GREAT FALLS — Just in time for Thanksgiving, a Great Falls family is celebrating the success of “The Thanksgiving Song," a song-turned-book that’s now an Amazon best-seller.
More than three decades ago, Lee Haven wrote what’s now known as “The Thanksgiving Song," a tune’s he’s carried on for generations. “I was just diddling around with my guitar and the words just kind of came to me, the tune came to me. I sat down and 45 minutes later the song was done,” Haven explained.
Since then, the song has been a cherished Thanksgiving staple: “My kids grew up with it, now their kids...it’s become kind of a family tradition."
While the song is well-known within his family, this year families all over get the chance to learn the lyrics - this time in book form.
Haven’s daughter Becky Acra says she’s been encouraging her dad to make the song heard for years. “We told my dad and have been telling my dad for years, you should do something with the song. It’s so neat, people love it. It brings just a neat feeling, I think, for anyone who hears it,” Acra said.
So Haven’s son-in-law, a publisher for The Get It Factory, decided to put the words to paper, writing a book with the same title. “His creative juices took the song and just figured out a way to turn it into the book,” Haven said.
For him and his family, “The Thanksgiving Song" is much more than a good read. For Becky, the song is a fond family memory.
“I don’t remember Thanksgiving without it. There’s something special about it. I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s there.”
The family hopes “The Thanksgiving Song” will become part of other families’ Thanksgiving traditions as well.
“We just hope that other families get a chance to hear it, get a chance to read the book, and enjoy it and share it with family and friends,” Haven said.
You can buy “The Thanksgiving Song” during Haven’s book signing at The Get It Factory (1021 25th Avenue SW) on Wednesday, November 27th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. It is also available on Amazon.
