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The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion: A Novel
The one and only Fannie Flagg, beloved author of "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, "and" I Still Dream About You, " is at her hilarious and superb best in this new comic mystery novel about two women who are forced to reimagine who they are. Mrs. Sookie Poole of Point Clear, Alabama, has just married off the last of her daughters and is looking forward to relaxing and perhaps traveling with her husband, Earle. The only thing left to contend with is her mother, the formidable Lenore Simmons Krackenberry. Lenore may be a lot of fun for other people, but is, for the most part, an overbearing presence for her daughter. Then one day, quite by accident, Sookie discovers a secret about her mother's past that knocks her for a loop and suddenly calls into question everything she ever thought she knew about herself, her family, and her future. Sookie begins a search for answers that takes her to California, the Midwest, and back in time, to the 1940s, when an irrepressible woman named Fritzi takes on the job of running her family's filling station. Soon truck drivers are changing their routes to fill up at the All-Girl Filling Station. Then, Fritzi sees an opportunity for an even more groundbreaking adventure. As Sookie learns about the adventures of the girls at the All-Girl Filling Station, she finds herself with new inspiration for her own life. Fabulous, fun-filled, spanning decades and generations, and centered on a little-known aspect of America's twentieth-century story, "The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion" is another irresistible novel by the remarkable Fannie Flagg.
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First published November 5, 2013
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About the author
Fannie Flagg
60 books4,909 followersFannie Flagg began writing and producing television specials at age nineteen and went on to distinguish herself as an actress and writer in television, films, and the theater. She is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (which was produced by Universal Pictures as "Fried Green Tomatoes"), Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!, Standing in the Rainbow, and A Redbird Christmas.
Flagg’s film script for "Fried Green Tomatoes" was nominated for both the Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripters Award. She lives in California and Alabama.
Flagg’s film script for "Fried Green Tomatoes" was nominated for both the Academy Award and the Writers Guild of America Award and won the highly regarded Scripters Award. She lives in California and Alabama.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,555 reviews
October 18, 2013
Oh, it’s a happy day when there is a brand new Fannie Flagg novel! There is something so comforting and soothing about diving into her version of small town Alabama. Here she follows two families; the Simmonses of Point Clear, Alabama in 2005 and the Jurdabralinskis of Pulaski, Wisconsin during WWII. Flagg deftly weaves the stories of her families closer together as the novel progresses, but the real fun in a Flagg novel is not necessarily the plot yielding its secrets, but much more so the journey. The characters and the tiny Alabama town will completely charm you; how lovely it is to feed the birds in the morning, to know all of your neighbors, to sleep with the doors unlocked and to hear that screen door banging shut. Even if, like me, you’ve never lived in a small town, you will instantly recognize and long for Flagg’s version of “home.” As an added bonus, this book is completely hilarious!
October 30, 2013
“The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion”, a novel by Fannie Flagg is, in my opinion, her best work since “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café”. This author can conjure up the characters of the old South like no one else, and I love getting lost in her books. And, that is exactly what I did with this one.
As usual, Flagg has made some excellent points in the fabric of her fiction. One is the homage paid to the WASPs (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) of World War II. These unsung until recently heroines ferried airplanes across the country, and many of them across the sea in order to free up male pilots for combat roles. Their courageous contribution to the war effort had been treated like some sort of shameful secret for many years since then. Only in the more enlightened period in which we live has this error been rectified --- somewhat. In November of 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed into law that these women deserved some VA benefits. This was the result of tireless effort on the part of many individuals, and was not much considering the gratitude owed to them by this nation. Flagg brought this to light in this book. She also addresses the trauma of adoption for children, the flawed dictatorial grand dames of southern American families, the damage we do to one another without meaning to, and the rights of individuals to marry regardless of sexual preference. That lot to get into a novel that will make you laugh and cry as you read and Fannie Flagg has done it with grace.
As I said, I got lost in reading this book. I started it last night at bedtime, read about ten pages then and finished the book this afternoon. I cannot think of a better way to while away a rainy day. What a treat this has been.
As usual, Flagg has made some excellent points in the fabric of her fiction. One is the homage paid to the WASPs (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) of World War II. These unsung until recently heroines ferried airplanes across the country, and many of them across the sea in order to free up male pilots for combat roles. Their courageous contribution to the war effort had been treated like some sort of shameful secret for many years since then. Only in the more enlightened period in which we live has this error been rectified --- somewhat. In November of 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed into law that these women deserved some VA benefits. This was the result of tireless effort on the part of many individuals, and was not much considering the gratitude owed to them by this nation. Flagg brought this to light in this book. She also addresses the trauma of adoption for children, the flawed dictatorial grand dames of southern American families, the damage we do to one another without meaning to, and the rights of individuals to marry regardless of sexual preference. That lot to get into a novel that will make you laugh and cry as you read and Fannie Flagg has done it with grace.
As I said, I got lost in reading this book. I started it last night at bedtime, read about ten pages then and finished the book this afternoon. I cannot think of a better way to while away a rainy day. What a treat this has been.
May 14, 2019
Woot-Woot!! Looks like I won this on the GoodReads giveaway!! This looks like a really fun book! :D
4 Stars - for the past. The flashback portions of this sweet little novel, were funny, sad, and at times will make you angry and frustrated, but full of pride for our countrys past. The Jurdabralinski girls were a hoot and ahead of their time. I know they are fictional characters, but I am so proud of them!
3 stars - for the present. Sookie and Lenore's characters were just too over-the-top for me. Sookie is like a caricature of the old 50s type "lady" that fainted at the first sign of stress. I must admit that I hurried through her portions of the book. Lenore was just irritating, shallow, and irritating; did I mention that??
Overall 3.5 Stars for making me smile more than scowl. If you are a Fannie Flagg fan; then this is the book for you. Lots of fluff and fancy.
4 Stars - for the past. The flashback portions of this sweet little novel, were funny, sad, and at times will make you angry and frustrated, but full of pride for our countrys past. The Jurdabralinski girls were a hoot and ahead of their time. I know they are fictional characters, but I am so proud of them!
3 stars - for the present. Sookie and Lenore's characters were just too over-the-top for me. Sookie is like a caricature of the old 50s type "lady" that fainted at the first sign of stress. I must admit that I hurried through her portions of the book. Lenore was just irritating, shallow, and irritating; did I mention that??
Overall 3.5 Stars for making me smile more than scowl. If you are a Fannie Flagg fan; then this is the book for you. Lots of fluff and fancy.
December 29, 2013
Listen, this was just not good. I don't know much about Fannie Flagg's publishing history, but I'm thinking she once was able to capture lightning in a bottle with the delightful and oh-so-lovable Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, and she'll never ever be able to do it again. I think there was a strong (and potentially really great) idea behind this book, to highlight the WASPs of WWII (women pilots, essentially), and it was executed so insanely poorly that I just can't recommend it. Listen, I *hated* the main modern character of the book, Sookie. She was awful. And her supporting cast was terrible too! I don't get why you would write such hideous characters. I really don't.
So uh, don't read this. Do yourself a favor.
So uh, don't read this. Do yourself a favor.
December 9, 2013
I love Fannie Flagg and am so grateful every time she publishes a book. Her books are southern chic-lit at it’s best. She writes of strong women trying to get through their lives the best way they can. And there is always a few whacky characters that are fun to read. This novel does not disappoint. It’s two stories told from two women’s prospective. In one, Sookie Poole is looking forward to living her empty nest life with her wonderful husband Earle. The next is of a fiesty first generation Polish woman, Fritzi, who’s family owns a gas station in Wisconsin in pre-WWII. The two world collide when Sookie opens mail addressed to her mother and finds a document that connects the two women. Flagg begins Fritzi’s story with her parents migrating to Wisconsin in 1909. Sookies story begins in 2005. This novel is a fun romp of a mystery. It’s a story of women coming into themselves; of struggles women have with identity. Flagg also weaves some historical information of the WASP program in WWII. If you are a fan of Southern Chic-lit and have enjoyed Flagg’s previous works, this is a must read. Flagg’s work is one of my decadent pleasures.
June 2, 2015
From the same author of the popular book, as well as movie, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, comes this book of love and loss with women being the main characters. I was simply blown away to see that this book, which I got on a whim, received more than 19 000 ratings on GR!
This book commemorates the WASPS (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots)during WWII - the women who flew airplanes in their support of the war effort. A tale of family relationships, mother-daughter bonding, nature and nurture.
My initial reaction to the protagonist was that she was not credible, an unbelievable character; that a sixty-year-old woman did not act the way she did, and she simply annoyed me. She was one of those people complaining with the white bread under the arm.
Later in the book she admitted that "there’s nothing more unattractive than a sixty-year-old ex-cheerleader still trying to be perky. I just make myself sick." I realized then that the character was intentionally created this way for a specific purpose and it was done extremely well. She had to be a 60-year-old spoiled brat with a crazy mother. She had to be unlovable, although other readers might not feel the same, of course.
I experienced the attributes of snobbishness, pretentiousness, the wealth- and class consciousness, as well as the superficial values, annoying. I could not relate to any of the women, for various reasons, but I did admire the brave pilots, and what they endured, tremendously. My empathy and admiration came into play as the plot unfolded, and the background stories of all the characters were shared. The more the characters developed, the more I bonded with them. In the end I wanted to be among the crowd who gave them a standing ovation. They proved to the world that being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but rather by what you have overcome. They all had their own stories to tell of how it was done. A celebration of the human spirit.
This was a really an entertaining, enjoyable, and informative read. I felt immensely grateful that books like these are written. We owe it to this brave and honorable women to remember them by reading their stories.
This is a women's read with a touch of history and serious issues thrown in as the corner stones. A good read.
Yes, it comes RECOMMENDED.
This book commemorates the WASPS (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots)during WWII - the women who flew airplanes in their support of the war effort. A tale of family relationships, mother-daughter bonding, nature and nurture.
My initial reaction to the protagonist was that she was not credible, an unbelievable character; that a sixty-year-old woman did not act the way she did, and she simply annoyed me. She was one of those people complaining with the white bread under the arm.
Later in the book she admitted that "there’s nothing more unattractive than a sixty-year-old ex-cheerleader still trying to be perky. I just make myself sick." I realized then that the character was intentionally created this way for a specific purpose and it was done extremely well. She had to be a 60-year-old spoiled brat with a crazy mother. She had to be unlovable, although other readers might not feel the same, of course.
I experienced the attributes of snobbishness, pretentiousness, the wealth- and class consciousness, as well as the superficial values, annoying. I could not relate to any of the women, for various reasons, but I did admire the brave pilots, and what they endured, tremendously. My empathy and admiration came into play as the plot unfolded, and the background stories of all the characters were shared. The more the characters developed, the more I bonded with them. In the end I wanted to be among the crowd who gave them a standing ovation. They proved to the world that being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but rather by what you have overcome. They all had their own stories to tell of how it was done. A celebration of the human spirit.
This was a really an entertaining, enjoyable, and informative read. I felt immensely grateful that books like these are written. We owe it to this brave and honorable women to remember them by reading their stories.
This is a women's read with a touch of history and serious issues thrown in as the corner stones. A good read.
Yes, it comes RECOMMENDED.
November 16, 2013
This was a really uneven book. The beginning was slow and too quirky for its own good. The middle was excellent and a few parts brought tears to my eyes (in a good way). The ending was predictable and threw in a gay character for absolutely no reason. (Is it a rule that every book written since 2005 has to be sympathetic to homosexuality?) So, it was hard to rate. I'd say read it for the fascinating information about WASPs during WW II, but skip over the rest, if you want.
June 1, 2024
This is a historical Fiction/Chick-Lit/Women's Fiction. I find all of Fannie's books has very developed characters, and all the characters are one of a kind. I loved this book so much, and I could not put it down. I will have to read more books written by Fannie Flagg.
December 4, 2013
Readers of Fannie Flagg's novel Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! will no doubt remember Sookie Poole, loyal college roommate of TV morning show host Dena Nordstrom. Forty years later, the two are still close confidantes, but we learn a lot more about Sookie in Flagg's welcome new dramedy The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion (Random House, digital galley). For that matter, Sookie learns a lot more about Sookie, and thereby hangs Flagg's tale.
Unlike her pal Dena, Sookie Krackenberry Poole of Point Clear, Ala., has always known her people. Sure, she's the 60-year-old wife of dentist Earle and mother of three girls (all recently wedded) and one son (single). But she's also the dutiful daughter of 88-year-old, still-going-strong Southern matriarch Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, who is obsessed with her Simmons forebears. Although Sookie has "the Simmons foot,'' she has always been a disappointment in the ancestor-venerating department, and Lenore has a hissy fit when Sookie suggests giving all the Simmons family silver to her sister-in-law Bunny. "Who is not even a Simmons -- and not even from Alabama?'' cries Lenore. "Why don't you just cut my heart out and throw it in the yard?''
So, of course, Sookie relents and promises not break up the set of Francis I and to be a better daughter and thus a better Simmons. But that's before the registered letter from Texas arrives in the mail and Sookie discovers she also has ties to another family -- the Jurdabralinskis of Pulaski, Wisc., a colorful Polish-Catholic clan.
As Sookie's world turns topsy-turvy, Flagg shifts the narrative to 1940s Wisconsin, where the Jurdabralinski family run Wink's Phillips 66. Before the war, eldest daughter Fritzi was a barnstorming pilot, but she's grounded when her partner is drafted as a flight instructor. Her brother and the garage's male mechanics also have joined up, so Fritzi and her three sisters pitch in to keep the family business running and turn it into a popular roadside attraction.
But as Sookie discovers, the all-girl filling station is just one chapter in spirited Fritzi's adventures. She becomes a Fly Girl, a member of the all-female WASPs, who fly transport and support missions for the Air Force during World War II, and two of her sisters follow suit.
Readers may think they know where the story is headed -- and they may be right -- but this journey to home truths offers delightful detours, from Sookie secretly meeting a psychiatrist at the Waffle House, to Fritzi outflying a condescending male pilot at a Texas airfield. Just as Fritzi's a pro at barrel rolls, Flagg's a whiz at loop-de-loops. Hang on, Sookie!
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever http://patebooks.wordpress.com
Unlike her pal Dena, Sookie Krackenberry Poole of Point Clear, Ala., has always known her people. Sure, she's the 60-year-old wife of dentist Earle and mother of three girls (all recently wedded) and one son (single). But she's also the dutiful daughter of 88-year-old, still-going-strong Southern matriarch Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, who is obsessed with her Simmons forebears. Although Sookie has "the Simmons foot,'' she has always been a disappointment in the ancestor-venerating department, and Lenore has a hissy fit when Sookie suggests giving all the Simmons family silver to her sister-in-law Bunny. "Who is not even a Simmons -- and not even from Alabama?'' cries Lenore. "Why don't you just cut my heart out and throw it in the yard?''
So, of course, Sookie relents and promises not break up the set of Francis I and to be a better daughter and thus a better Simmons. But that's before the registered letter from Texas arrives in the mail and Sookie discovers she also has ties to another family -- the Jurdabralinskis of Pulaski, Wisc., a colorful Polish-Catholic clan.
As Sookie's world turns topsy-turvy, Flagg shifts the narrative to 1940s Wisconsin, where the Jurdabralinski family run Wink's Phillips 66. Before the war, eldest daughter Fritzi was a barnstorming pilot, but she's grounded when her partner is drafted as a flight instructor. Her brother and the garage's male mechanics also have joined up, so Fritzi and her three sisters pitch in to keep the family business running and turn it into a popular roadside attraction.
But as Sookie discovers, the all-girl filling station is just one chapter in spirited Fritzi's adventures. She becomes a Fly Girl, a member of the all-female WASPs, who fly transport and support missions for the Air Force during World War II, and two of her sisters follow suit.
Readers may think they know where the story is headed -- and they may be right -- but this journey to home truths offers delightful detours, from Sookie secretly meeting a psychiatrist at the Waffle House, to Fritzi outflying a condescending male pilot at a Texas airfield. Just as Fritzi's a pro at barrel rolls, Flagg's a whiz at loop-de-loops. Hang on, Sookie!
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever http://patebooks.wordpress.com
February 18, 2014
I watched more television in the 1970s than I care to admit to my book reading friends. It made an impression on me. I did not entirely understand everything that I watched, but sometimes I knew there was more than the what the canned laugh tracks might have implied. One of those impressionable shows was Match Game 75 or 76 or whatever year it was (needless to say that Bill Gates also watch television in the 70s). Match game had a celebrity panel filled with people that were clever and who seemed to be in on the joke. One of those faces was a writer/actress named Fannie Flagg. Much later she would go on to write Fried Green Tomatoes, both the book and the screenplay. As a kid, I had no idea who she was, but she was smart and wore funny sweaters and between her and Mary Richards, I had role models.
As for this book, I needed a dose of campy estrogen fueled feminism laced with Southern dysfunction. This wasn't a high brow read, yet I have no regrets spending several pleasant hours with these unsung WWII air-women and learning about their contributions to the war effort. Thanks Fannie.
July 31, 2025
This was a more difficult book to get into, but once I did I couldn't put it down. The fact that it was written in two different time periods was not the problem for me, my problem (and of course there would have been no book without this plot device) is that Sookie was such an annoyingly indecisive creature.
What I LOVED about this book was learning about the WASP's :
"They were the pioneering organizations of civilian women pilots, who were attached to the United States Army Air Forces to fly military aircraft during World War II. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization."
"Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls About 1,100 young women flew military aircraft stateside during World War II as part of a program called Women Airforce Service Pilots — WASP for short"
and the history that this book gave me was enough to stir me into doing some research and also finding new books to read!
By the middle of this book, I got into the rhythm and even started feeling comfortable with Sookie's issues with her overbearing mother and the fact that Sookie wouldn't confront her mother with the huge secret that Sookie knew.
By the end of the book, I understood why Sookie kept the secret...well...secret. And I really enjoyed seeing Sookie grow and learn and to learn to stand up for herself.
What I LOVED about this book was learning about the WASP's :
"They were the pioneering organizations of civilian women pilots, who were attached to the United States Army Air Forces to fly military aircraft during World War II. On August 5, 1943, the WFTD and WAFS merged to create the WASP organization."
"Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls About 1,100 young women flew military aircraft stateside during World War II as part of a program called Women Airforce Service Pilots — WASP for short"
and the history that this book gave me was enough to stir me into doing some research and also finding new books to read!
By the middle of this book, I got into the rhythm and even started feeling comfortable with Sookie's issues with her overbearing mother and the fact that Sookie wouldn't confront her mother with the huge secret that Sookie knew.
By the end of the book, I understood why Sookie kept the secret...well...secret. And I really enjoyed seeing Sookie grow and learn and to learn to stand up for herself.
May 3, 2014
This book started out with a healthy dose of Fannie Flagg's southern humor, so I thought I had something good in my hands.
Regretfully, I found out otherwise.
First, the book is not about an all-girl filling station or a reunion- it primarily concerns itself with a woman's search for identity along with a second story line about women pilots in World War II. So- catchy title, but misleading.
Secondly, the characters would occasionally act so far over the top that things deteriorated into complete farce.
Third, an important confrontation set up between two characters at the very beginning is postponed for a couple of hundred pages until I just couldn't care anymore.
Fourth, less would have definitely been more for the whole book.
And last of all, the authoress apparently threw in everything she could think of, in staccato bursts, for her finale. Introduced and dismissed in 3-4 pages were things like "Hey Mom, I'm suddenly gay!" and "She had a great idea, patented it, started a successful business...and then got to spend more time with her husband." It added up to one of the worst book endings I've ever read. What a delight it was to finally set this book down!
Fannie Flagg is a good author, absolutely. I don't know what happened here, but I hope it doesn't happen again. Read "Fried Green Tomatoes" or "Daisy Fae and the Miracle Man" instead of this one.
Regretfully, I found out otherwise.
First, the book is not about an all-girl filling station or a reunion- it primarily concerns itself with a woman's search for identity along with a second story line about women pilots in World War II. So- catchy title, but misleading.
Secondly, the characters would occasionally act so far over the top that things deteriorated into complete farce.
Third, an important confrontation set up between two characters at the very beginning is postponed for a couple of hundred pages until I just couldn't care anymore.
Fourth, less would have definitely been more for the whole book.
And last of all, the authoress apparently threw in everything she could think of, in staccato bursts, for her finale. Introduced and dismissed in 3-4 pages were things like "Hey Mom, I'm suddenly gay!" and "She had a great idea, patented it, started a successful business...and then got to spend more time with her husband." It added up to one of the worst book endings I've ever read. What a delight it was to finally set this book down!
Fannie Flagg is a good author, absolutely. I don't know what happened here, but I hope it doesn't happen again. Read "Fried Green Tomatoes" or "Daisy Fae and the Miracle Man" instead of this one.
January 4, 2014
Made it 1/3 of the way through. Here's what happened in that part of the book.
A woman fed some birds
A woman read a letter and reacted to it (and kept reacting and kept on and kept on)
We flash back 80 years and get info-dump background about a family.
In olden times, a girl cleans a toilet
And if the humor was funny or the modern timeline woman was anything but despicable and useless, I might keep going. But the humor wasn't funny (name foreign people funny-sounding names! hahahaha, not) and I purely loathed the main character.
Life is too short.
A woman fed some birds
A woman read a letter and reacted to it (and kept reacting and kept on and kept on)
We flash back 80 years and get info-dump background about a family.
In olden times, a girl cleans a toilet
And if the humor was funny or the modern timeline woman was anything but despicable and useless, I might keep going. But the humor wasn't funny (name foreign people funny-sounding names! hahahaha, not) and I purely loathed the main character.
Life is too short.
November 10, 2013
This book got better as it went on. At first Suki drove me nuts, granted her mother was a piece, but still Suki created so much of her own drama. I didn't like how she acted when she found out she was adopted, she kept saying she wasn't so and so, that her mother wasn't her mother, in my opionon it was over kill. It got to the point that I kept hoping for Suki's part to get over, I liked the parts in the past much better. It was only as Suki accepted her life that things started to pick up.
I hated Suki's mother, I can't imagine living with someone who was so self-centered. I hated how Suki kept cringing from her mother, something a 60 year old woman shouldn't have done. I did like when Suki started to get therapy. I loved that she met him in unusual places and how the doctor seemed thrown a bit by Suki.
I loved the parts in the past, loved Fritzi and all the Jurdabralinski's. I thought the parts in WI were fun, the parts where they were flying for the war in TX was just as good, although there were trials there. I was stunned by Fritzi's last secret when she told Suki, but found myself laughing when one of the other WASP's got their revenge. I really liked the relationship that Fritzi built with Suki. The trip they took to WI was great! I think it allowed Suki to connect with this new family and gave her a connection she needed.
On a side note, I loved the narration of this one. It was done by the author, wasn't sure at the start, but she did a great job!
I hated Suki's mother, I can't imagine living with someone who was so self-centered. I hated how Suki kept cringing from her mother, something a 60 year old woman shouldn't have done. I did like when Suki started to get therapy. I loved that she met him in unusual places and how the doctor seemed thrown a bit by Suki.
I loved the parts in the past, loved Fritzi and all the Jurdabralinski's. I thought the parts in WI were fun, the parts where they were flying for the war in TX was just as good, although there were trials there. I was stunned by Fritzi's last secret when she told Suki, but found myself laughing when one of the other WASP's got their revenge. I really liked the relationship that Fritzi built with Suki. The trip they took to WI was great! I think it allowed Suki to connect with this new family and gave her a connection she needed.
On a side note, I loved the narration of this one. It was done by the author, wasn't sure at the start, but she did a great job!
February 6, 2019
WOW!!, what a book. It was a Laugh Out Loud story. A more serious side of the story was the telling of the WASP's during WWII and the background of the sisters from Wisconsin that ferried planes from one side of the US to the far side of the US for the men in the Air force.
The story was so engaging, it was hard to stop reading.
I highly recommend it.
The story was so engaging, it was hard to stop reading.
I highly recommend it.
September 13, 2025
WHY IS 60 BEING WRITTEN LIKE IT IS 75??
This book was written only 12 years ago. Why on earth is 60 being portrayed like that??
MMM, BABY, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. I’M CLOSE ENOUGH TO 60 TO TELL YOU IT AINT NOTHING LIKE THAT.
So other than not being able to fully relate to Sookie, the story was sweet.
“She had learned that being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but by what you have overcome.”
This book was written only 12 years ago. Why on earth is 60 being portrayed like that??
MMM, BABY, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. I’M CLOSE ENOUGH TO 60 TO TELL YOU IT AINT NOTHING LIKE THAT.
So other than not being able to fully relate to Sookie, the story was sweet.
“She had learned that being a successful person is not necessarily defined by what you have achieved, but by what you have overcome.”
February 7, 2015
It's been awhile since I've read a Fannie Flagg novel and I so regret that after reading this one! It was non stop laughter to the end and plenty of twists and turns to make it one of my favorite books in long time.
June 27, 2015
(*Upon request: "Spoiler alert")
When Sarah Jane (Sookie) Poole discovers at age 59, by accident, that she's adopted (and she's already 60!), she's not happy to NOT be who she thought she was (if, in fact, she really knows who that is - is she really just a boring, pushed-around, personality-less housewife and mother who has never really done anything with her life except disappoint her mother - who isn't actually her real mother after all, but is a stranger)? So, who is she, and who were her birth parents? And how is she going to keep from strangling Lenore, the woman who adopted her but never told her she was adopted - the woman who always had to be in control and the center of attention, who was forever critiquing Sookie for everything?
What I loved most about the story is the way it compassionately, with heart and humor, tells both the story of Fritzi, her 3 sisters, brother and parents, during World War II (four of them were pilots, with the girls being WASPs) and Sookie's search for her identity and the truth about her family. Both Fritzi and Sookie's stories are told alternately, in both women's voices, until eventually their stories merge. I often smiled and sometimes I laughed out loud - just the things Sookie thinks and does, are not just funny, but relatable (I can see people I know, even me sometimes, doing or thinking some of these things). I also felt mad (at the treatment of the women pilots and how men got away with some horrible things), sad, proud, and through it all, I felt involved and engrossed in what I was reading - there is really nothing I didn't like about this book.
When Sarah Jane (Sookie) Poole discovers at age 59, by accident, that she's adopted (and she's already 60!), she's not happy to NOT be who she thought she was (if, in fact, she really knows who that is - is she really just a boring, pushed-around, personality-less housewife and mother who has never really done anything with her life except disappoint her mother - who isn't actually her real mother after all, but is a stranger)? So, who is she, and who were her birth parents? And how is she going to keep from strangling Lenore, the woman who adopted her but never told her she was adopted - the woman who always had to be in control and the center of attention, who was forever critiquing Sookie for everything?
What I loved most about the story is the way it compassionately, with heart and humor, tells both the story of Fritzi, her 3 sisters, brother and parents, during World War II (four of them were pilots, with the girls being WASPs) and Sookie's search for her identity and the truth about her family. Both Fritzi and Sookie's stories are told alternately, in both women's voices, until eventually their stories merge. I often smiled and sometimes I laughed out loud - just the things Sookie thinks and does, are not just funny, but relatable (I can see people I know, even me sometimes, doing or thinking some of these things). I also felt mad (at the treatment of the women pilots and how men got away with some horrible things), sad, proud, and through it all, I felt involved and engrossed in what I was reading - there is really nothing I didn't like about this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2013
Dual adventures of dynamic women kept me turning pages until well past midnight. Fannie Flagg's characters are thoroughly engaging, with all the hangups and strengths of families from very different backgrounds.
One of the things I always enjoy is the author's grasp of the complexity of the interior life of Southern U.S. women (and men)---all liberated, but still working through expectations of culture, family, and society---handled with affection and humor. Equally strong in this story is the exploration of the Polish/American experience in the North, bound together by historical threads of WWII aviation.
The pacing is so well managed, I could sense the collision course of the two story lines and could hardly wait for the outcome to arrive. I was not disappointed, and the story finished with satisfying flair.
Honestly, I think this ranks among my favorites of her work, the other two contenders being Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Glad I bought the book; it'll get multiple reads, and I know what I'll be sending many friends and family as gifts for Christmas this year.
One warning, though: If you have anything else to get done that's pressing, do it first, otherwise expect to be absorbed by this book from cover to cover.
One of the things I always enjoy is the author's grasp of the complexity of the interior life of Southern U.S. women (and men)---all liberated, but still working through expectations of culture, family, and society---handled with affection and humor. Equally strong in this story is the exploration of the Polish/American experience in the North, bound together by historical threads of WWII aviation.
The pacing is so well managed, I could sense the collision course of the two story lines and could hardly wait for the outcome to arrive. I was not disappointed, and the story finished with satisfying flair.
Honestly, I think this ranks among my favorites of her work, the other two contenders being Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe and Can't Wait to Get to Heaven. Glad I bought the book; it'll get multiple reads, and I know what I'll be sending many friends and family as gifts for Christmas this year.
One warning, though: If you have anything else to get done that's pressing, do it first, otherwise expect to be absorbed by this book from cover to cover.
July 21, 2017
I was really surprised by this book. This was a local book club assignment, and was really liked and well reviewed by several trusted reading friends. But in my mind Fannie Flagg=cute=light=funny=fluff. So the surprise to me right off the bat was how much I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The characters were NOT caricatures, the plot was NOT predictable, and I didn't roll my eyes once while turning the pages. I loved it, and I cared about the people involved, and I learned about a little known and mostly forgotten piece of American history, namely the female WASPS who piloted fighter planes from the factories to the airfields during WWII.
Apologies to Fannie Flagg for forming an opinion before reading the book. I should know better by now. And kudos to Wendell Minor, who designed and illustrated the cover; it's a great one.
Apologies to Fannie Flagg for forming an opinion before reading the book. I should know better by now. And kudos to Wendell Minor, who designed and illustrated the cover; it's a great one.
October 28, 2014
Sometimes you find a book that you just fall in love with. Being a fan of Fannie Flagg and having thoroughly enjoyed her other books, I was rapt to find this on the library shelves the other day. It no sooner came home and I was into it, chuckling along while at the same time enthralled with how easily Fannie Flagg draws characters. They effortlessly pull you into their world and make you want to keep reading. I resented anything that took me away from this book. It is a sheer delight.
Sookie, a fifty nine year old woman living in Point Clare Alabama finds out she is not who she thought she was. Or is she? This is a story about what shapes a person, nature or nurture. The characters in this novel are lovable eccentrics; though I admit I would hate to have Lenore as a mother given the way she tried to force Sookie (Sarah Jane) into her own image. Thankfully she never succeeded completely.
This story flickers between the present and Sookie’s dilemma, and the past with a Fritzi and her sisters who not only ran the gas station when their Polish father contracted TB but became pilots during the war. It was interesting to find out about the WASPS (Women’s Air Force Service Pilots) which I had never heard of before and the vital part they played in World war 2.
This is a book that me laugh, cry, get angry and laugh again. It is typically Fannie Flagg. I have tried other supposedly humorous Southern fiction writers but they do not have the deft touch Fannie Flagg does. A joy to read, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Sookie and her family and the Jurdabralinski sisters. My husband is now reading it. Fannie Flagg is one of the few authors we agree on in our reading. The novel is a lot of fun yet with an inherent serious theme about families, loyalty and what shapes a person. Highly recommend reading designed to keep you turning the ages and smiling. What more can you ask from a book?
Sookie, a fifty nine year old woman living in Point Clare Alabama finds out she is not who she thought she was. Or is she? This is a story about what shapes a person, nature or nurture. The characters in this novel are lovable eccentrics; though I admit I would hate to have Lenore as a mother given the way she tried to force Sookie (Sarah Jane) into her own image. Thankfully she never succeeded completely.
This story flickers between the present and Sookie’s dilemma, and the past with a Fritzi and her sisters who not only ran the gas station when their Polish father contracted TB but became pilots during the war. It was interesting to find out about the WASPS (Women’s Air Force Service Pilots) which I had never heard of before and the vital part they played in World war 2.
This is a book that me laugh, cry, get angry and laugh again. It is typically Fannie Flagg. I have tried other supposedly humorous Southern fiction writers but they do not have the deft touch Fannie Flagg does. A joy to read, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Sookie and her family and the Jurdabralinski sisters. My husband is now reading it. Fannie Flagg is one of the few authors we agree on in our reading. The novel is a lot of fun yet with an inherent serious theme about families, loyalty and what shapes a person. Highly recommend reading designed to keep you turning the ages and smiling. What more can you ask from a book?
October 4, 2020
An old fashioned yet charming book, The All Girls Filling Station’s Last Reunion delves into the live of another small town Sookie (not the one from True Blood). Flagg renders the world of small town Alabama with a lot of believability. You really feel like you know these characters and have met people like them. As per whether the book says anything with particularly any depth or freshness is another question altogether, but the novel makes for a fairly fascinating and quick read.
May 13, 2015
This was one of those that came across my desk and piqued my interest. While it wasn't quite what I think I'd expected (not that I remember what I'd expected), it was enjoyable.
Sookie.
I know this woman. I know several versions of this woman and while I understand how these women are made and why they are the way they are, it doesn't make me love them any more. These women, the ones who exist for everyone else, the ones who have no self-definition, the ones who pitter and dither and are the mercy of their community's whims, they drive me batty. I am definitely a product of the women's liberation movement (thanks, mom, aunts, and grandmothers!) and, as a result, could not connect to Sookie. The woman full-out exasperated me.
Because of that, I was able to be proud of her as she cast off some of her unwarranted beliefs and notions, as she learned about her biological past and created her own future. Yay, Sookie! I still don't want to know you but I am proud of you, nonetheless.
Here's something funny: I got to feel a little smug while listening to this. Not only do I know a whole lot more about...well, a lot of crap than Sookie (really? Jays are bullying your finches and chickadees and you can't figure out how to deal with it and you make yourself look like a crazy lady in your attempts to foil those bully birds? Also, jays are funny; just get to know them and stop being so judgey, you old bat and stop freaking out over every little thing! Pull up your big girl panties, suss it out on your own, and stop calling your poor husband at work) but I felt all "Why is this not common knowledge?" on a regular basis. For instance, the WASPs. Howcome no one in the contemporary story knew who they were? I know who they were. Maybe because my grandmother told me. I don't know. But I knew that women flew planes and were called WASPs (though, to be honest, up until probably ... oh, five or six years ago, I think I just assumed they were called WASPs because the wasp insect has a feminine body and it flies and so it made sense to have the flying females named after the black and yellow stripey guys. Research. Who needs it? Logic comes up with much more delightful explanations) I wound up feeling smarter than most the contemporary characters in this book. What an ego boost! I like to think of myself as B+ smart and that's only if you don't involve things like math or brain surgery or good-decision-making. But these people made me feel like a member of MENSA! Yay!
Ok, time to be serious.
I enjoyed the parts about Fritzy and her family the best. I wanted to be a Fritzy when I grew up and I missed the mark, which turns out to be good, but still, as I suppose her peers would have said, "What a gal." We've got so many strong stories from World War II, many of them focusing on the men who fought on either side, on the atrocities and terrors that raged so regularly during that time, on the saviors and the villains, on victims and the families left behind. This isn't the first story out there about how women helped their countries - America, in this case - but it is still a good reminder that it wasn't just young men standing up for what they believed in, fighting and dying. Women did not just stay home, recycling gum wrappers and drawing lines up the backs of their legs in lieu of stockings. Many did amazing, heroic things and it's nice to have that recognized.
Sookie.
I know this woman. I know several versions of this woman and while I understand how these women are made and why they are the way they are, it doesn't make me love them any more. These women, the ones who exist for everyone else, the ones who have no self-definition, the ones who pitter and dither and are the mercy of their community's whims, they drive me batty. I am definitely a product of the women's liberation movement (thanks, mom, aunts, and grandmothers!) and, as a result, could not connect to Sookie. The woman full-out exasperated me.
Because of that, I was able to be proud of her as she cast off some of her unwarranted beliefs and notions, as she learned about her biological past and created her own future. Yay, Sookie! I still don't want to know you but I am proud of you, nonetheless.
Here's something funny: I got to feel a little smug while listening to this. Not only do I know a whole lot more about...well, a lot of crap than Sookie (really? Jays are bullying your finches and chickadees and you can't figure out how to deal with it and you make yourself look like a crazy lady in your attempts to foil those bully birds? Also, jays are funny; just get to know them and stop being so judgey, you old bat and stop freaking out over every little thing! Pull up your big girl panties, suss it out on your own, and stop calling your poor husband at work) but I felt all "Why is this not common knowledge?" on a regular basis. For instance, the WASPs. Howcome no one in the contemporary story knew who they were? I know who they were. Maybe because my grandmother told me. I don't know. But I knew that women flew planes and were called WASPs (though, to be honest, up until probably ... oh, five or six years ago, I think I just assumed they were called WASPs because the wasp insect has a feminine body and it flies and so it made sense to have the flying females named after the black and yellow stripey guys. Research. Who needs it? Logic comes up with much more delightful explanations) I wound up feeling smarter than most the contemporary characters in this book. What an ego boost! I like to think of myself as B+ smart and that's only if you don't involve things like math or brain surgery or good-decision-making. But these people made me feel like a member of MENSA! Yay!
Ok, time to be serious.
I enjoyed the parts about Fritzy and her family the best. I wanted to be a Fritzy when I grew up and I missed the mark, which turns out to be good, but still, as I suppose her peers would have said, "What a gal." We've got so many strong stories from World War II, many of them focusing on the men who fought on either side, on the atrocities and terrors that raged so regularly during that time, on the saviors and the villains, on victims and the families left behind. This isn't the first story out there about how women helped their countries - America, in this case - but it is still a good reminder that it wasn't just young men standing up for what they believed in, fighting and dying. Women did not just stay home, recycling gum wrappers and drawing lines up the backs of their legs in lieu of stockings. Many did amazing, heroic things and it's nice to have that recognized.
November 30, 2018
This one takes a little while to get going, and it's not Flagg's best, but fans of her style won't be disappointed by the story of Sookie, a timid southern belle with a domineering mother who at the age of 60, finally finds out who she really is. Her journey is interspersed with flashbacks to Fritzi, a fearless woman from a world away in Pulaski, Wisconsin. Fritzi was a member of the little-known WASPS, a group of female pilots who flew planes as part the war effort in WWII. Discovering how the stories of these two women intersect makes for an interesting and heartwarming read.
I enjoyed this, but like most novels where the author goes back and forth in time, I much preferred one story over the other - namely Fritzi's. For one thing, Sookie was really too much of a nitwit. I was more annoyed then charmed by her. But Fritzi and her big, boisterous Polish family were great fun to read about. I loved the descriptions of how Fritzi and her sisters took over the family filling station, to keep the business going while their brother was away at war. They pumped gas, fixed cars, and did it on roller skates! They became minor celebrities as men came from far and wide to have their cars serviced by the pretty girls. I loved all the tales of pride and patriotism as everyone pulled together to support the war. I had never heard about the WASPs (apparently no one else did either for many years after the war, as it was kind of hushed up) so I also love that this book tells their story and gives them their due after all this time.
I enjoyed this, but like most novels where the author goes back and forth in time, I much preferred one story over the other - namely Fritzi's. For one thing, Sookie was really too much of a nitwit. I was more annoyed then charmed by her. But Fritzi and her big, boisterous Polish family were great fun to read about. I loved the descriptions of how Fritzi and her sisters took over the family filling station, to keep the business going while their brother was away at war. They pumped gas, fixed cars, and did it on roller skates! They became minor celebrities as men came from far and wide to have their cars serviced by the pretty girls. I loved all the tales of pride and patriotism as everyone pulled together to support the war. I had never heard about the WASPs (apparently no one else did either for many years after the war, as it was kind of hushed up) so I also love that this book tells their story and gives them their due after all this time.
April 7, 2018
I should have enjoyed this book more than what I did. It had many aspects to it that I often love in a book: southern setting, older ladies and their friendships, humor, a dual time line, and a piece of history I could learn something from. Lately, I have been trying to use my libraries' overdrive and listen to audio books more, so I have been attempting to pick out some books that others seem to love or it sounds like something I might like. ( I am currently FAILING at this endeavor!) However, as I listened to this, I kept hoping it would get better. It started out sort of funny, but the longer I listened, the more I realized I was just trying to talk myself into liking it. (Am I the only one who does this?) The basic plot wasn't too bad, but I did not feel as though it was executed very well. I felt like the characters were extreme caricatures and because of that, even the historical facts felt diminished. I was going to let my star rating settle as a solid two, but then the ending ruined it all for me. In fact, I was a upset that I even finished the book. It was degrading to me. The feeling I got, after listening to this book, is that unless you live or accept those living a worldly life, then you aren't "up to date" with the times and are probably a boring person. (These are just my opinions, though.) The truth is, there are so many books out there to read, and I wish I didn't spend my time on this one.
November 7, 2013
3.5 Sookie has just managed to get all her daughters married and is looking forward to some time for herself, maybe to read a book. I can sympathize. Her mother, who is loosing it mentally, and is a character to boot, has other ideas. Sookie finds out her family history is not what she thought it was and this turns into a sometimes amusing, sometimes poignant, quest.
Fannie Flagg has such a great job of detailing her characters lives, making them quirky and amusing, larger than life people. This has several plot twists, adventure , humor and history as we go back in time and meet the Polish girls who ran the filling station and also flew the skies. Using letters and notes and other literary devices Flagg makes the last third of the book vastly interesting. Although I wished parts of the story, especially in the beginning, moved a little quicker, Flagg's fans won't be disappointed, definitely has the Flag flavor..
Fannie Flagg has such a great job of detailing her characters lives, making them quirky and amusing, larger than life people. This has several plot twists, adventure , humor and history as we go back in time and meet the Polish girls who ran the filling station and also flew the skies. Using letters and notes and other literary devices Flagg makes the last third of the book vastly interesting. Although I wished parts of the story, especially in the beginning, moved a little quicker, Flagg's fans won't be disappointed, definitely has the Flag flavor..
June 11, 2015
The All Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion" by Fannie Flagg is is a great story, very funny, with lots of information about women today and in WWII. It even has discussion questions at the end. I found old photos on line of some of these characters.If any of you live in Ohio, the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana has a great exhibit on women flyers in WWII. They have life-sized cutouts of the pilots along with their memories and photos of themselves in the war.
May 13, 2016
4,5/5
Une histoire pleine de tendresse et de vie, qui évoque un aspect mal connu du rôle des femmes dans la seconde guerre mondiale, et pourtant très important. J'ai adoré les personnages hyper attachants et l'ambiance du récit, autant dans le présent que dans le passé. La dernière partie m'a beaucoup émue, et je recommanderai avec grand plaisir cette lecture à toutes les femmes de mon entourage.
Une histoire pleine de tendresse et de vie, qui évoque un aspect mal connu du rôle des femmes dans la seconde guerre mondiale, et pourtant très important. J'ai adoré les personnages hyper attachants et l'ambiance du récit, autant dans le présent que dans le passé. La dernière partie m'a beaucoup émue, et je recommanderai avec grand plaisir cette lecture à toutes les femmes de mon entourage.
February 14, 2018
I'm embarrassed to say that The All Girls' Filling Station has sat on my bookshelves for about three years, and it took a move and its rediscovery to finally read it. The good part of all of this? I DID read it, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have enjoyed Fannie Flagg and missed this one, do yourself a favour and read it.
United States of America's love affair with cars is central to this delightful tale - gas stations helped them motor across the country and in time of war, ladies had to take over at the pumps. These were very crucial jobs! As well, the history of female pilots and how they served in wartime was completely ignored until recently - this tale embraces the story and it is a marvellous and surprising one.
Flagg's wry humour is wrapped throughout the story, which moves from a modern day flibbertygidget suffering empty nest syndrome and an identity crisis back to the historical period which eventually converge in a lovely and satisfying fashion.
Even though I was late to this party, I'm so pleased I finally attended (especially since I wasn't impressed by Flagg's latest novel).
Recommended!
United States of America's love affair with cars is central to this delightful tale - gas stations helped them motor across the country and in time of war, ladies had to take over at the pumps. These were very crucial jobs! As well, the history of female pilots and how they served in wartime was completely ignored until recently - this tale embraces the story and it is a marvellous and surprising one.
Flagg's wry humour is wrapped throughout the story, which moves from a modern day flibbertygidget suffering empty nest syndrome and an identity crisis back to the historical period which eventually converge in a lovely and satisfying fashion.
Even though I was late to this party, I'm so pleased I finally attended (especially since I wasn't impressed by Flagg's latest novel).
Recommended!
May 18, 2016
Une chose est sûre, Fanny Flag sait raconter des histoires et les rendre vivantes ! Je ne regrette pas d'avoir découvert cette auteur ! C'était un roman agréable, facile à lire, plutôt "léger" au sens où on ne se pose pas de questions en le lisant. C'était exactement ce que j'en attendais et je ne suis donc pas déçue. Ce n'est certes pas un coup de cœur mais j'ai tout de même apprécié cette lecture, surtout pour ce qu'elle m'a appris sur la Seconde Guerre Mondiale et les WASP, ces femmes pilotes dont je n'avais jamais entendu parler ! Je n'ai cependant pas particulièrement apprécié le personnage principal, Sookie, qui était trop "molle" à mon goût, même si elle se révèle à mesure que l'histoire avance.
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