"Over the River and Through the Wood" by John O'Hara (1934)

We doubled our runtime for this one, and honestly? Worth it. John O’Hara’s “Over the River and Through the Wood” (1934) immediately had us both leaning forward on the bed, which is saying something at 11 PM. We started by digging in to the actual Thanksgiving poem that clearly inspired O’Hara’s  story, then spiraled into everything from Jane Austen to *The History of Love* to—yes—Shiv and Tom Wambsgans. But here’s the thing: this 90-year-old story feels shockingly modern, with a surprisingly mature take on masculinity. Also, we talked about O’Hara’s epitaph, which may or may not count as gossip corner. Get the book: Support your local bookstore or grab it through Bookshop.org link Next episode: "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber (1939)  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review—it really helps other exhausted parents find us!**