Book Review of “The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion” by Fanny Flagg.
Mrs. Earl Poole Jr., better known as Sookie, is almost 60 and still can’t get out from under her overpowering, and mentally unstable mother, Lenore Simmons Krackenberry. Lenore’s rich Simmons background and standing in the community is in a league of its own, and not one that Sookie ever felt comfortable in. But apparently, much of her family history was fiction. When Sookie finds out the truth as it applies to her in particular, it puts her into a tailspin, and takes her back to events in American history she never knew existed in a journey of discovery of both her own life and her heritage.
Far few authors can make their readers laugh and cry at the same time. It is even rarer that the author can do this with just the right amount of wit and charm that grabs the reader’s attention from the first lines and pulls them in with characters that come alive, right off of the page. Fanny Flagg is certainly one of these exceptional authors, and with this new novel, she’s brought us that same amazing combination that we recall from “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café.” Here she brings in some of the characters she introduced to us in “Welcome to the World, Baby Girl” but this time instead of the ambitious television personality, Dena Nordstrom, we investigate one of Dena’s college friends, the quiet housewife, Mrs. Earl Poole Jr., better known as Sookie.
Those familiar with Flagg’s work will know that “Welcome” was the first in her ‘Elmwood Springs’ novels. But this story takes place in two other locations – Point Clear Alabama in the 21st century, and Pulaski, Wisconsin in the middle of the 20th century. The story here builds across these eras, by giving us few chapters in each of the timeframes, while at the same time, it moves towards a definite meeting point. Interestingly enough, just when we’ve thought that the two tales have finally come together, Flagg throws in some extra twists. Yes, I did say “twists” in the plural, which would usually make me cringe in thinking that it was all just a bit much. But Flagg knows just how to do this so it fully mirrors real-life.
The place where Flagg truly casts her spell over her readers is by making all of her stories so perfectly character-driven. Flagg’s people seem so alive and lively, even when they’re feeling down and sad or upset, that they’re almost touchable. Even when you think that the cleverness of the plot might edge them out, you’re drawn back to them with something odd or quirky that they do or say, and you suddenly realize you’d just adore the chance to give them hug and/or a good talking to! The phrase “wit and charm” comes to mind, and as always, is an understatement for how Flagg develops her characters.
Of course, some readers might not care for how Flagg continues with her story after the big climax. I personally dislike novels that tie things up too nicely at the end, and lengthy epilogues tend to do this, partially because most authors to pack in far too much extraneous information and time into the closing rundown. Not so, with Flagg. Instead, she uses her concluding chapters to heap on extra passages that point up both the humor and poignancy of these people and their lives. Yes, there were a couple of pieces of that final puzzle that might have been left out, but those were only a few lines here and there among the last 30 or so pages. With that being such a little bit of superfluous prose, I can’t say it detracted much from the whole novel.
In short, I cannot describe this book without the word “delightful” coming to mind, even for the parts when things don’t go well with the characters or the story. With the way that Flagg writes, and despite a tiny slow spot in the early part of the present-day story, the moment the big secret comes out you’ll be reading this full-speed ahead and not want to stop until you’ve found out everything. With something this much fun, where I even enjoyed the bits that made me cry, I can’t give it less than a full five out of five stars, and highly recommend it.
“The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion” by Fanny Flagg, published by Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and released March 13, 2014 is available (via these affiliate links) from Amazon, Amazon UK, Walmart (Kobo) eBooks, the website eBooks.com, iTunes (iBook or audiobook), the Book Depository (free worldwide delivery), new or used from Alibris, used from Better World Books (promoting libraries and world literacy), or from an IndieBound store near you. This is a version of my Curious Book Fans review, which also appeared on {the now defunct} Yahoo! Contributor Network. My thanks to the publishers for a review copy of this book via NetGalley.
The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog 
One thought on “Flying into the Clouds of Her History”