A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, & the Thanksgiving Visitor (1996) by Truman Capote. This slim Modern Library is a collection of three Capote short stories from, in the order of the title, 1956, 1983 and 1967. These could be called fictionalized biographic pieces by the author detailing three memories of his youth. I could go into detail about each of the three but to give you a good impression of the stories I would have to ramble on and on. Suffice it to say that these are three pieces that helped Capote cement his career in fiction writing.
Memory was written a few years prior to In Cold Blood and may have made sure that “fictionalized novel” could be written.
I would recommend this book being read in and around the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays for a look back at what rural America was like in the thirties. That was a time when money was scarce but family abounded.
I felt the warmth of these tales for a very long time during and after the holidays. I believe that many readers might skip over Capote’s writings now referencing his name with that singular novel that both made him and almost destroyed him. Whatever, just get a copy of this and simmer in the glow from those yesterdays. ( )

I suspect I have a very skewed view of Capote, since these three short stories are the only things of his I've ever read, but I absolutely adore them. Gorgeous prose with stories that will pull your heart right out of your chest and crush it to a pulp. But, you know, in a good way. ( )

An annual read for many years--and I am always eager to pick this one up again. Deeply heartfelt. LOVE. ( )

Update: re-read [b:A Christmas Memory|9919|A Christmas Memory|Truman Capote|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320404365l/9919._SX50_.jpg|386792] and think it might make a nice Christmas tradition to read it yearly. Just as lovely the second time around.

I was delighted to find this collection on sale this week. I had not expected to be able to read it with the Southern Literary Trail this month, and I had wanted to.

What a sweet, nostalgic collection this is and a real tribute to Truman Capote's talents. The only other thing I have read from him was In Cold Blood, and while I admired his talented writing, I abhorred the book. I never read Breakfast at Tiffany's because I did not want to spoil the warm glow I have from the movie version.

Well, that was off-topic, so back to this volume. I love the character of Miss Sook, the way Buddy relates to her and the lessons he learns from her gentle teaching. I wonder how many of us have known souls like this, who have a less bit of worldly intelligence but a lot more of Godliness about them. I have known a few.

I came away with the fragrance of an Alabama kitchen in my head and a great desire to go whip up a batch of my mama's hot buttermilk biscuits and smell them freshly exiting the oven. Of course, I would need the chatter of the cooks to make it just like home and a hug from everybody who came through the door.

I really loved this! ( )

Starting "The Thanksgiving Visitor" and already I'm smiling over this opening line: "Talk about mean! Odd Henderson was the meanest human creature in my experience."

Within an hour or so, sixty-some minutes of reading and remembering and thinking and savoring, this small collection of stories crept into my heart and my list of books that will be read every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most unexpected. ( )