This was a cute novel, but really all over the place with the story. Well written, though. ( )

I first saw this book on a list of "Gentle Reads" at my local library.

I don't think it is.

It's got a lot to say about racism, prejudice, addiction, anxiety, family problems, etc. And the end-all argument is mostly good. The relationship between the main character and her eventual object of affection was quite realistic (which I appreciated). Flagg does a nice job weaving things together and modernly setting us up for the eventual reveals. But they didn't need to couch it all in language that my grandmother would find offensive. Which is probably why I won't pick up another one in the series.

Which I'm kinda bummed about, because much good is said of this particular author, both in the critical community and by Dick van Dyke (who apparently used to work with her when she did television). I wonder if all the television stuff in this novel is based on real life.... ( )

I enjoyed this book much more than Fried Green Tomatoes. I would recommend this.

Dena Nordstrom’s life is out of control. She is drinking too much, cannot maintain a relationship and it is affecting her health. Dena is beautiful and has a high powered job as a TV personality. She goes into therapy. As the therapist pushes, she learns Deana’s mother, Marian Chapman abandoned her at age 15. As Dena digs deeper into her past, she finds out Marian Chapman did not exist. Who was her mother? Why did she leave Dena alone? What happened to her? ( )

Definitely not my favorite by Flagg. In fact, I hated it so much I'm reconsidering if I ever liked the other books I read. So full of annoying characters and saccharine plots. ( )

This book is one of the best ones I've read in a very long time. It tells the story of Dena Nordstrom, America's blonde haired, blue eyed #1 female newsperson in the 1970's. The book jumps back and forth between the 1940's and how Dena's parents met and her childhood, to 1978 New York City. It could easily get confusing, but Fannie Flagg writes it so flawlessly it isn't hard to follow at all.

It mainly centers around Dena and how her life is out of control - she drinks too much, goes out too often and cannot handle any type of relationship. And on top of all that, now she has a bleeding ulcer. What's a girl to do? Go see a psychiatrist. Only problem there is, the second she walks in his office, he falls in love with her. So he refers her to another doctor, aptly named Dr. Diggers, who keeps asking her questions about her childhood and her mother in particular.

What can Dena tell her? Her mother was a very private person and Dena did not know her well at all. During Christmas break one year, Dena flys to her mother's apartment in Chicago, only to find that her mother has disappeared off the face of the earth. Why? Where did she disappear to? What secrets was she keeping? Was her mother a Nazi spy? A sleazy reporter thinks so, and he would like nothing better than to destroy Dena and her reputation. Dena has to put the past to rest and the only way to do that is by solving the mystery of her mother's past and what exactly happened to her.

Along the way in this book, you meet some interesting characters, mainly in the town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri - Dena's hometown and the place where she finally becomes whole again.

4 stars out of 5 ( )