NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.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 … 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.
Praise for The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion
“A beautifully told tale, world-class humor, and characters who live forever in a grateful reader’s world. Fannie Flagg keeps getting better and better. The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion proves it.”—Pat Conroy
“If all the self-help books that promote ways to ‘find yourself’ were stacked in an enormous pile . . . none would approach the sweet wisdom with which Flagg infuses The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“It’s Flagg’s pleasure to hit her characters with several happy endings, but the real happiness is that she’s given us another lovable—and quirky—novel.”—The Washington Post
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I love all of Fannie Flagg’s books. She is so good at making me laugh and feel while reading! Recently reread this book with my book club and makes me want to reread the rest of her books. This one tells the story of women flyers in WWII, yet it’s firmly set in today’s world. Such great insights into having adult children, too! Grab a Fannie Flagg book and enjoy!
Fannie Flagg takes her readers on a humorous, high-flying look at finding oneself and releasing the notion that coming from a “good” family has anything to do with heirloom silver and real pearls; that a person isn’t defined by what they’ve achieved, rather by what they’ve overcome; all the while paying tribute to the WASP’s—Women Airforce Service Pilots—female World War II pilots who faced and overcame insurmountable obstacles with grace, bravery, and courage. Whose sacrifices, determination, and refusal-to-fail attitude opened doors for women today.
This book was not only written by the award-winning Fannie Flagg, it was narrated by the author, too! This was a page-turner I didn’t want to end. The author is quite an imaginative storyteller and her humor and wit is weave throughout. The author is also most entertaining in her reading performance. If you want to laugh alit and be thoroughly entertained, read or listen to (or both) The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion: A Novel!!!
GREAT book. Nice follow-up to Welcome To The World, Baby Girl, but can easily be read independently of that one (though why would you?)
It is now one of my favorite books!
I really enjoyed the wonderful characters in The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion. The back-and-forth story of Fritzi and her family in the 1940s and Sookie and her family in 2005 was intriguing. The author does a great job of keeping your interest and drawing you into the lives of the characters…especially the adventures Fritzi and her sisters have between running the family’s gas station and then joining the WASPs during WWII.
Because I enjoyed the audiobook edition, Fannie Flagg does a wonderful job with the voices of the characters. One of my favorites was Sookie’s mother, Lenore. Lenore was a hoot and absolutely drove Sookie nuts…being an uptimate controlling and opinionated individual.
This is a delightful story of historical fiction and gives you a wonderful view of the women who were courageous and spunky flyers during WWII. You discover what real heroes these women became. They were strong, dedicated, and real pioneers in their efforts to be a part of the aircraft responsiblities during WWII. They were not respected by the men, but they played an important role in America’s history.
In essence, this was a fun read and very informative.
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I’ve enjoyed every one of her books that I’ve read, I love the fun people she write about and the situations.
Fanny Flagg excels at unique, unforgettable characters in off-the-wall locales and situations. Here, she takes on a slice of WW II history, the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPS), an often-forgotten piece of Americana. Mix this with her plot-driven and character-enriched writing, and you’ve got another winner!
This book captured my heart and tickled my funny bone. What an amazing author. She has a blessed talent for creating literature that leaves you feeling GOOD so for Christmas two years ago I gave this book to my friends in attempt to share the happy! Thanks, Fanny Flagg.
An outstanding, charming story of WWII women in the US, making do to keep things going when the men have left for war. Fanny Flagg is a brilliant story teller. This is loosely based on the true story of the W(omans)A(ir)S(service)P(ersonnel) or WASPs, a group of female pilots hired by the Govt. to train male pilots for war and to transport new planes to airfields for dispatch. Aside: they were never legally military like the WACs or WAVEs and didn’t get the recognition or post service benefits. Pres. Obama acknowledged their service and the survivors before he left office. It’s also about stalwart and somewhat whacky women (sisters and friends) who run a service station in Wisconsin (?)…bringing people from all over just to see, get some coffee and car windows cleaned by women on skates. Funny, charming, interesting, heart-rending time spent with this.
Wow! What a great book! I hadn’t realized the history of the WASPS, the women pilots who flew during WW II. I couldn’t wait to keep reading it. Great ending!
I absolutely loved this book. The characters are very identifiable and indefatigable.
Fanny Flagg at her best, it was adorable.
What a delightful book! Highly recommend!
What a great story!
I loved this book! The women that joined the WWII effort by flying planes from the factories to the air bases were pretty much unknown for years. The women – the WASPS – and their story, toggles back and forth with the early 2000s where a 60 yr old woman learns of her heritage. Well written, great characters, and historical fiction – all the ingredients for a great read!
“Whom the heart first loves does not know or care if they are related by blood.” A rollicking, heartwarming story. An entertaining blend of Southern & WWII fiction, narrated in the author’s own voice. Fun Quote: “She was a lot of trouble, but it’s going be a dull old world without her.”
WASPS: Female WWII pilots
Well written and an interesting story built on a true, but little known aspect of WWII.