The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop (Whistle Stop #2) by Fannie Flagg

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop (Whistle Stop #2) Reviews

• 
  Paromjit

  I don't mind admitting that I was apprehensive of reading Fannie Flagg's return to Whistle Stop in Alabama, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is a beloved favourite, and I was psyching myself up for disappointment. It is with joy that I report it was far from that, the original spirit and magic is all here as we are given a non-linear narrative, that goes back in forth in time from the 1930s to the present day, learning of what has happens to the close knit Whistle Stop community. It particularly focuses on Bud Threadgoode, the one armed son of Ruth and Frank, his wild, rebellious, and unforgettable Aunt Idgie, his long, happy marriage to Peggy and their daughter, Ruthie.
  
  The snippets of information, and glimpses into the lives of the wide cast of characters, old and new, as the original community disperses far and wide, are provided by Dot Weems, the writer of newsletters, bringing news of births, marriages and deaths, as Whistle Stop dies a death with the closure of the railroad yard. Bud is not to be held back by his missing arm, to become a veterinarian, joining the army, running a successful practice, but as his life gets ever busier, his visits to Aunt Idgie who moves to Florida to be close to her brother, Julian, become few and far between. Ruthie marries, giving birth to two children, plagued by a mother in law who never really accepts her or her parents, deeming them not good enough. We learn of Chester, a dummy who writes to Bud, Sheriff Kilgore, Sipsey and Big George, the passing of Ninny, Opal Butts, the beauty shop owner, and, of course, Evelyn Couch and how her life panned out. No-one forgets their lives from Whistle Stop, remembered with love and nostalgia, and the central role of its Cafe, and the antics of Idgie and the untimely demise of Ruth. This triggers the elderly Bud's visit to Whistle Stop, this leads to him and Ruthie meeting Evelyn. A new chapter to Whistle Stop is about to begin.
  
  I loved being taken back to the wonders of Whistle Stop, to discover what happened to the characters, the secrets that emerge, the triumphs, the challenges and tragedies that must be faced, a community that never forgets each other, and the introduction of its new members. Evelyn Couch is a revelation as she flourished beyond all measure after meeting Ninny, someone she never forgets as she forges connections with a lonely Ruthie who desperately needs a friend and Bud. This may not appeal to all the legions of fans of Fried Green Tomatoes, but I found it a delight, full of charm, a beguiling read that entertains and enthralls. Many thanks to Random House for an ARC.
• 
  Tina

  This is a historical fiction. This is an update on the characters from the Fried Green Tomatoes book. This is a slow moving book with short chapters. The first part I found a little boring, but the ending was very good. I enjoyed the characters. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Random House) or author (Fannie Flagg) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
• 
  Regina

  Reading "The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop" is like taking a meandering Sunday drive with old friends in a pink Cadillac down a scenic rural highway to a cafe in your childhood hometown, where you miss a few turns, have to backtrack, laugh and cry a little, stop at a few roadside stands for honey and fried green tomatoes, and find when you get there that the journey was just as important as the destination.
  
  This is a book that 100% succeeds in achieving what it set out to be. It's an extremely worthy follow up to a beloved novel published over three decades ago, and it feels fresh yet nostalgic. For that, how could I give it any less than 5 stars?
  
  Blog:
  www.confettibookshelf.com
  IG: @confettibookshelf
• 
  Larry

  Believe it or not, my first audiobook. Fried Green Tomatoes is one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies - never fails to make me shed a tear. This book includes all of the favorite characters, a look forward to their respective futures. A feel good story, just like Fried Green Tomatoes makes you feel good, too.
• 
  Cheri

  
  This story begins in November of 1938, inside the Train Station in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by a brief glimpse at both Whistle Stop, and a little boy and his dog running alongside the train. If you’ve read Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, or seen the movie, you’ll undoubtedly recognize many of the characters in this story - Buddy, Evelyn Couch, Ninny and Idgie, along with others. Years pass as this story progresses, but it returns to yesteryear off and on to fill in the blanks for those who have forgotten what a hellion Idgie was, or never had the opportunity to meet Ruthie’s grandmother, Ruth, or hear the stories of the past. Dot Weems, who writes and publishes a newsletter weekly, fills in things along the way, as well, the goings on in the town. Such were the ways of life many years ago, which adds a touch of charm.
  
  Stops are made along the way, and you see the town’s demise as the years pass, as people pass. Through Dot’s newsletters you find out that Idgie Threadgoode closed down the Whistle Stop Café in the mid-60’s, and ‘retires’ to Florida near her brother Julian, Buddy marries, becomes a veterinarian, becomes a father, and then and eventually a grandfather. Meanwhile, Whistle Stop slowly becomes a town forgotten by the world, but remembered by the few who lived, and loved, their lives there.
  
  But, as those of us who know, once you’ve ‘been to’ Whistle Stop, once you’ve met those characters, they continue to live inside of you for long after. This isn’t a story you’ll fall in love with for the beautiful prose, but maybe you’ll fall in love with the charm of a way of life that really no longer exists, and if not, I suspect you will fall in love with the people – at least most of them. I loved meeting the new characters, as well as seeing how the lives of the characters I already knew had changed. Idgie, for me, particularly so, as she remains one of my favourite characters, up there with the most memorably wonderful literary character, Ivy Rowe.
  
  
  Pub Date: 27 Oct 2020
  
  Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group – Random House via NetGalley
• 
  Kerrin

  Have you ever wondered what happened to Evelyn Couch, along with Idgie, Buddy Jr., and Ninny Threadgoode? If so, The Wonder Boy of Whistlestop will answer those questions for you and other fans of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
  
  It’s hard to believe that it has been 33 years since Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes was first published in 1987. I remember reading the novel in 1989 and being so excited when it was made into a movie. I can only think of one other story [ To Kill A Mockingbird] where I loved the movie just as much as I loved the novel. I watched the movie again just before reading this sequel. I still cry when Ruth dies.
  
  The Wonder Boy of Whistlestop follows the lives of many of the residents after Whistle Stop became a ghost town. Dot Weems, the former postmistress, sends out an annual Christmas letter that tells of births and deaths, and other points of interest. She often reminisces about the good old days in Whistle Stop. We learn about the lives of Sheriff Kilgore, the preacher and his son, Sipsey and her son, Big George, who were the cooks at the cafe, and Opal Butts who owned the beauty shop.
  
  The primary focus of the novel is on Buddy Threadgoode, Jr, the son of Ruth and her estranged, then later missing husband, Frank Bennett. I didn’t remember the strange legal fact that the Threadgoode family adopted Buddy before he was a year old. Even with his missing arm, Buddy has a successful career and a loving wife and daughter. They end up living up north but still keep in touch with Idgie, who moved to Florida. Later in life, Buddy and his daughter, Ruthie, are befriended by Evelyn Couch. Evelyn’s life certainly took a positive spin after meeting Ninny Threadgoode at the nursing home. Learning about Towanda, along with Idgie and Ruth’s friendship, was a lasting godsend for Evelyn.
  
  The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is purely for fans of the first novel or the movie. The plotline is much thinner than the original and would not be interesting to someone new to the story. 3.5-Stars rounded up to 4.
  
  This novel will be published on October 27, 2020.
• 
  Lori Elliott (semi-hiatus)

  Disappointing...
  
  I was excited to see that Fannie Flagg had written a new novel updating us all on characters from her wildly successful novel Fried Green Tomatoes. Unfortunately, nothing about this worked for me. It bounced around so much from place-to-place, time-to-time and character-to- character that it was impossible to develop any kind of connection with any of characters. I found myself completely bored. The writing was shallow, detached and unbelievable. If you are a die-hard FGT fan then this maybe a fun way to reminisce about the original, otherwise I’d skip it. Really, really hate saying that. 2.5 stars rounded up... just because it’s Fannie Flagg.
• 
  Theresa Alan

  This is a cute, fast, sweet novel. It was difficult to get into the story because for the first third of the novel, there is no actual story. It just bounces around from different times in history from the points of view of different people, many of whom we’ve met in Flagg’s earlier books. Then, when it finally resembles an actual narrative, basically nothing happens.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, which RELEASES OCTOBER 27, 2020.
• 
  Carole

  The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg is the sequel of the popular Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. The problem with sequels is that they rarely live up to the original and unfortunately this is the case here. I am going against the grain on this one because it looks like most reviewers are extremely fond of the new novel. But to me it seems that the author wanted to squeeze one last drop from a well-loved cozy story. This book is an update of the lives of the characters in Fried Green Tomatoes, mainly Bud Threadgoode and his quirky relatives. While it was fun to catch up, it quickly became uninteresting. Cozy fiction is usually Fannie Flagg’s forte but this was too much charm and not enough style. The first story was original and entertaining, this one lacks substance. Please remember that this is only my opinion. Thank you to Random House Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Brian

  “…but sometimes it sure hurts to be a human being.”
  
  I never should have read THE WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP. It makes me question my love for the book’s predecessor, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFÉ. I can’t go back and read that book now, unless my fond memories of it be dashed.
  
  I’ll start out positive. The text is trite and very average. And yet, the characters of Whistle Stop feel comfortable, and maybe comforting. And that caused me to finish the book, despite its weaknesses, and not hate the experience of it.
  
  Now, the problems…there are times the writing is cringe worthy. Some have referred to this book as
  “cute.” I guess that is as good a word as any. It is nauseatingly cute. The last 40 pages are beyond ridiculously stupid. It felt like an ending a teenager who has only led a sheltered life would write. EVERY. SINGLE. PLOT. DEVICE. was tied up with a pretty red ribbon. And not even plausible red ribbons. Massively implausible ones instead. The more implausible the better for Ms. Flagg.
  
  There were some nice quotes/thoughts, however-
  • “As heartbreaking as it could be at times, maybe life knew best.”
  • “I know there are some rotten apples out there, but take it from me, this old world of ours, flawed as it may be, is a much better place than you have been told.”
  • “I’ve had people who loved me and who I loved right back.”
  • “…life can be hard sometimes. And I sort of think animals are little gifts the good Lord sends to help us get through it.”
  • “And that’s what you get when you love something that much. Joy and heartbreak.”
  • “I love you, but you aren’t special. You’re just another human being who lost somebody they loved.”
  • “Just remember, no matter what time it is, it’s always later than you think.”
  • “…just think of all the billions of lovely memories that just fade and die away.”
  
  I wish this book was better. It is a sentimental look at life, and I love looking at life that way. But it is poorly executed. I don’t know the point of THE WONDER BOY OF WHISTLE STOP. It does not enhance the story from its predecessor, it just detracts from it. Adding more vignettes peopled with characters from that earlier text. If it had been done better, I might not have minded it.
• 
  Brina

  Flagg has penned this long awaited sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes for her fans. Whatever ever did happen to the unforgettable characters from Whistle Stop when the trains stopped running and the cafe closed? Now we know. The book felt rushed as in this case the sequel was not as good as the original, yet still with Flagg’s relaxed, southern charm, a lovely book for an autumn weekend morning.
  
  3.5 stars
• 
  Dorie - Cats&Books :)

  Review to follow. This took me forever to finish, sluggish and repetitive
• 
  Vonda

  I was so excited to get this ARC and the story was so much better than I even expected! Make sure to read Whistle Stop Cafe before this one as this one is a follow up that ties everything up nicely. Fannie Flagg in my opinion is one of the best writers out there. Nobody can give you the cozy homey happy feeling like she does. Loved this one and HIGHLY recommend.
• 
  Patti

  Did the author re-read FGT before she wrote this one?
  
  I ask because I did, this past week. I simply opened up my eyes, swept them from left to right, sounding out words based on the phonics that I learned back in grade school. I retained information, the little synapses in my brain wiggling around and forming memories.
  
  I eagerly opened this book this morning. I’m a third of the way through the book and here is what we learned:
  
  The character of Julian died around Easter 1988 but even though he was alive and well in May 1988 in Fried Green Tomatoes.
  
  Evelyn had a cold, distant mother but in FGT she and her mom were super close and she was devastated by her death, endlessly angry at and fearful of doctors because of her experiences.
  
  Evelyn was a wallflower in high school who never said a word, barely raised her head, no one remembered her at reunions but in FGT, she was a cheerleader, a member of the golden circle
  
  Dot actually stopped her newsletter and moved away in 1964 instead of 1969 as was reported in FGT
  
  Grady was the sheriff until 1958 but is in his 70s in 1991. Even if he was 79, that would put him born in 1912, which would make him sheriff in his 20s. I guess that's possible back then but still odd.
  
  Albert actually died in 1964, not 1978 as his tombstone read
  
  Bud's daughter was named Ruthie, not Norma (okay yes, I know, Norma Ruth but still).
  
  Norma/Ruthie was married to a guy named Brooks, not Macky. She was born in 1964, which is weird because in FGT she had a teenaged daughter in 1986.
  
  ----
  I can't wait to see what else we learn! Maybe Smokey the hobo was actually a millionaire, Ruth never died, and Sipsey owned the town (okay that last one would be awesome).
  
  I had the same issues with the "follow up" to Ya Ya Sisterhood--simple facts like names and dates were just wrong. I get that you are millionaires, set for life and have to literally do nothing for the rest of your life so...maybe, while rolling around in your money, you could...read your first book? Edit? Pay someone to edit? Write stuff down if your memory isn't that good?
  
  Just not impressed so far :(
• 
  Carrie

  Review coming soon.
  
• 
  Melissa (Way Behind Again!)

  I really enjoyed this return to the setting and characters from
  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. This book is written in quintessential Fannie Flagg style, and while it might send some readers' heads spinning with the jumping back and forth in time and between the characters' POVs, I loved it.
  I love how she gives the reader a look at a particular situation from various angles: through time, through other eyes, so that you get a complete picture of how things play out. I just loved getting to see how Buddy's life turned out and to get caught up with the other characters from the first book.
  I think that you need to have read (or re-read) Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe fairly recently, or at least watch (or re-watch) the movie in order to refresh yourself on the characters and what happened in that story. It makes this book so much more meaningful and poignant. I suppose it can be read as a standalone, but you miss so much of the charm knowing the full back story.
  I love Fannie Flagg's writing and will continue to read her novels as long as she continues to write them!
  
  I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
• 
  Donna Davis

  They say that old writers never die, and I hope that’s true. With her last novel, The Whole Town’s Talking, Flagg announced that she was done. It was her final novel. I was sad to hear it, but grateful to have been able to read every wonderful thing she’s ever written. She has given us so much! And then, imagine my joy when I opened my email to find an invitation from Random House and Net Galley to read and review this sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, which is possibly my favorite novel of all time. Over the moon, friends. And it’s for sale now.
  
  The tricky part of a sequel to such an iconic story is in trying to live up to what’s come before. In this case, I don’t think anyone can. That said, this is nevertheless a delightful book, and I recommend it to you, although you won’t get the full advantage from it without reading the first magnificent book first.
  
  The format mirrors that of the first novel, (and from here forward, I will refer to it by initials: FGTWSC,) with time periods and points of view that come from a variety of settings and individuals. Whistle Stop, Alabama is no more; the freeway passed the town by, and the rest of modern transportation and technology did the same. When we return there, it’s difficult to find; boarded up buildings, tall weeds, trash, and kudzu. In fact, the start of this book is depressing as hell, and for a short, dreadful time, I wondered if the author might be slipping; but no.
  
  The protagonist is ostensibly—from the title—Buddy Threadgoode, son of the late Ruth Jamison. Again, I find myself scratching my head, because Flagg’s protagonists are women, girls, and women. And actually, that’s true here also. Buddy is an old man, and he’s been sent to live a Briarwood, a retirement home for the elite. His daughter Ruthie married the son of the local bourgeoisie, and consequently he’s been mothballed in the nicest possible place; but he hates it, of course. He doesn’t make a scene, but who wants to be warehoused if they can help it?
  
  However, most of the action centers on his daughter Ruthie, and then later, our old friend, Evelyn Couch. (Friends have told me I resemble this character, and I’m good with that comparison.) Evelyn gained confidence in the first novel, much of it courtesy of Ninny Threadgoode, and now she’s done nicely for herself. Husband Ed has gone to that man cave in the sky, but she has recovered from the shock and then some. And it’s roughly halfway into the story that Evelyn enters the story in a big way, and with the groundwork well established, the story takes wing.
  
  As with the original FGTWSC, the key to keeping up with the ever-changing settings and narrators is in the chapter headings. If you skip them, you will be lost. (This fact has been established by trial and error in teaching the book to honor students in literature class.)
  
  Flagg is a feminist, and her work reflects her subtle but unmistakable passion for social justice. Again, with the first half of this book I feared she had lost her edge; once more, I see in the second half that I am mistaken. She was just warming up. Unlike so many of the novels I’ve read recently, this story gets better and better as it progresses. At 45%, it seems like a pleasant, harmless story, and a bit of a disappointment. At 56%, I’m sitting up straighter and noticing things. At 75% I’m laughing out loud. And from there to the finish, I don’t want it to end.
  
  I’ve seen some lukewarm reviews for this book, and it’s understandable, in a sad way, because those reviewers are weighing this book against its predecessor. And no, this one isn’t quite as brilliant as the first, but if I deny the fifth star on that basis, then I need to go back and weed out at least 96% of the other five star reviews I have written, because FGTWSC is a matchless novel. If instead I weigh this story against those others, it stands up proudly.
  
  When push comes to shove, I think all of us need a feel-good story like this one—which it is, despite the sorrowful beginning—all of the time, but now more than ever. Civic engagement is important, but stepping away and restoring oneself is every bit as crucial. Do yourself a favor. Switch off your news feed for a couple hours and snuggle down with this book. You’ll be more effective later for having given yourself time to recharge now.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
• 
  Bonnie DeMoss

  The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is the sequel to Fannie Flagg’s novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. It is a delightful novel that jumps back and forth in different time periods between the 1930s and present day, and tells us the further adventures of Buddy Threadgoode Jr. and others. This book is not a standalone. Readers will greatly benefit from reading the first book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
  
  This was a joy to read. It takes us back to the 1930s when Ruth Jamison and Idgie Threadgoode were running their cafe in Whistle Stop, Alabama. It shows the present day where Bud Threadgoode is an old man, and his daughter Ruthie has grown children. And it tells us tales of a younger Bud in different periods of his life. All the popular characters from the first book make an appearance. I especially enjoyed the role of Evelyn Couch in this story. As in the first book, news reports from Dot Weems pop up in between chapters, from all different time periods. It is a story of family, friends, love, and loss, and the weaving together of the time periods shows how friends and family never really leave us.
  
  I truly feel that Fannie Flagg wrote this book for her fans, those of us who have read all of her books, as a way of tying everything together. She catches us up on all the popular characters from Fried Green Tomatoes, and I may have shrieked in delight when a character from Flagg’s other best selling series, the Elmwood Springs books, shows up in Whistle Stop!
  
  Every little nugget and every piece of news about a beloved character felt like a gift from Fannie Flagg to her readers.
  
  I received a free copy of this book from Random House via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My opinions are my own.
  
• 
  Obsidian

  Well this was disappointing. I think Flagg was hoping to capture some of the magic from the first book but it felt very flat here. I think the issue was that we had too many characters to follow in this one (Buddy Jr, Ruthie, Eleanor, etc.) and we didn't get enough time with them. I had hoped we would get a different look at Buddy Jr. as a kid and growing up in Whistle Stop, but he felt like he was making cameo appearances in the end. And I have to say that the ending was 100 percent unrealistic. I think that Flagg wanted to leave readers happy with what may come next, but I kept going, yeah this is so unreal I can't even enjoy the book anymore.
  
  "The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop" looks back at characters we followed in the first book in the series, "Fried Green Tomatoes". Now decades later, Whistle Stop, Alabama, is a dead town. Everyone has moved on and those who remember Whistle Stop, still think of Ruth and Idgie. The sequel still has the former residents getting the annual Christmas letter from Dot Weems (who has moved on with her husband) and the book jumps back and forth between past and present at we find out how much Whistle Stop meant to so many people, and especially to Buddy.
  
  I have to say, I don't know if I liked Buddy. You read the book and you see how his life turned out, but it seemed really weird how we find out he grew apart from those who knew and loved him. I just thought that part didn't ring real true. Plus the book kept jumping around and I never got a sense of him. I think he was supposed to be this book's Ninny, and he really wasn't.
  
  Flagg keeps most of the present day action on Buddy's child, Ruthie. And we still don't get much sense of her except that she let herself give up on what she really wanted for marriage to someone who read as "beige" as hell to me.
  
  I think that's why I am so sad right now. It's really hard to hit lightning in a bottle when you follow up on what should have been a stand alone book, but this one really showed how wonderful the first book was and how this one was not up to snuff at all.
  
  The writing was pretty scattered I thought. I think if we had followed things in a linear fashion it may have worked better. But going from the 1930s, to 1980, to 1990, to 2000 whatever was a lot. You also have to pay close attention so you can see when people you have followed from the first book have died and passed away. I just felt so annoyed by the whole thing after a while.
  
  The flow just didn't work at all. I kept having to go back a few times to see what year I was in again to remember what had or had not happened yet at that point.
  
  And Flagg throws in a few Idgie stories we didn't know about which did nothing for me at all.
  
  The ending as I already said was just farcical as anything. I am sorry, it just took me wholly out of the story and made me sigh.
• 
  Dale Harcombe

  Reading this book is like settling down with an old friend. Yes, it rambles as conversations between old friends who have known each other a long time are prone to do. Catching up with the characters from Whistle Stop and the new characters that are introduced is a delight. The main focus is Bud Threadgood and his daughter Ruthie, and the people that come into their lives or have connections to Whistle Stop
  Due to the building of a major highway Whistle Stop has ended up a deserted ghost town. But the memories for those who lived and worked there remain. But sometimes chance meetings and relationships formed have far reaching consequences.
  I fell easily into the gentle humour and laid back story telling of the author. It resonates with Southern charm. Yes it is fanciful and unrealistic and some might say cheesy, particularly closer to the end. But by then I didn’t care. It was just fun to catch up with characters from Whistle Stop and their descendants. I smiled and giggled through some parts and tears formed, even if they didn’t fall, at others. Mind you, if you have not already met and fallen in love with these characters from earlier books, then this one would probably not make a lot of sense. But for those of us who know and have loved this author’s earlier books and the characters of Whistle Stop, it was a welcome addition and I loved it.
• 
  Mama Cass

  Fried Green Tomatoes remains where it has been since the first day I read it, still in my top 5 books (and movies) of all time. I have read all of Fannie's books, and while I do love the Elmwood Springs series, Whistle Stop will always be a place in time, of a town I wish I had grown up in, with a friend named Idgie Threadgoode. So, of course, when Fannie wrote The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, I could not wait to read it. And they're all there, again, Idgie, Ruth, Big George, Ninny, Sipsey and the lovely Evelyn. This time though, Fannie jumps ahead to the life and times of Buddy Jr., Ruth and Franks baby. We learn all about what happened to Whistle Stop and it's irascible inhabitants. Fannie has such a way of bringing you through the haze and completely immersing the reader into the story, whether you're fishing with Idgie or playing cards with Buddy Jr., you become a part of the story. Run, don't walk and grab this soon to be best-seller. Beautifully written, sweet, touching and Lordy, are you ready to fry up some green tomatoes? Time's a wastin'!
• 
  Tonkica

  Bud Threadgoode će ovaj put biti centar zbivanja, Ruthin sin, ljubav tetke Idgie. On je sada već djed i godine mu polako oduzimaju drage ljude što ga sjećanjima više vuče u njegov rodni kraj, k njegovoj užoj i široj obitelji uz koju je proveo divno djetinjstvo.
  
  Više o utiscima pročitajte klikom na link:
  https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
• 
  Linden

  The small town of Whistle Stop, AL has its share of characters. There’s Dot the postmistress, Opal from the beauty shop, and of course Ruth and Idgie who run the café with son Buddy. The chapters focus on different years, from the thirties through the present day, tied together with Dot’s annual letter catching everyone up on their former neighbors, even after everyone has moved away from Whistle Stop. Flagg has written a book where it seems that every good deed is paid forward. If you read the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, or saw the film, you will enjoy visiting with the characters again. If not, you will still enjoy reading a feel-good novel with a HEA ending. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Jane

  4 stars
  
  You can read all of my reviews at
  Nerd Girl Loves Books.
  
  This is a wonderful, warm book revisiting beloved characters from Whistle Stop, Alabama. The book skips back and forth between time periods and characters, telling some of the side stories in between the lines of Fried Green Tomatoes.
  
  There is one main storyline that flows through the whole book, focused on Buddy Threadgoode and his daughter Ruthie. We learn what happens to Bud and his family, as well as other characters after time passes Whistle Stop by and the town disappears. One day Bud "escapes" his nursing home and takes the train to Birmingham, intent on going back to Whistle Stop one last time. But, he gets turned around and finds himself lost in the woods. He's found just in time and while in the hospital, he and Ruthie are visited by Evelyn Couch, who has had more success in her life since meeting Ninny Threadgoode than she ever dreamed of. Evelyn and Ruthie strike up a friendship, and soon the duo concoct a new adventure to undertake.
  
  Reading this book is like curling up on a rainy day under a warm homemade comforter with a cup of hot chocolate. I found myself smiling as I read all of the sweet goings-on in the characters' lives that we've all come to know and love. While the timelines are a bit slap-dash and don't make much sense, it all works nonetheless. The chapters switch back and forth between time periods and characters, with a several of Dot Weems' newsletters interspersed throughout. If you like cozy, warm and fuzzy books, this is just the one for you.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Susan

  This is the perfect book to read when you are feeling overwhelmed and depressed. It will surely brighten your day and make you feel happy. It brings back so many happy memories of one of my favorite books,
  Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. This is an update on the residents of Whistle Stop and also a walk down memory lane.
  
  There is not much of a plot but more of a series of vignettes of the characters that made Tomatoes such a memorable book. It loosely follows Ruth's son, Bud, and what has happened to him in his long and wonderful life.
  
  There is not too much to say without giving away the wonderful stories about the characters. It just made me feel warm and cozy all over. It was the perfect antidote for our times. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
• 
  Jonathan K (Max Outlier)

  Having enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes, I had high hopes for the delayed sequel. We meet the characters from the first book years later along with the children who grow and become parents. From here the predictable plot drags with a story that pales in comparison to the original. There's no mistaking Fannie knows the territory. But when compared to the characters and plot of Tomatoes it falls flat. Enough said.
• 
  Tami

  Fannie Flagg always manages to write such heartwarming stories and this newest work from her is no exception. I found this to be a hybrid of short stories, a novel and a sentimental walk down memory lane featuring all the special characters from Whistle Stop.
  
  I expected this to be more about Bud, but it seemed that it was about everybody, even though it did tell readers about what happened to Bud through the years after he left Whistle Stop.
  In a sense, this was Bud recalling fond memories along with the written commentary of the newsletter put out by the local postmistress.
  
  This is not the best as a stand alone novel. If you’ve read other work by this author, it will be more enjoyable. The timeline skips around from the 1930’s to the present day. At times, I felt like it was a bit confusing, but once I was deeper into the book that didn’t bother me so much.
  
  Readers who like clean, heartwarming stories with happy endings will love this one. I think it’s also a great read for the holiday season.
  
  Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.
• 
  Peggy

  Review to follow.
• 
  Rachel

  DNF the audiobook at 3:30. It was on track for a 5-star review until a clumsy attempt at a life lesson for Buddy came at the expense of a fat woman gospel singer. Flagg really dug in about how she took up the whole doorway, needed 2 stools, took half a pie to go, and was the fattest woman anyone had ever seen. She was the fattest fat who ever fatted apparently.
  
  Give it a rest, Fannie.
  
  P. S. To those wondering if we're going to call Ruth and Idgie's relationship what it is—As of the 3:30 marker the closest we get to the word "lesbian" is "special friend".