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!

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is closed and you are in #COVID19 #socialisolation,  superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. (I have played a "zillion games" of scrabble, done a "zillion crosswords" and I AM BORED!!!)

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

A heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and everyday magic, from the beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café

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?

Oh, how I missed and love Whistle Stop/Fried Green Tomatoes family ("I'm older and I have more insurance"!). and their stories. This book was like a visit from an old friend that you have not seen for a while - and as I am #socialdistancing due to #COVID19 so I have not seen anyone except on a Zoom screen for a while.  The story is sweet and well written and a beautiful way to spend come cosy-time once it comes out at the end of October: hopefully by then one can go outside safely!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube  Millionaires/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅 (they don't have any green ones!)

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