrical career.

We wait to see where the author will take this family

[Vicki Bishop · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book about life in a much simpler time. It takes place in Pittsburgh, PA ... not that far from where I grew up. They used trolleys for ALL travel ... going to work, school, the market, DATES, etc. Many familiar places received mention ... Mt. Washington, the incline, Joseph Horne Dept. Store, the old movie theaters.... What amazed me was the parents involvement in their 5 children's lives ... especially the oldest three. The young men were both in their 20s, about to go off to war and still their parents (especially the dad) pretty much told them what to do. No 20 year old young man today would tolerate that ... I wonder if it was typical in 1942?

[Deb Cornell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simon's sequel to The First Christmas of the War follows the Coleman family as they come to grips with the drastic and pervasive changes wrought by America's entry into the war. Irene and Gerald Coleman, first generation immigrants, face the trials and tribulations of raising five children to adulthood during the 1940s. For some, adulthood comes sooner than their parents may have planned, due largely to the war. Simon's novel perfectly portrays family life and angst of the era while avoiding becoming overly nostalgic. While the author cites and draws upon the actual headlines of the time, this book is not overt in historical references.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story very much. It was interesting to see how people responded to the moral issues revolving around relationships and what was considered “inappropriate” behavior of the times. It also showed the pain that was endured as people were forced to change their beliefs due to the changes brought on by World War 2. But it was enjoyable to watch families come together, enjoy, and be thankful for during the holiday. I thought some scenes lasted a little too long, but all-in-all it was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in historical fiction or just a good story.

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is even stronger than its predecessor. I was particularly struck by how effectively Mr. Simon captured some of the different mind sets of people of the time period from today-the almost all powerful hold parents had over their children. I was also impressed with how the author showed parents growing and adapting their views as they had to face the changing reality of a world at war. The characters are human and complex: you root for them to come through their difficulties. The characters also reveal humor that makes you enjoy reading about them. All in all, a spot on job of recreating the time period in a natural way. I finished in one day!

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.

Thanksgiving, 1942 follows Jonathan, Joseph, Charlene, Irene and her husband Gerald, along with other members of the Coleman family during the days leading up to the first Thanksgiving of the war.

This was a quick and interesting read that gave a bit of insight into how WWII effected families and the sacrifices they were willing to make.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Alan Simon, thoroughly enjoyed. A follow-up to The First Christmas of the War, this second parter sees the two oldest Coleman sons home from basic training before entering P-47 pilot training. The adventures of returning home, meeting old girlfriends and preparing their parents for their leaving for the war theatre proves a fast-paced, heart-warming story. Looking forward to the 3rd sequel in the saga.

[Pam Whitman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story; poor editing

I enjoy reading about life in the 1940's. Wartime changes the way people look at the world, at their lives, and wonder, not what kind of future they'll have, but if they'll even have a future. It's during these times the people do uncharacteristic things. Family values seemed to be as strong as love for their country.

I would have given this book a higher rating if it had undergone better editing.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sequel to "the first Christmas of the war" as much as I did the original. It is again over a very brief period of time, four days, and examines the intimate thoughts and feelings of a 1940s Pittsburgh family.

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book - it was a quick, but interesting read. The story centered on two brothers who come home for Thanksgiving 1942.
reading this book gives and insight into how WWII had an immediate effect on families and the sacrifices they were willing to make.

[Glenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the continuing saga of the Coleman family. Really have enjoyed the two books I've read and am looking forward to the next! Love most books set in and around the 1940s. Very good read!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanksgiving, 1942 (The Coleman Family Saga)- Second book that I have read about this typical middle class family and the impact of WWII on their lives; a great view of life in 1942 although perhaps a wee bit thin on charactor motivation. 182 pages, 3 stars.

[Norma · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good, not great, read. Thought the first one was better. Plot line a bit predictable. What I liked most about both books was the descriptions of the people coming to grips with the country being at war and all the changes it brought to their lives - rationing, separation, etc.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable story of the Coleman family in November, 1942, the 1st Thanksgiving of WWII. This could be the last Thanksgiving the Coleman family is all together. Enjoyable story, but rather idealized & cliched, which is why I only gave 4 stars. It's still a fun, quick read for the holiday.