Happy Thanksgiving! Here's a taste of a 1974 country Thanksgiving from my novel Song for Susie Epp.
On Thanksgiving Sunday, bouquets of ripe wheat sat on the organ in the country Mennonite church near my mother-in-law's house. Baskets of home-grown carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and onions decorated the steps leading up to the pulpit.
Vases of white clematis sat on the windowsills. Their sweet aroma accompanied Simon and me and our children as we proceeded up the aisle to the pew where his mother sat.
My footsteps dragged. I was tired. I had suggested to Simon that we attend the Lutheran church in town; it was only ten minutes from our house. But his mother, Adeline, had insisted we come to her Mennonite church for Thanksgiving, Erntedankfest.
But Adeline. But Adeline. These words galloped through my mind as Simon, the girls, and I sat down with her. I felt like a show horse jumping over hurdle after hurdle, all of them marked But Adeline.
On the wall behind the pulpit hung a wooden cross, shiny with varnish. I focused on it, trying to see Adeline through Jesus' eyes. He died for both of us. He loved us both so we should love each other too. I prayed for the grace to comply.
Song for Susie Epp is a 264-page novel set in Saskatchewan and British Columbia. It features a Mennonite wallflower whose faith and confidence grow as she grapples with a bossy mother-in-law and a secret that could destroy her marriage. If you're interested, ask for it in a bookstore or library. Or order from Chapters Indigo, Amazon, or another online seller.
