Having long been a fan of Fanny Flagg’s writing, especially Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, I was eager to jump into this new work and revisit some old friends and make some new. And I was not disappointed. Reading this book was like taking a Tripp’s with old friends, sharing memories and telling stories. The wonder man of Whistle Stop is none other than James Buddy Threadgoode, Jr., now all grown up. We learn more of the history of Whistle Stop and what became of some of our favorite locations and people. This book covers from the 1930s to today, dipping its toes into many years and events between the two. Life works in mysterious ways and brings people into our lives just when we need them, just like Evelyn and Ninny in the original book. In this case, it brought Evelyn and Buddy’s daughter, Ruthie, together, just as Ruthie desperately needed a friend. In doing so, we get to catch up on Evelyn's life since the first book ended. We also get caught up on some of our favorites from that book and learn more about them, including Idgie, Dot Weems, and Bud himself, as well as getting to know some new folks along the way. This book goes down as deliciously as a glass of sweet tea, served up with the best of Southern hospitality. Once again, I find myself wondering if fried green tomatoes are as good as these books make them seem. But unless I was eating them at the Whistle Stop Cafe, surrounded by all the old gang, I doubt they’d live up to my expectations. This book succeeds in reminding us of the bonds of family, the blessing of friends, and how life continues to move along. With the world all around us currently in chaos and full of uncertainty, this story provides some much needed relief.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC in return for a honest review. I was excited to see a new book by Fannie Flagg and this did not disappoint. It was a quick read and very light, just what I needed right now. I do remember seeing the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (don't remember if I read the book or not) and this was helpful in reading this novel. I was able to recall characters and put things in perspective when the chapters went back in history talking about events with these characters. Most of the characters from Whistle Stop were very likeable and the book had a good feel to it as everyone wanting to help each other. I would recommend!

This story begins in November of 1938, inside the Train Station in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by a brief glimpse at both Whistle Stop, and a little boy and his dog running alongside the train. If you’ve read Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, or seen the movie, you’ll undoubtedly recognize many of the characters in this story - Buddy, Evelyn Couch, Ninny and Idgie, along with others. Years pass as this story progresses, but it returns to yesteryear off and on to fill in the blanks for those who have forgotten what a hellion Idgie was, or never had the opportunity to meet Ruthie’s grandmother, Ruth, or hear the stories of the past. Dot Weems, who writes and publishes a newsletter weekly, fills in things along the way, as well, the goings on in the town. Such were the ways of life many years ago, which adds a touch of charm.

Stops are made along the way, and you see the town’s demise as the years pass, as people pass. Through Dot’s newsletters you find out that Idgie Threadgoode closed down the Whistle Stop Café in the mid-60’s, and ‘retires’ to Florida near her brother Julian, Buddy marries, becomes a veterinarian, becomes a father, and then and eventually a grandfather. Meanwhile, Whistle Stop slowly becomes a town forgotten by the world, but remembered by the few who lived, and loved, their lives there.

But, as those of us who know, once you’ve ‘been to’ Whistle Stop, once you’ve met those characters, they continue to live inside of you for long after. This isn’t a story you’ll fall in love with for the beautiful prose, but maybe you’ll fall in love with the charm of a way of life that really no longer exists, and if not, I suspect you will fall in love with the people – at least most of them. I loved meeting the new characters, as well as seeing how the lives of the characters I already knew had changed. Idgie, for me, particularly so, as she remains one of my favourite characters, up there with the most memorably wonderful literary character, Ivy Rowe.


Pub Date: 27 Oct 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group – Random House via NetGalley

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop
Written By: Fannie Flagg
Published By: Random House
Reviewed By: Melissa Minners
I’m a huge fan of Fannie Flagg’s writing thanks to the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes. When I discovered that this movie that I have watched hundreds of times was based on a novel, I bought said novel and have read it three times. I’ve also read some other books written by Fannie Flagg, but Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café and The Whole Town’s Talking are still my favorites. So, when I heard that she had written a sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes, I couldn’t wait to read it!
The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop tells the story of Bud Threadgoode. Bud was raised by his mother, Ruth Jamison, and his aunt Idgie Threadgoode, Ruth’s closest friend. Known by the nickname of Stump in his youth after losing his arm in a train accident, Bud was always taught that there was no adversity he couldn’t overcome. Thanks to his mother and his aunt, Bud Threadgoode went on to do many great things, but he would probably tell you that the best thing that he had done was get married to the love of his life, probably followed by the birth of his daughter.
This book follows not only Bud’s life after his mother’s death, but it also follows his daughter Ruthie who marries who college sweetheart, but loses herself somewhere along the way. After the death of her husband, Ruthie has trouble figuring out just who she is and what she wants to do with her life, much like her father after he loses Ruthie’s mother. It will take a surprise journey by Bud…an attempt to reach the now defunct and overgrown town of Whistle Stop and a chance encounter with one Evelyn Couch to bring Bud and Ruthie back on the right track again.
I love Fannie Flagg’s writing – the way she intersperses flashback chapters with the present. I also love the way she endears a character to the reader, making them want to know more about the individual and the place they came from. We love the stories of Whistle Stop and long to know what has happened to all of the folks that lived there long after the town faded away. Fannie definitely delivers, offering up tales of Dot and Ninny and Grady and more, even expanding our knowledge of Idgie and her brother Julian.
But there is a slight problem – anyone who has read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café knows that Fannie Flagg already wrote Buddy Threadgoode’s storyline well into adulthood. After reading The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop, I thought that I might have remembered Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café wrong. After all, it had been a few years since I had read the book, so I pulled it off the shelf to take a look and I was right. Bud was called Stump long into adulthood and had a daughter named Norma in that book. This couldn’t exactly be a sequel to Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, could it?
I’d rather think of this as a re-imagined storyline…perhaps a sequel to the movie instead. Minus some slight changes, The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop would make a great sequel to the movie version than the novel it was based on. And in that case, I can definitely condone the sequel description.
The fact of the matter is, whether it is touted (wrongly) as a sequel to the book or a sequel to the film (more likely), The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is a terrific read that will make you laugh, make you cry and thoroughly entertain you. Definitely another Fannie Flagg novel that is worth the read!

The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is the continuation of all of our favorite characters from Fried Green Tomatoes! I absolutely loved reading every tidbit of what happens to all of the characters! The book focuses on Buddy Junior and his daughter. The story jumps around from 1905 all the way up to present day!! There are so many pearls of wisdom and I don't want to give any spoilers. Fannie Flagg truly poured her heart and soul into this wonderfully funny, witty tale!

We also get to find out what happens to Ninny, Evelyn, Idgie, Big George, Sheriff Grady, Dot Weems, and all of our other favorite characters! This is a MUST READ for all fans of Fried Green Tomatoes! So much has happened to Whistle Stop since we last heard from Ninny and Evelyn. It truly makes one long for a return to the days when a community really was home.

This is probably going to be the best book I've read this decade!! Readers are going to want to dive in the minute the book is released! It took me a total of two nights to read through the entire book. I know, I'm already looking forward to re-reading, The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop!!

Three-and-a-half stars if you are an avid fan of "Fried Green Tomatoes" and want an update on the lives of your favorite characters and their children/grandchildren. Many of these characters are beloved, and I enjoyed checking in with them through this book, like I was hearing news about distant friends. There are moments of genuine tenderness in the writing, and it is a feel-good read.

Unfortunately, this book has little of the complexity, nuance, or ambiguity of the original. It is light on plot, heavy on coincidence, and most of the attention is on the white characters. Even though Ruth and Idgie's relationship is clarified, it is not in any way explored. The book felt like less like a story and more like a long epilogue.

If you are not already an avid fan of "Fried Green Tomatoes," and/or if you prefer plot-driven novels, this may not be the book for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Fried Green Tomatoes and all of the characters. I was so excited to see that Fannie Flagg wrote a sequel book. I have to say, this book really felt like a continuation of FGT even though the original was written in 1987. A lot of the loose ends were definitely tied up after reading this book.

Buddy Threadgoode is now all grown up with grandchildren of his own and he feels like he needs to go back to Whistle Stop, Alabama to be. However, we know after the original FGT that the town is no longer there. This book intertwines Buddy, his daughter Ruthie and Evelyn Couch into a new story in the present day. It also jumps back into several different past decades. Thus we get to read more about our favorite characters.

This book is so heartfelt just like the original, but it is definitely not the original. However, I'm not too sad about that. I still was able to devour this book. It was great to see what happened to Idgie, Evelyn, Ninny and Buddy.

I did find that the beginning of the book bounced around a lot and was just kind of telling you what happened, but after that, the story really took off.

If you enjoyed FGT I recommend reading this sequel.

I'm very happy to have been given an eARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thoroughly enjoyed “The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop”. Frankly sad when the book ended, truly heartwarming story. The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is a perfect escape from challenging times. Bud Threadgoode is the kind of man whom we need more of, optimistic willing to stand up for what is right, his daughter Ruthie who‘s loyalty comes at a cost to her own happiness to keep family together. The book reads from days past, character’s past to current day with memories that shaped current day characters. Personalities of Idgie, Evelyn , I could only hope would encounter friends with their spunk. Reading the The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop is like sitting down with your favorite comfort food, it will leave you feeling good.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to review this book! Oh how I have waited years for this book and to finally have a chance to read it! It was a joy to read and catch up on old characters and new ones as well while revisiting Whistle Stop! If you loved Fried Green Tomatoes then this book is a must read for you!

Just so you know, I don't do spoilers. This review is because I am terribly biased in that I just love Fannie Flagg and anything she writes. That bias notwithstanding, this book explains many of the small vignettes from her earlier book, Fried Green Tomatoes. It is like Ms. Flagg became so famous that now she was finally able to write whatever she wanted to and give her devoted fans behind the scene kind of information that I wondered about since 1990. OMG, I waited twenty years to know what happened after the cafe closed, where did everyone go, and how did they do without Whistle Stop.
I highly recommend this book, either as a stand-alone without Fried Green Tomatoes or as a wonderful treat after you have read the first one. Thank you, Fannie, for a joyous read.

Fannie Flagg is always dependable and sweet. The characters you know, or can know quickly, and always a good story. Even if you’ve only seen the film Fried Green Tomatoes and haven’t read any of the books, you’ll enjoy this. This was the perfect heartwarming and easy read I needed between some more intense books.

This mainly focuses on Buddy Threadgoode, Ruthie’s son, who had lost his arm in the train accident in Fried Green Tomatoes. We see him grow up, start a family, and the family grows from there. It goes back and forth between the 1930s to present. The beginning was a lot of back and forth, and some parts seem rushed or glossed over, but it is a lot of time to cover and fill in with what we already know of the characters.

Thanks to Random House via NetGalley for letting me read this in advance of the release date.

I received an ARC from the publisher thru NetGalley - thank you both very much.
If you saw the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" or read Fannie Flagg's first book "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe", then this book is for you. It is years later, and Bud Threadgoode has decided to take a trip to see what has happened to Whistle Stop and to see if you can go back home again. As you read through the book, you get answers on what happened to all our favorite characters from Fried Green Tomatoes, connecting the past and the present.
I do have to say that it was a little hard to get into in the beginning - there is a lot of bouncing back and forth in time, which i usually don't mind....but this was a lot and was at times confusing. Its not a 5 star for me and not the best writing there ever was - - HOWEVER, I love Fannie Flagg's books. They are cute, quirky, and feel good. And that's what this book is - a light hearted feel good read, especially if you like Fried Green Tomatoes. Well worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of the Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop. What a delightful read. Once again FannieFlagg remains a consummate storyteller. She seamlessly blends characters and time periods into a warm, funny reading adventure. Now it makes me want to go back and re-read Fried Green Tomatoes and the Whistle Stop Cafe!

Loved this book felt like Inwas visiting family. So wonderful to visit these characters again see what their up to.Fannie Flag writes wRm wonderful novels that are a delight to read.#netgalley#randomhouse

This is a cute, fast, sweet novel. It was difficult to get into the story because for the first third of the novel, there is no actual story. It just bounces around from different times in history from the points of view of different people, many of whom we’ve met in Flagg’s earlier books. Then, when it finally resembles an actual narrative, basically nothing happens.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, which RELEASES OCTOBER 27, 2020.

I just love Fannie Flagg's books. Readers who loved Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe are going to enjoy her upcoming The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop releasing October 27th. It's been a while since I read FGT, but I remembered all the characters and liked how the author picked up on showing us how some of their lives unfolded. Bud and his daughter Ruthie have such a sweet relationship. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC - fans are in for a big treat this fall!

I loved this book and remembering the characters from "Fried Green Tomatoes." This is light fun read with some remarkable characters. It's also an homage to old hometowns and wonderful memories. I read this in an afternoon and found it delightful.

Bud Threadgoode, you remember Ruth's son from "Fried Green Tomatoes", is all grown up now. Now that he has lived his life, married & had a daughter, been in the military & then owned his own veterinary practice, he has been reminiscing about his life back in Whistle Stop. So he sets off on an adventure, doing a runner from the assisted living facility he has been living at, and makes the journey back there only to discover the town no longer exists. What he does find is a new friend, someone who knew some of his family. They swap stories and memories from the good old days and Bud learns that home isn't necessariiy just a place.
I loved this book. In between the story about Bud and his daughter in the current day, there were stories, emails, newsletters, & all sorts of things from when Bud was growing up. So we get to relive some of the magic of Whistle Stop, of Idgie & Ruth, of Ms. Evelyn & Ninny. This is a fun, light read that will leave you with a smile on your face. I highly recommend it.

I love everything Frankie Flagg writes and this is no exception. I waited to read this book until I was in the right frame of mind to savor it, and it was well worth the wait. Revisiting the family is a calming balm and Flagg’s writing is superb. Thank you Fannie Flagg, please never stop writing.

LOVED IT! I have always loved Fried Green Tomatoes, both the book and the movie, and this book took me right back there. I felt like I was returning to old friends, old home, and old times. Everyone was familiar, and the new characters that were introduced were perfectly fleshed out and made sense for the story line.

I was honestly a little afraid that after so many decades, it would be difficult for Flagg to recapture that magic, but she nailed it! I think this is the best book I've read this year. Perhaps the best book I've read in a long time.

If you're a fan of FGT, then this is definitely a book to pick up!