The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop

Though this one doesn’t have the depth of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, it was still a treat to return to those characters. I’ve always loved Idgie and we even get to see how Evelyn Couch’s life turned out. Ruth’s son Buddy is the main focus of the book, but we dip in and out of his life through the decades and get glimpses of all of the people he crossed paths with. Things really come together in the second half. The first half is disjointed, but the ending made it worth it.

Much like Idgie, I'm happy to be home. This book is an absolute delight in every way. I laughed out loud (very loud!), I cried, I worried, I rejoiced, and I missed the characters (and are some ever characters!!) from Whistle Stop the moment I read the last word. If you are looking for a feel good read that will warm your heart and leave you hankering for a big old plate of fried green tomatoes, then this is the book! Thank you, yet again, Fannie Flagg for making us all remember that there is good in this world and it's found in the heart of small towns all across this country.

I am a Fannie Flagg fan, I have read all but two of her books, which makes me sad. I love the folksy humor and love of family and friends who help you survive. The changing time periods and settings almost seem like bread-and-butter letters from family. I love Bud, the little boy who lost his arm in an accident and felt so despondent. That completely turned around when he saw a three-legged dog enjoying life. I identified with his daughter Ruthie, who never was accepted by her husband's family.

Even though the bringing back of the town of Whistle Stop was a stretch, I still loved this book, I only wish this author could be cloned. I have a habit of reading one of her books whenever I feel down and Fanny Flagg's humor and love in her show more books always make me feel better. show less

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I am writing this review as I wipe tears after finishing The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop. This book feels like finding a box in the attic full of family photos and letters, or reminiscing over bourbon with childhood friends when coming back to your hometown after being away, or a sweet hug from grandma or grandpa. I loved Fannie Flagg when I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, but after this sequel, I wish I could grab the car keys and pay a visit to Whistle Stop.

If you're like me, you've been waiting a long time to find out what happened to your favorite characters from Whistle Stop, Alabama, not to mention Evelyn Couch. Where did they go? Did they all lose touch? I can tell you without spoiling anything that the answer to the latter is no, they didn't. Dot Weems first sends Christmas cards and then discovers email to keep everyone in the loop. But what about the town itself?

Well, it's probably better not to ask what Whistle Stop looks like these days. But when Bud Threadgoode's granddaughter Ruthie meets up with Evelyn Couch they are unfazed by what 50+ years of neglect can do to a town.

It may have taken a while, but Fannie Flagg does not disappoint with this sequel. In her typical chatty show more style, we learn about what happened to the town and its inhabitants when the trains started just passing through without stopping. And then we zoom into the future to see how Whistle Stop lives on in spirit, and maybe even in reality. show less

Settling in with a Fannie Flagg novel is like getting an unexpected visit from old friends, and while you’re reading it, it seems like it’s been too long between visits, and when you’ve finished it, you can’t wait for them to come again. And like life itself, there are some happy parts and some sad parts, but if you have family and friends, you know things will eventually be okay. Whistle Stop isn’t what it was, in fact, it’s practically gone. But just like the people of Whistle Stop, the town just won’t quit. As long as someone still believes in it, it’s not quite gone. And neither are the ones who lived there. As long as they are remembered by the people who loved them, the impact they had on the people they knew lives show more on. This heartwarming tale is a wonderful example of how things work out, just the way they were intended. Highly recommended. show less

This is a continuation of the much-loved Fannie Flagg book "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" which was made into the much-loved movie "Fried Green Tomatoes". I see the book was published in 1987 and the movie was released in 1991 so my memory of the occurrences in that book were pretty faded. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book and I think someone who had never read the previous book or seen the movie would probably like it as well.

The Wonder Boy is Buddy Threadgoode who was raised in Whistle Stop during the 1930s by his mother, Ruth, and her partner (both in business and in the heart) Idgie Threadgoode. They ran the Whistle Stop Cafe but when Ruth died of cancer and the railway stopped running through town it show more closed and the whole town dwindled to nothing. Buddy became a veterinarian, married and had one daughter called Ruthie after his mother. In 2013 Buddy is living in a retirement home in Atlanta, his wife has died and his daughter is married to a rich man but is desperately unhappy. When Buddy decides to sneak away from the retirement home to see Whistle Stop one last time he gets lost and spends the night in the woods. When Ruthie flies to Birmingham when he is found she meets Evelyn Couch, the woman who in the first book was inspired by Ninnie Threadgoode to take charge of her life. Just as Ninnie did for Evelyn, Evelyn now takes Ruthie under her wing and she blossoms. Buddy watches this transformation of his daughter and is very happy. He also gets a new lease on life but you'll have to read the book to learn what that is.

Fannie Flagg was born near Birmingham, Alabama so her narration of this book was a delight to listen to. She shines at showing women coming into their own strengths. I would read anything she wrote. show less