As much as I enjoyed the book and movie of Fried Green Tomatoes 30 years ago, this sequel is unfortunately not a must-read. Wonder Boy returns us to the characters of Whistle Stop, Alabama, but skips around in time from the 1930s to the present day. It rushes us through the events of Buddy Jr.'s life in becoming a veterinarian, marrying Peggy, having a daughter named Ruthie, then Ruthie's children grow up and Buddy is in the nursing home, all in a few pages.

We also reconnect with Evelyn Couch, who befriended Ninny Threadgoode in the original story. Evelyn, along with pretty much everyone else in this book, has had tons of success in her life and is all too happy to help out the Threadgoodes. With a few funny stories and little of the dark humor, this insubstantial volume just seems like outtakes from the first book.

It was not a bad way to pass a few hours, but if someone has never read the original, this won't make a whole lot of sense. Go back and read the original, or some of Fannie Flagg's other novels.

BRAVO!! Fannie Flagg, another winner is about to launch!

I have been a fan of Fannie since when I first read Fried Green Tomatoes, and had to see the movie, and own the cookbook. (which I still have)

Fannie can touch your heart when you try to go back to your childhood, which I often see mine in my minds eye.

Whistle Stop reminds me of relatives long gone, but the memories still ache in your heart.

I loved this story so much, with its tenderness and wisdom, I think I will be reading this book twice.

Keep up the good work Fannie, and thank you for letting me visit Whistle Stop again.

Order you copy today, and one for someone you love.

You will not be disappointed!

Will also post on Goodreads.

This is the perfect book to read when you are feeling overwhelmed and depressed. It will surely brighten your day and make you feel happy. It brings back so many happy memories of one of my favorite books, [book:Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe|9375]. This is an update on the residents of Whistle Stop and also a walk down memory lane.

There is not much of a plot but more of a series of vignettes of the characters that made Tomatoes such a memorable book. It loosely follows Ruth's son, Bud, and what has happened to him in his long and wonderful life.

There is not too much to say without giving away the wonderful stories about the characters. It just made me feel warm and cozy all over. It was the perfect antidote for our times. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

I liked this story. It is book 2 in the Whistle Stop, AL series following Fried Green Tomatoes. Many of the characters are back and expanded and I'd recommend reading it first. This is the story of Bud and his mother Ruth and their extended family in small town Alabama. During Bud's lifetime the town has closed down as the railroad yards moved away. Now Bud is taking a nostalgic trip back to Whistle Stop and decides to do something special for the town he loved so much as a young boy. Pure Fannie Flagg with great characters and well researched facts about the time frame. My favorite Fannie book is The Whole Town's Talking. This book begins in the late 1930's and comes to present day. She's a great writer of bygone eras. I grew up in a railroad town so it's a special story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Why did this have to end?? I just loved returning to Whistle Stop and traveling through time with Bud and all the folks. Such a feel good, down home, family tale. Fannie Flagg is a master story teller. I think I’ll make some fried green tomatoes for dinner!! Many thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I adored every page it was like a family reunion! This is a story about the old whistle stop cafe family but mostly Buddy Jr. Ruth's son who lost a arm in a train accident when he was younger and his current family. You get to find out where the Whistle Stop gang went and such. after the town just kind of died and everyone moved on We get flash backs and current news letters about almost everyone I loved the letters from Dot Weems who wrote the towns news letter and then email as the years moved forward and technologies changed trying to keeping the whistle stop family together.

Thank you Fannie Flagg for revisiting Whistle Stop and giving us a reminder of what a wonderful town this was.

I want to curl up with my cozy blanket, a cup of coffee and read it all over again.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop // by Fannie Flag

When I first saw this title a few months ago, I jumped at the chance to hear about the Whistle Stop characters again. Later though, I started to dread reading it more and more because I adored Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and was worried that maybe this would not be as good and would ruin my memories of it a little. I am so glad I can now say that I was so wrong to feel that way because I read it all in one day and loved every minute of it!

Now, this is not a book that has a huge buildup or exciting event, fantastic world-building, or would win literary awards for its plot devices. But I don't say that to be rude or take anything away from it. I say that so you don't go into it with the wrong expectations because I definitely think this is for a specific group of readers that just loves this kind of storytelling. This book is slow and steady and so so sweet. I often wonder what happens to characters after the ending of a book and that's really what this book does. These are normal people with normal lives like you and me that struggle with the realities of a changing world.

The set up is very similar to the first book with short chapters, Dot Weems' newsletters, and following many different characters but it is just as charming. We skip back and forth in time constantly following all the main characters from before and I love how slowly, everything seems to fit together. I'm usually not a fan of perfect endings that clean up everything nice and neat, but that approach fit perfectly here. I loved the mix of old and new, rich and poor, good and bad, and everything in between. I'm so glad that I decided to read this after all.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to get this ARC and the story was so much better than I even expected! Make sure to read Whistle Stop Cafe before this one as this one is a follow up that ties everything up nicely. Fannie Flagg in my opinion is one of the best writers out there. Nobody can give you the cozy homey happy feeling like she does. Loved this one and HIGHLY recommend.

Reading over some of the other reviews, I've seen complaints that the chapters were too scattershot and that some of the events in this sequel don't perfectly align with the events in the first book. Well, you don't read a Fannie Flagg book for continuity or chronology (neither of which have ever been her strong suits). You read Fannie Flagg for her warm voice and her quirky & lovable characters. All of those things were on full display in this delightful novel. I adored every page.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

I read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe a long time ago, so I was surprised to find how much I remembered about those memorable characters. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop takes that story into the present. Buddy, the eponymous “Wonder Boy” is now an adult and we follow his story, learning about his marriage, his daughter Ruthie, and her life. Evelyn Couch reappears as an older adult and she “pays it forward” as she emboldens Ruthie in the same way as Ninny Threadgoode encouraged her years before. As the title implies, it all ends up at Whistle Stop.

This is a character-driven story, with short chapters that bounce back and forth in time. At the beginning I found this a bit frustrating but as the story progresses, it has a rhythm to it that makes sense. It shows how one’s childhood influences who you become as an adult. While not quite as delightful as Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, I found it to be a pleasing and positive story, a lift in these difficult times.

If you, like me, only vaguely remember the details of Fried Green Tomatoes (it was published a long time ago) or never read it (or watched the movie), never fear- Flagg will catch you up on what's been going on in Whistle Stop, Alabama. Know, however, that the first part of this introduces a lot of characters and bounces around in time to the extent you might get frustrated. Keep reading though fo a nice tale of a small town that's very character centric rather than plot driven. Buddy, who moved away a long time ago, comes back to town to see how things are. The economy has slipped, the town almost abandoned but the people- oh the people have their stories. The chapters are short (which encourages you to keep reading past when you should be turning out the light) but Flagg has a way of capturing a person. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Flagg's fans will be happy with this one and new readers will have a pleasant trip to a small town full of hope.

This novel is great for those who loved the previous novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe because we check in with all the beloved characters. However, the format of the book is disappointing, as it jumps around and gets confusing with a kind of meandering non-plot, at least in the first part. However, for those who loved the first book, I think this is a good addition to your library and worth a read.

If you are a Fanny Flagg fan, you will probably love this book. If you are a reader who has never read Fanny Flagg but you’ve heard about her and her great writing, you may find the beginning of this book a little slow, and you might even start to wonder what all the Fannie excitement was about. There is a lot of background, told in snatches, catching us up with beloved characters which Fannie’s fans will love. But for others so much backstory update makes for a slow beginning. Once we get into the story of Buddy in his older years, the book becomes very interesting. At that point it moves right along and once again you care about families and characters. And of course, we would all like to see The Whistle Stop Cafe restored to its unique glory. Is that possible?

For Fanny Flagg friends this book should be a five star but for those trying to get to know Fanny this book will probably be a low four-star so I am going to give it four stars.

After many years, another story of Whistle Stop Cafe and its memorable characters is available to us. If you've been missing the adventures and exploits of Idgie, Ruth, Evelyn, Buddy, and the rest of the gang, this is your fix! New storylines are added, most prominently one following Ruthie, Buddy's daughter, and some additional snippets from the 1930's to the 60's fill in more of the cafe hay day years. One noteworthy editing issue - the date of Ruth's death is inconsistent from the first book, although even in Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe two dates with different years were referenced. I don't think anyone would notice this, however, unless you read the books back to back as I did. While I didn't find this story to be as strong or developed as the first book, it was still a fun step back into the world of Whistle Stop.

Fannie Flagg’s books are always delightful and this one is no exception. Whistle Stop is no more and those that lived there are scattered about, but keep in touch through Dot Weems annual Christmas Letter. What a lovely walk down memory lane as we are reacquainted with beloved characters as well as meeting the many new! As we hear more stories of Whistle Stop and it’s inhabitants, we can’t help but have warm and fuzzy feelings along with a smile on our faces that lasts from start to finish. This was a charming old fashioned read with the surprise ending that I was hoping for throughout the entire book❣️

Thank you to Fannie Flagg, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would be surprised if there is anyone who hasn’t heard of the lovable characters of Whistle Stop, Alabama. The story begins around 1938, and the reader is taken on a journey thru their lives to the present. Most people have moved on as modern day technology has overrun the small town and businesses had to close. Bud Threadgoode is still yearning for the past of growing up in Whistle Stop with his mother Ruth and hilarious, independent Aunt Idgie, who ran the Whistle Stop Cafe. When Ruth, who has lost her husband, and wishing she could lose her mother-in-law, meets, by chance, Evelyn Couch, life begins again. Their adventures thru the past, as they their dreams come true, will delight any reader. I loved this book.

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 unphased 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 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.

Like all of Fannie Flagg's novels, The WonderBoy of Whistle Stop is a delightful read. It is a celebration of the simple things in life, which are, in fact, the most important - family, friendship, love and loyalty. I really enjoyed the wonderful characters and the positive attitude with which even difficult situations are overcome. If you need an enjoyable, uplifting read then this is the book for you. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Fannie Flagg for the ARC.

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg - A totally entertaining whirlwind of a novel.  No one I have ever read has an imagination like Fannie Flagg. Her books take you to new places and you get to experience everything that happens through the well developed characters. This book was a pleasure to read and I look forward to her next. Thank you Net Galley and Random House Publishing  for the opportunity to read this book.

So first, I must admit, I have not yet read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I need to make that clear. When I requested this book from NetGalley, I did so based on the author as I have read her more recent books and loved them. That said, I enjoyed this book without that background so I can only imagine how much those who know the characters will enjoy it.

This book is full of warm characters, people you wouldn't mind having as neighbors and friends. Many times they made me smile and laugh. The book is colorful and you can really picture the people and places. The story does move around in time but in a good way and easy to follow. The history fits together and by the end you are smiling and left with a good feeling. I don't like reviews that reveal too much, so I'll leave it with just read the book. Oh, and yes, I will be reading Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe!

Note - Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read and review this book.