Play Book Tag discussion

Ninny Threadgoode is staying at the local retirement home supposedly only until one of her good friends passes away and then she intends to return to her own house. Evelyn Crouch, who accompanies her husband to visit his mother at the same facility one a week, begins to spend time with Ninny and the two begin a friendship that Evelyn cherishes more than she thought possible. Evelyn is in the throes of menopause, depressed, overweight and unhappy with life in general. Ninny, in her mid-80's, tells Evelyn the history of the tiny town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, especially the popular Whistle Stop Cafe, the owners Ruth and Idgie, and the rest of the people who populated the area from the 1920's until present day 1986. Evelyn is fascinated and Ninny is in her element. The stories Ninny relates are happy, tragic, mundane and, at times, shocking. As the two women share candy bars and other sweets, Ninny relives 8 decades in a place she loves more than anywhere else on earth.

I don't know how I missed reading this one as I have read just about everything else Flagg has written. I enjoyed it quite a bit although the use of a particular word became grating on me. I know it was an acceptable term, especially in the South, during the early years of the last century but it's uncomfortable. I love the characters in Whistle Stop and their stories are wonderful.

I love Fannie Flagg's novels and have read several of them. I think that the only reason that I have never read this novel is that I loved the movie so much - and in this instance for me that was enough.

I saw the movie so long ago (and loved it!) that reading the book was not a problem for me.