Good news! Fannie’s back in town--and the town is among the leading characters in her new novel.
Along with Neighbor Dorothy, the lady with the smile in her voice, whose daily radio broadcasts keep us delightfully informed on all the local news, we also meet Bobby, her ten-year-old son, destined to live a thousand lives, most of them in his imagination; Norma and Macky Warren and their ninety-eight-year-old Aunt Elner; the oddly sexy and charismatic Hamm Sparks, who starts off in life as a tractor salesman and ends up selling himself to the whole state and almost the entire country; and the two women who love him as differently as night and day. Then there is Tot Whooten, the beautician whose luck is as bad as her hairdressing skills; Beatrice Woods, the Little Blind Songbird; Cecil Figgs, the Funeral King; and the fabulous Minnie Oatman, lead vocalist of the Oatman Family Gospel Singers.
The time is 1946 until the present. The town is Elmwood Springs, Missouri, right in the middle of the country, in the midst of the mostly joyous transition from war to peace, aiming toward a dizzyingly bright future.
Once again, Fannie Flagg gives us a story of richly human characters, the saving graces of the once-maligned middle classes and small-town life, and the daily contest between laughter and tears. Fannie truly writes from the heartland, and her storytelling is, to quote Time, "utterly irresistible."
What a beautiful book. Growing up in a small town, which I did, doesn't seem wonderful when it is happening. It is in looking back. I have lent this book to a few people and they all loved it. Again, her characters are just wonderful.
Karen F. (earlsgirl) from GRAND RAPIDS, MI wrote on 6/11/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Wonderful! I'm ready to read another one by Fannie Flagg. You really become part of this small town and get to know the characters like they are your neighbors. Highly recommended for readers who like a "good story."
Lauri E. (Luluette) from TYBEE ISLAND, GA wrote on 5/13/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Cute...kind of nostalgic.
Kirsten C. (bibliofilly) from HUGO, MN wrote on 3/11/2007...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED this book from beginning to end and am not sure I want to give it up! If you love good story and southern fiction, this is a must-read for you!
Debra R. (MediumDebbi) from MINNEAPOLIS, MN wrote on 5/27/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is one of the most charming, captivating and funniest books I have read in along time! I will be checking out her others real soon!
Kathryn P. (kathprev) from APOPKA, FL wrote on 1/27/2008...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
excellant as only the way fnanie flagg can write a book ...
Lori M. from BRADENTON, FL wrote on 12/26/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I absolutely love Fannie Flagg and this book is wonderful. A story about small town innocence, life and love. Enjoy.
Adrienne V. (Adriennevh) from GLENDALE, CA wrote on 3/21/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Spectacular!
Sonia T. (Sunny) from TOLLAND, CT wrote on 2/20/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I've loved all Fannie Flagg's books but I think this was my favorite. I hated for it to end.
Sue E. (Susanaque) from OWATONNA, MN wrote on 2/16/2007...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Riveting from beginning to end. A sweeping story that runs from 1946-2000. Elmwood Springs, Missouri grows from a post-World War 11 town surrounded by farmland to a 21st century enclave near the highway but never loses its sence of utopia. And it is full of some colorful people.
Rate These Member Reviews
Leah G. (LeahG) from GROVER BEACH, CA wrote on 6/8/2008...
As with all of Fannie Flagg's books that I've read, this was a good one. I felt like I had grown up in the town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri by the time I'd finished this book.
Stacy I. from HAZELWOOD, MO wrote on 5/30/2008...
I just loved this book. I felt like I really knew these characters and it was fun following their lives and dreams in a small town. This book was a feel good book and very enjoyable. I also loved the short chapters. This book brought back some of my own childhood memories. It was a fun read and I was disappointed when I finished it because it was so enjoyable.
Everything Fannie Flagg writes is an absolute gem!
Sara F. (oldiesforyou) from SPOKANE VLY, WA wrote on 2/19/2007...
I love Fanny Flagg, she is so in touch
Amy R. (pauli) from FISHERS, IN wrote on 10/27/2006...
Not as good as "Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man" but well worth the read. The characters stay with you even after the last page.
Alberta R. (bertie) from SIMPSONVILLE, SC wrote on 10/27/2006...
I could not put it down. Yet at the end there was something missing.
Linda M. (wildlifemom) from LAYTON, NJ wrote on 10/4/2006...
Covering 1946-2000, Flagg chronicles the lives and changes in society through the eyes of various delightful characters. Written with charm, humor and grace, it's a slice of American life at it's core.
Anne S. from HENDERSONVLLE, TN wrote on 10/3/2006...
This was a wonderful book, full of Fannie Flagg's quirky characters. The story line goes from 1946 to 2000 and when you come to the last page you will realize you have lost some very good friends.
Jim L. from ARBOR VITAE, WI wrote on 9/13/2006...
Haven't read this yet. I inadvertently ended up with two copies of the same book so posting one of them.
Karen F. (midnightreader) from BUFFALO, NY wrote on 9/8/2006...
Fannie Flagg at her best. A glimpse into life of small town America in the '40s & '50s