I have been a fan of Fannie Flagg for a long time. What a treat to visit the old friends who popped up in The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop! Anyone who has read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe or seen the movie will recognize Buddy, Ruthie, Evelyn and all the others who inhabited Whistle Stop, Alabama. Ms. Flagg skillfully goes back to the past to tie in the present. Even if you haven’t read Fried Green Tomatoes, this would be an enjoyable book. Coming as it did during a time of quarantine and civil unrest, this book was a reminder that friendship can be found in unlikely circumstances and make all the difference in the world. I can’t wait to see what Fannie Flagg writes next!

This reads like a precis of 'Fried Green Tomatoes' with a few added updates on what the characters have been doing since we last encountered them. I am so disappointed. It is thin, there's little character development and I feel like I've read a Christmas round robin.

I'm a long-time fan of Fannie Flagg and looked forward to revisiting the residents of Whistle Stop. I thought the beginning of the book was a bit choppy; I had to pay close attention to the time and location noted on each chapter. It was not clear until about the 40% mark who the main character was actually supposed to be. Once the focus of the story focused primarily on Buddy, the story was quite enjoyable. Of course, Flagg fills the pages with wonderful characters and terrific humor that is unique to her books.

Fannie is back a boy have we missed her.. All our favorite characters, and friends, are back. The novel updates us on everyone,, reveals secrets from the past, gives us hometown memories and asks ( and answers)) that age-old question, can you go home again? Filled with humor and yes, fried green tomatoes, the reader is transported back to Whistle Stop..

How long have I been waiting for this book? Oh about 18 years, after I finished Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I was so excited to find out whatever happened to Idgie. I feel li,e the most important people I the story are always at the periphery. While I was extremely excited for this book, and did indeed enjoy getting to go back to Whistle a Stop, I felt like everything was tied up with just too perfect a bow. And we need more Idgie.

Writing: 4/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Plot: 4/5

The ultimate feel good book, The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop takes up where Fried Green Tomatoes left off, following the beloved residents of Whistle Stop, Alabama as they disperse through the South. Told vignette style, we bounce between time periods, characters, and locales — like a collection of friendly gossip between friends about people they love in common. The main narrative arc follows Buddy and his daughter, Ruth, in the present. You may remember Buddy as the six-year-old who lost his arm in a train crossing accident in Fried Green Tomatoes. It’s an amazing journey.

The ending is absolutely delightful, and I won’t give it away with any hints. Let’s just say I’m in a much happier space than I was when I started. Thank you, Fannie Flagg!

Great for fans of Elizabeth Berg.

I could read the continuing stories about Whistle Stop every day of my life! Some of them are sad, some are totally happy but they are all entertaining. And so many lovely lessons for us all to learn. Some (crabby critics) will say that things fall into place to easily at the end but I think that’s part of it’s charm. It’s a feel good story, no doubt about it. And I loved it all! More! More!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I am so excited to read this, but I am first going to reread some of her other books, and I will review after.

The only thing wrong with this book is that it had to end. Loved it..now I know what happened to all my Whistle Stop favs.Great book

In this sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, we get the answers about whatever happened to our favorites from the original novel and subsequent movie. What became of Idgie, Bud, Sipsey, and even Evelyn Couch (Towanda!)?

Flagg's writing is true to form and fans of the original novel will be pleased to visit, one last time, with their favorites. Although providing a satisfying ending, the first quarter of the book, though necessary in exposition, reads more like an author's character outline: suppose So and So did this. What if So and So moved here? There are other gaps, as well. For one thing, it's not giving too much away to say that Buddy Threadgoode grows up to join the army. In a very dramatic scene from the original novel, 7-year-old Buddy loses his arm in an accident on the railroad tracks. Even a casual reader will know that an amputee will not be accepted into the army. It's a noble thought, because the character is a loyal and upstanding man, but it's just not realistic. Still, there is plenty here for fans of Flagg to enjoy, and those who are particularly fond of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe will be pleased.

Whistle Stop is one of those fictional places that feels like home to me, even though my feet have never walked on the ground there. This is a sweet return with some dear old friends and new family. The town is no more, the residents have scattered. There are still connections but it’s never the same. Flagg’s style is sometimes too sweet to be believed, but doesn’t that have its own kind of magic? To quote Jerry Maguire, “we live in a cynical world”, but Whistle Stop isn’t in that cynical world. Love, family, friendships still matter. Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to read in advance. A positive review was not required but I will admit I crossed my fingers to be chosen for this one!

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg. Such a treat to revisit the lives of the people of Whistle Stop and to discover what happen to the residents in the following years. Bud Threadgood is the thread that binds many of the residents' lives together. A feel good story with many wonderful caring people.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. One of my favorite books was Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe so when I saw this book I was ecstatic. When you love a book and the characters feel like family you want to know what happens after the book ends. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop lets us back into the lives of the people of Whistle Stop. I'm so glad that Buddy Jr married and had a daughter and that Idgie grew to a ripe old age. I was thrilled with the ending and what Evelyn and Ruthie did for Buddie!

Fried Green Tomatoes is one of the most beloved stories of the twentieth century and Flagg revisits Whistlestop through the eyes of Ruth’s son Buddy Threadgood. All of Flagg’s characters return in this story, that can’t quite top the original, comes damn close, and that makes it a hell of a read