The Great Thanksgiving Chase

An Irish Immigrant's story, 1931

Inspired by the 1931 Macy’s balloon release, this Thanksgiving memoir tells the story of an impoverished immigrant boy during America's Great Depression.

Life presses hard on the Apple family living in a poor tenement house in the Lower East Side. Known for his quick-fist and even faster temper, twelve-year-old Jack Apple struggles to earn money to help feed his family. While selling newspapers, Jack reads about the upcoming Macy's Day Parade. On Thanksgiving Day, the giant parade balloons will be released, and a $25 reward will be given for each balloon returned to Macy's.

Determined to earn the reward money and prevent his family from going hungry, Jack devises a careful plan. However, finding a balloon when everyone in New York City is out looking for one proves a challenge. Jack finds himself facing a bully, dodging the law, and even learning to sail a boat in the East River. As he helps care for his mentally challenged friend, Jack learns what it means to be a true friend. He discovers what growing up really means - it’s about standing by those you care for and cherishing the love of a family even in the harshest of times.