Reviews

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

staciek3's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book makes me wonder what Norma Yorbra Zorbra would say, or whatever her name was. 🤣 And my goodness all the other fun names in this book... Sookie, Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, and Fritzi Jurdabralinski!
Any how, this was a highly entertaining and also informative book. I had no idea about the WASPs, but I'm glad I do now. I did want to give Lenore a talking to, but am glad Sookie found her peace with that relationship. What a rip roaring good book. I will have to read more by Fannie Flagg now. Until then ... See ya pals!

maurareads's review against another edition

funny lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition

4.0

So I really enjoyed this book. It is a super simple and very easy to read. This was a recommendation from a cute little southern bookstore lady and when I bought it I thought oh man... what did I get myself into? This ended up being the perfect antidote to my cross country exodus from the South. It is generally a feel good book and I am glad I read it. Well done Fannie Flagg... now I must read Fried Green Tomatoes!

jjpelky's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

meganlafo's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

jgraydee's review against another edition

3.0

Story gave interesting background of WW2 WASP pilots. But, the story line was choppy and, by the 50 pages, become more about political correctness than about the story line. Kind of disappointed, as this was my first novel by Fannie Flagg.

Favorite quote is on page 184: "... When you live long enough to see your children begin to look at you with different eyes, and you can look at them not as your children, but as people, it's worth getting older with all the creaks and wrinkles."

suvata's review against another edition

#Neighborhood Book Club December 2018 pick

I tried and tried just couldn’t get into this book. My apologies to my neighborhood book club and to Fannie Flagg.

book_concierge's review against another edition

4.0

Mrs Earle Poole Jr – Sookie to her family and friends – is having her usual challenges. The blue jays are monopolizing the feeders, leaving the little birds without sustenance. At least she’s managed to get her third daughter safely married and off on her honeymoon, so maybe now Sookie can rest for a bit. Well, except for managing her mother, Lenore, who is as wacky and demanding as ever. Sookie can’t seem to live up to her mother’s expectations that she “behave like a Simmons” – polishing the family silver weekly, attending the right club meetings, dressing appropriately, and tending to the graves of her ancestors. You’d think a 59-year-old married woman, with grown children, could stand up to her own mother, but Sookie has been trained to be accommodating. So she dutifully handles Lenore’s affairs – from paying the bills to hiring a nurse. Until the day Sookie opens a registered letter addressed to Lenore from the Texas Board of Health, and her whole world is turned upside down.

What a delightful read! I just fell in love with Sookie, and enjoyed going along on her journey of self-discovery. Are the characters eccentric? Yes, of course. You might even say some are over-the-top. But Flagg never lets the minor characters take over the plot; rather, they add color and provide a framework for Sookie’s story. Whatever the situation, Sookie’s reactions are very real and understandable. Anyone would be thrown for a loop after receiving such a shock. What’s so fun about the book is watching her come to grips with what she has learned, figuring out how to cope, exploring her options, and growing into an even better version of the person she has always been – kind, tenderhearted, courageous, inventive, giving, steady and loving.

I also really enjoyed the historical background and storyline set in the WW2 era and exploring the women who flew planes for the Army Air Corps with little fanfare or even recognition. I liked Fritzi and her sisters, and the descriptions of the gas station had me waxing nostalgic for my father’s auto-parts business; I still love the smell of rubber and oil because it brings back memories of being with my Daddy at the store.

I’ve been a fan of Fannie Flagg’s for some time, and I think this is one of her best books.

eaborum's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

alidottie's review against another edition

4.0

Super cute, typical Fannie Flagg but with really interesting historical fiction about the Army WASPs of WWII. Definitely one of my favorites by her.