The Whole Town's Talking is a classic, feel-good story, with lovable characters, a quaint wholesome town where almost everyone does the right thing and a rather interesting town cemetery. It is not all proper, it is spiced up with a few down and out characters, like a drinker, a cheating husband, and even a plot involving murder and fraud. It is all told with that typical Fannie Flagg humor and wit we have come to expect. The story takes place in a small town in Missouri and spans from 1889 to 2020.

Lordor Nordstrom, a farmer who emigrates from Sweden, buys some desirable land in Missouri which he clears for a dairy farm. Then, he places an ad for other farmers to come settle in this area, which several do, so they can build a community. Lordor decides that every community needs a cemetery, so he designates an area and they call it Still Meadows Cemetery. This is an odd idea to me as the townspeople actually stake claim to the area they want to be buried and take care of it like it is a garden or park. They plant trees, bushes etc. and often come to weed it etc. When Lodor realizes that he is not going to find a wife in the community, his friends convince him to place a second ad in the paper looking for a "mail order bride". The letters back and forth between Lodor and Katrina are delightful. After their marriage, and the establishing of the town, Elmwood Springs, the story continues through the years focusing on the residents of the town through love, marriage, birth, death, war, depression, and even murder. At the same time, something strange is happening at Still Meadows Cemetery....

All the characters you'll meet in this book are people you wish were your neighbours. If you ever needed anything, they are there for you. This is a charming multi-generational story of life (and afterlife) in Elmwood Springs, MO starting in 1880's. It is an enjoyable read meeting these fun, wholesome, quirky characters that takes you back to a simpler time in America. This is a wonderful book for lovers of women's fiction as well as those interested in a lighter view of history. My only complaint is that I was not sure if I liked the ending or not. It is definitely a unique view of the afterlife.

This was another enjoyable book by Fannie Flagg, filled with her wit and hometown comfort. I was really interested in the story at first, but somewhere along the way, I grew bored and just wanted it to be over. Perhaps it was just the mood I was in, so I hate to discourage anyone in reading this one. If you have enjoyed her books in the past, this one is worth a try.

Fannie Flagg is one of those authors who have been on my want to read list for a long time, so I was happy to receive an ARC of this book from Net Gallery to read and review. All I can say is now I know what I've been missing! I absolutely loved this book which tells the story of a small town from its inception in 1899 through the present day. I enjoyed meeting all the towns citizens and following their lives, their children's lives, their grandchildren's lives, etc. I especially loved the fact that when a person passed on that their story did not end there. I really loved how Ms. Flagg imagined their afterlife. This story made me laugh, made me sad, made me realize how precious the small things in life really are. I will definitely be reading the author's backlist.

I was interested in this book because of the title. I grew up in what I affectionately call a fishbowl in a fishbowl, therefore was anxious to see what the turn of events would be in this book. I was not disappointed

This is not what I would consider a typical Fannie Flagg novel. That does not mean it is not good because it is. The author chose to be adventurous in the scope used with this novel. It begins with the founding of Elmwood Springs, Missouri in the late 1880's and spans an entire century, ending in 2016. One would think it would be difficult to keep track of the characters in such a large time span but most of them descend from a known entity from a previous generation so it is not difficult to keep them separated.

It's said too often but in this case, it is true that the town itself is a character. In fact, it is really the main character and only constant throughout the novel. The plot is character driven and very little action takes place. There are traces of typical Flagg humor sprinkled here and there throughout but mostly this is an easy read but mostly plotless novel.

Flagg's strength in this novel lies in her strong characterization skills. I felt like I knew each inhabitant of Elmwood Springs well enough to stop in for a cup of coffee had they actually existed. This is not a fast read but it is enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.

I have become a Fannie Flagg fan in the past year. This book did not disappoint. It starts out with Gene Nordstrom in 1880 with him trying to find a wife and all the support he receives from his community in Elmwood Springs. The story keeps building with local characters and new family members. Passing away and ending up in Still Meadows cemetery is a good thing as the story develops. The saga continues through 2020! Fast paced read with humorous and sometimes quirky characters made this a most enjoyable read. I want to read Flagg's other Elmwood stories. I especially enjoyed the return of "Fritzi" from Flagg's "The All- Girl's Filling Station Last Reunion". Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this entertaining read.

Excerpt from Review: "...Fannie Flagg had me hooked at the first pages of The Whole Town's Talking and I found I couldn’t put the book down. I had to read more…had to know more about what was going on in Elmwood Springs and Still Meadows. I loved how she wrapped things up in the end – no dangling mysteries here, just a well-rounded read with a beginning and an end and loads of fun tales in between. What a great read!"

By VICKI ROCK
“The Whole Town’s Talking” by Fannie Flagg, Random House, 432 pages, $28.

Lordor and Katrina Nordstrom are among the founders of Elmwood Springs, a small town in Missouri.

There are a large number of characters. This is snippets of their lives.

Like “Our Town,” the dead are among those talking. The story takes place from 1889 to 2021.

It has a warm tone, but the characters are one-dimensional. There isn’t much of a plot.

My favorite Fannie Flagg book is “Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe.”

Can we just talk about how much I love, love, love the writing of Fannie Flagg? Ms. Flagg’s novels are humorous, well-written, heart-warming, and at times poignant. While I have to claim that FRIED GREEN TOMATOES is my favorite, I love them all (have read them all) and particularly loved STANDING IN THE RAINBOW.

THE WHOLE TOWN’S TALKING is no exception.

Here’s the overview from NG:

The bestselling author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is at her superb best in this fun-loving, moving novel about what it means to be truly alive.

Elmwood Springs, Missouri, is a small town like any other, but something strange is happening at the cemetery. Still Meadows, as it’s called, is anything but still. Original, profound, The Whole Town’s Talking, a novel in the tradition of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town and Flagg’s own Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, tells the story of Lordor Nordstrom, his Swedish mail-order bride, Katrina, and their neighbors and descendants as they live, love, die, and carry on in mysterious and surprising ways.

Lordor Nordstrom created, in his wisdom, not only a lively town and a prosperous legacy for himself but also a beautiful final resting place for his family, friends, and neighbors yet to come. “Resting place” turns out to be a bit of a misnomer, however. Odd things begin to happen, and it starts the whole town talking.

With her trademark humor, wild imagination, great storytelling, and deep understanding of folly and the human heart, the beloved Fannie Flagg tells an unforgettable story of life, afterlife, and the remarkable goings-on of ordinary people. In The Whole Town’s Talking, she reminds us that community is vital, life is a gift, and love never dies.

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I loved the characters in this novel, and how the story went through different generations. It was one of those books that I just did not want to end. I laughed. I cried. I particularly loved the whole idea of how they all arrived up at the cemetery and could talk to each other and see and hear their families (how comforting is that?!).

As a little girl I only knew Fannie Flagg as a funny lady on Match Game, but Ms. Flagg as an author reveals an intelligence and a warmth and an insight into her person that makes me feel like we would be friends.

This is a great “feel-good” story – a great one to gift for the holidays to those who like to read a book and then hug it close afterwards.

Thank you for my e-copy for review!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. I have loved Fannie Flagg's previous books, particularly the The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. While I found the basic premise of this novel intriguing, the story dragged in places because there were too many characters that were followed from birth to death (and beyond). Eliminating some of the "folks" would have allowed the story to proceed more quickly.