Synopses & Reviews
A heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and everyday magic, from the beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café
Bud Threadgoode grew up in the bustling little railroad town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, with his mother Ruth, church going and proper, and his Aunt Idgie, the fun-loving hell-raiser. Together they ran the town’s popular Whistle Stop Cafe, known far and wide for its friendly, fun, and famous “Fried Green Tomatoes.” And as Bud often said to his daughter Ruthie, of his childhood, “How lucky can you get?”
But sadly, as the railroad yards shut down and the town became a ghost town, nothing was left but boarded-up buildings and memories of a happier time.
Then one day, Bud decides to take one last trip, just to see where his beloved Whistle Stop used to be. In so doing, he discovers new friends, new surprises about Idgie’s life, and about Ninny Threadgoode, Evelyn Couch, other beloved Flagg characters, and also about the town itself. He also sets off a series of events, both touching and inspiring, which change his life and the lives of his daughter and many others. Could these events all be just coincidences? Or something else? And can you go home again?
Review
“The story blossoms in vintage Flagg style — folksy and feel-good. An abundance of Southern charm will delight both readers eager to journey back to beloved Whistle Stop and also those wanting to visit for the very first time.” Shelf Awareness
Review
“Who can resist a visit to Whistle Stop and all her inhabitants, past and present? No one!” Library Journal
Review
“Reading this novel is like entering a second childhood.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Flagg’s memorable cast returns to Whistle Stop, Ala., made famous in Fried Green Tomatoes, in this heartfelt saga... Flagg’s multitude of fans will enjoy reminiscing and learning more secrets from her well-known protagonists.” Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Fannie Flagg’s career started in the fifth grade when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play, titled The Whoopee Girls. At age nineteen she was already writing and producing television specials in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. At age twenty she went to New York and immediately began writing and acting on Candid Camera, making over seventy-five appearances on The Tonight Show. She then went on to distinguish herself as an actress and a writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man; Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; The Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook; Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!; Standing in the Rainbow; A Redbird Christmas; Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven; I Still Dream About You; The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion; and The Whole Town’s Talking. Flagg’s script for the movie Fried Green Tomatoes was nominated for an Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award, and won the highly regarded Scripter Award for best screenplay of the year. But the award Fannie treasures above all others came in 2012 when she traveled to Monroeville, Alabama, to receive the Harper Lee Prize for fiction from her longtime friend and mentor, Harper Lee.