I love, love, love this book! Anytime I read a book by Fannie Flagg I feel like I am home. She has a gift of taking her readers back to a simpler time and making memories seem like you are reliving them in real-time. All of her characters are people that seem part of our past. And, many times, Flagg will invoke memories that we have forgotten. And it can be something as simple as a meal or a song. In the Wonderboy of Whistle Stop, she has taken us back to her original stories about the Whistle Stop Cafe and all the lovely characters. As I read the book I had a strong desire to go and re-read all of her other books. I was so happy to be reminded of the characters. And to learn more about the history of so many people in her original stories. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is a treasure. Flagg does not need to embellish her stories with sex or foul language. When we read her books, we are reading real life. Flagg writes stories like a history book. And we can always learn from history. In this crazy world we are living in we need more Fannie Flagg books.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

A heartwarming book that readers of “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe” will love. Catch up with old favourites like, Idgie and meet new characters to love like, Ruthie. Readers can reminisce about Whistle Stop over the years and learn what has become of it since Ruth and Idgie served those famous fried green tomatoes.

Amazingly I have never read the original "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". Fannie Flagg catches you up with the characters from that book in "The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop". This book stands alone as an outstanding read. The characters return from the original book and of course are grown, there are stories that are a throwback to 1939 but by weaving in and out of time the author manages to tell a really good story of the characters from the original book. Fannie Flagg is reminiscent of Mark Twain in her folksy, funny even poignant storytelling ability and she reels you in to the real lives of the people and those they have met in and out of Whistle Stop. The ending is a good one and you will leave the book with a feel good feeling. I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoyed the first one and those who just want a fun and entertaining book to read. Fannie Flagg is no doubt one of the best storytellers of this generation.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review #NetGalley#TheWonderBoyof WhistleStop.

Another charming book by author Fannie Flagg. If you ever wondered what happened to the folks, (Idgie and Buddy, Evelyn Couch and Ninny Threadgoode) from the "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café", this story will satisfy your curiosity. A feel good read, like eating your favourite comfort food and proving that 'you can go home again.'

I find Fannie Flagg's writing style is like having someone sitting down and telling you all about something that has happened to them. The characters can be a little quirky and they each have a definite voice. I end up feeling that the characters become a an addition to the family. This is such a wonderful book about family, life, growing up, growing old, and all the ups and downs of a life well lived. It is about connections people make and the old saying about the ripple effect of a pebble thrown into a pond. One never knows what one small act can end up doing; whether good or bad. The town of Whistle Stop itself is also a character. The fact that this story takes the reader from pre-world war II up to almost present day reflects the changes in the world with technology and the demise of some of the towns that had grown out of the railroad industry in its hay-day. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that likes to read nostalgic tales and any good story about life in general.

As someone who loves the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, and reading the book....I knew I had to read this one! I couldn't put it down and have started to reread it and I'm so happy with the storyline. I felt like I was sitting there back in Whistle Stop Cafe with all of the original characters. The whole story got me excited to continue to read while I was supposed to be sleeping and my husband even started reading some of it too. I can't wait for this book to come out in stores so I can order it and have a copy of the book next to my other book by Fannie Flagg!

I loved the original Fried Green Tomatoes story. Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth and the cafe have remained with me, and it's probably been 20 years since I read it the first time. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop was a touching return to what happens next. Buddy Threadgoode grows up and has his own family. With snippets of his childhood, mixed with the present the story jumps around a lot and didn't hold my interest as much as I would have hoped. I did like all the characters and I appreciated my chance to find out what happened next for the Threadgoode's. Overall this definitely fell short of my expectations when compared to the original story. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The small town of Whistle Stop, AL has its share of characters. There’s Dot the postmistress, Opal from the beauty shop, and of course Ruth and Idgie who run the café with son Buddy. The chapters focus on different years, from the thirties through the present day, tied together with Dot’s annual letter catching everyone up on their former neighbors, even after everyone has moved away from Whistle Stop. Flagg has written a book where it seems that every good deed is paid forward. If you read the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, or saw the film, you will enjoy visiting with the characters again. If not, you will still enjoy reading a feel-good novel with a HEA ending. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café you will love revisiting your old friends and finding out what they have been up to all these years. Dot Weems keeps us up to date with her newsletters.

For readers who have not read Fried Green Tomatoes don’t worry, Fannie Flagg includes plenty of back story. For readers who just finished Fried Green Tomatoes, it might be a bit redundant but don’t give up, our friends have loads of new adventures. I especially enjoyed reading about Evelyn’s amazing accomplishments.

I really enjoyed this book and can count on Fannie Flagg giving us a happy ending which we so desperately need during these difficult times. Her stories are so full of love.

I was given a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. This book will be published in the fall.

Another absolutely wonderful novel by Fannie Flagg. Wonderful characters provoke a sweet sense of melancholy.

Some of the beloved characters of “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café” are back and a new generation has grown up in Fannie Flagg’s latest gem. She tells stories of the past, weaving them with the current happenings in places near and far from the ghost town Whistle Stop has become.

The heart of this book is “Bud” Threadgoode, the adopted son of Idgie, birth son of Ruth, both of whom owned and ran the Whistle Stop Café. Bud is grown now; we get to meet his daughter Ruth in this book and follow his uneven path back to the life he loved.

Flagg takes the reader back in time from the 1930’s to present time, filling in the backstory of all the characters old and new. The short, snappy chapters are like sitting around with your favorite aunt telling you stories about your family’s past. The ease of transition from 1935 to present day is masterfully done and easy to follow.

The richness and difference of personalities shines through. Idgie has a heart of gold, but is not without problems. Ruthie is loved but challenged by the new family she marries into and Bud has lived a long and fulfilling life in spite of having lost an arm in an accident as a child.

I am a huge fan of Fannie Flagg’s books. Her style is easy to read and comforting because the message isn’t one of everything going right for the characters, but how they adapt, adjust and enjoy life no matter what happens, both good and bad.

This is the fifth book I have read by Ms. Flagg. I will never tire of her style, characters and the way she approaches and tells her stories. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys women’s fiction, general fiction, cozies and southern fiction.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2020 Laura Hartman

I think any lover of Fried Green Tomatoes will love this book. It is still historical fiction and puts us right back in Whistle Stop. Here the focus is on Buddy and Ruth which were my favorites from the first book so it was good to get into their heads a bit! The book was well-written and quick-paced, perfect for taking your mind off the troubles of the day. My only complaint is now it is 2020 and I would expect more exploration of the Black characters. However, Fannie Flagg is a white woman so it might have been better for her to stick closer to her own expertise, it's hard to know.

I must confess that I've never read a Fannie Flagg book which I didn't thoroughly enjoy. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is no exception. Along with a look back at the first book and crafting a bridge to the present, Fannie Flagg has created a delightful, joyful read. As always she ties it all up with a "happy ending" for all. Highly recommended!

I hate giving a synopsis of pretty much what everyone else does so here's my take on the book. I have loved Fannie Flagg since Fried Green Tomatoes. I was even lucky enough to meet her quite a few years back. This book was no exception with familiar writing, I adored this book. I loved going back to the characters I loved so from the first book, and finding out what happened after the ending of that one. I fell in love with Evelyn all over again. Idgie was the same old Idgie I loved before. I only had 1 pet peeve about the whole book, and to everyone else it's probably not a big deal but to a huge Disney fanatic, and frequent park visitor it is. The issue was that Fannie had Mickey talking to Idgie and Ruthie when they visited Disney World in the 80s if I remember it correctly. Well, Mickey in parks couldnt actually talk to the guests up until a couple years ago when Disney figure out how to make that happen. Up until then they only were able to pantomime. Even now Mickey is the only one that can talk. Other than that, I absolutely loved this book. I finished it very fast. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review...

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have not read any other Flagg books, but of course have seen the movie. I really like that she continued on with the story through Bud and am excited to see if she keeps the Whistle Stop world going.

A really nice story about the small town of Whistlestop, the people who lived there, and the buildings where they gathered for fellowship and business. The book alternates between different storytellers for each chapter and also a different time period for each chapter. While this could cause confusion, it's so well written and the chapters are short, so you are able to bounce back and forth with ease and ultimately see the whole greater story weave together.

This is a sequel to “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe” by Fannie Flagg. I very much enjoyed this delightful book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is a sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. The Wonder Boy is Bud (Buddy) Threadgoode. He is the son of Ruth Jamison, and is later adopted by Idgie Threadgoode and her family. After losing his arm in an accident as a young boy, he grew up in Whistle Stop, Alabama with Ruth, Idgie, and their extended family and friends. The novel goes back and forth in time, and much of the plot centers on Bud's daughter, Ruthie, a widow who is living in Atlanta and looking for her next chapter in life. Bud impulsively travels to Whistle Stop, an abandoned town at this point, and that trip leads Ruthie to join him in Alabama, where they meet and befriend Evelyn Couch.

I wanted to read The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop because I love Fannie Flagg's books! She is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely love Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

This is the most delightful book. It moves back and forth in time, like memory, from the 1930's to the 1960's, the 1980's, and into the present day. The chapters are short, punctuated with humor, occasional poignancy, and Dot Weems' little newsletter about the town of Whistle Stop.

It felt like visiting with old friends again seeing what happened next to the characters I loved in Fried Green Tomatoes. I really enjoyed the continuation of Ruth and Idgie's story in the lives of Bud and Ruthie.

The storytelling is fun and lively, with passages like this (about Bud):

"One afternoon, when Ninny was over at the cafe visiting with Ruth, she said, 'That boy of yours is a real wonder boy.'

Ruth smiled. 'Why do you say that?'

Ninny laughed . “Because he’s always a wonderin’ about somethin’ or another. Why do kittens purr, or why do rabbits have long ears? This morning, when he was over at my house, he says to me, “Aunt Ninny, I wonder why chickens have feathers and wings , but they don’t fly off anywhere?” So I said, “That’s a good question, honey. If I was a chicken and I saw Sipsey headed toward me with her five-pound skillet, I’d sure fly away if I could.” (Kindle location 235).

I enjoyed getting to know Bud and Ruthie in this book. Bud is an especially likable character, with his lifelong love of animals (he is a retired veterinarian in present day) and his abiding love for all things Whistle Stop. Ruthie is also an interesting character, with many parallels to Evelyn's storyline from Fried Green Tomatoes. The scenes with Ruthie and Evelyn together are pure gold.

I cannot recommend The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop highly enough for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, southern fiction, and especially the novels of Fannie Flagg. Settle in with a glass of iced tea and a long afternoon of good reading. You will not be disappointed!

What a welcome relief it is to have a new book from Fannie Flagg coming in October. It is a refreshing tonic in these challenging days. The return to Whistle Stop and its charming and quirky characters made me smile for the whole of the book. The book spans from the 1930’s to present day and fleshes out what has become of all the key folks from Fried Green Tomatoes and their families. The story is told by jumping around during that period so it is not a straight line narrative until the last part of the book. The technique works well here and there are surprises that enhance the story. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is pure Fannie Flagg—heartwarming, funny, nostalgic, loving, even a little corny. And the perfect anecdote. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy—it made this time so much better.

This was a heartfelt followup full of vignettes of characters from the original Whistle Stop Cafe book that is perfect for all those readers wanting to know what happened 'next'. . The first third of the book jumps around in time letting you know what different characters are up to then the remainder of the book settles into a story focusing on now-senior Bud Threadgoode. There are no big revelations or story plots, just a lot of nice things happening to good people. The book is a sweet and quick read with a satisfying ending.

Fans will love the look back in time but new readers would be better served to read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group = Random House for allowing me to read an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.