The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop
Fiction
Random House
October 27, 2020
Hardcover
304
Purchased
The beloved author returns to the small town at the heart of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe with a heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and everyday magic.
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?
My review:
What a delightful respite from the worries of the world right now. It was wonderful to be back with this continuation of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe! While I don't think it is necessary to have read that title (I really didn't remember much but the main characters), you are missing a good read if you don't go back to that one (the movie is also a gem!). The author does a great job of catching us up on the history if you don't remember much (like me), or if this is your first time with these characters. While there are quite a lot of characters, and the story does move back and forth in time, it doesn't take long to hit your stride with this one, and just enjoy the ride. I'm not going to tell you that there is a ton of plot to this, but the characters are what make this one come to life. It makes you want to jump into the story and meet them to enjoy a cup of coffee and some fried green tomatoes (which I've tried, and don't particularly care for, but I'd eat some anyway!). The writing was lovely, the story just flowed, and the ending was just what you would expect from Ms. Flagg.
A perfect book to read if you want to go back to a simpler time, with a great down home feel. I really enjoyed my time spent with this one. Excuse me while I go try to dig up a copy of Fried Green Tomatoes to read or watch.
