[HJT]⇒ Download The AllGirl Filling Station Last Reunion A Novel Fannie Flagg 9780812977172 Books

The AllGirl Filling Station Last Reunion A Novel Fannie Flagg 9780812977172 Books

Download As PDF : The AllGirl Filling Station Last Reunion A Novel Fannie Flagg 9780812977172 Books

The AllGirl Filling Station Last Reunion A Novel Fannie Flagg 9780812977172 Books

I am going to give a bit of advice regarding this book:

1) If you have loved Fannie Flagg's other books or enjoy southern fiction, you won't go wrong with this one.

2) Many of the reviews posted give away most (if not all in some cases) of the plot's twists and turns. Spoilers abound with no warning. Be careful about reading them if you wish to be surprised.

Now that that is out of the way, I would like to share with you that Fannie Flagg knows how to tell a tale and do it well. Over the years, I have read just about everything she has written and she is a writer worth re-reading in my opinion. Some books have struck more of a chord than others, but all have been good. This novel is no exception. Flipping between the time periods of 2005 and World War II, there is a little bit of everything here and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The unpublicized role of women in the war effort adds an historical fiction flare; the family secrets explored are worthy of some of the best women's fiction writers out there; and one of the over-the-top characters adds humor to what could have been a series heavy, emotional topics.

While Ms. Flagg keeps the reader entertained throughout all the pages, there is real meat to this story that can't be ignored. She manages to convey so much without the reader fully grasping at the time how much is there. Only upon further reflection do you realize how masterful she is.

I loved the book and will be recommending it to many friends with all varieties of reading tastes.


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The AllGirl Filling Station Last Reunion A Novel Fannie Flagg 9780812977172 Books Reviews

As a period piece, it's hard to fault this book. It provides picture-perfect descriptions of the small American town, pre- and post- World War II. Fannie Flagg's unique and humorous voice resonates throughout. Her observations about the U.S. South, its manners and ties to the Confederacy, are interesting. Anyone living in the deep South, or with relatives from that magnificent region, will recognize the characters and the "feel" of a sleepy waterfront town. The main character, both relishes and bristles from her surroundings; she's a likable soul and someone we would want as a neighbor.

The deeper questions are left for the reader to ponder, as they are usually a part of the main character's internal dialog--not something genuinely discussed or debated. These include (1) the role of our DNA is who we are or what we can become; (2) the lens through which we need to examine parts of the Civil War, specifically when heroism is misremembered or wrong. It's the too light treatment of these questions that prevented me from giving the book 5-stars.

Finally, the book does a marvelous job informing the reader of the real heroism of women who flew aircraft during the war; they were unpaid, unherolded, and ignored by history until the 1970s. These WASPs (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) were a pioneering organization of civilain women pilots attached to the US Army Air Force. They flew over 60 million miles; transported every type of military aircraft; towed targets for live anti-aircraft gun practice; simulated strafing missions and transported cargo. Thirty-eight WASP members lost their lives and one went missing.

All in all--it's a fun and informative read.
Sookie Poole has just finished marrying off her three daughters. She’s exhausted from the stress of planning these big weddings. She’s also caring for her 80-something year eccentric mother. Her biggest problem, however, seems to be keeping the smaller birds in her yard fed. Blue jays hog the feeder and scare the smaller birds away.
In the midst of all this, she finds out she was adopted when she was a small child. The family she always thought was her own is not her real family. Sookie goes into a tail spin.
Her birth family is not old southern and aristocratic, but Polish and working class. But she soon learns many interesting things about her birth family. Her mother and aunts not only ran an all-girl filling station, but they were women pilots paving the way for other women eager to reach for the stars. This is a beautiful story about family, about strength and what we learn from each other, and what we owe to each other.
Just as I got weary of the silliness of the seemingly shallow early Alabama society scene, I was plunged into the amazing historical story not only of the courageous women pilots who served unrecognized, but of the awakening of America in the early days of WWII. At my age (89), I relived a time when we were all so innocent, caught up in the fervor of serving and protecting our country, so patriotic, so unquestioning! In many ways it was a beautiful time, as the every citizen of every age and every background leapt forward to do whatever they could to support the war effort. How romantic, as we married too quickly our soldier-boy sweethearts and sent them off to war in their clean uniforms with flags waving and bands playing, so certain they would make short work of the Nazis and return triumphant in a few short weeks. After all, we were Americas! The women pilots in this story represented the first stirrings of the end women's subservient roles...and the disappointment we felt as we were summarily displaced and unappreciated from service, from the factories and businesses, from leadership,,when the men came home. Returning to the present, the Alabama scene suddenly took very unexpected twists as Sookie's world fell apart, and she was introduced to the whole new culture of Americans of Polish descent. Great story, more than a story, a great reading experience.
I am going to give a bit of advice regarding this book

1) If you have loved Fannie Flagg's other books or enjoy southern fiction, you won't go wrong with this one.

2) Many of the reviews posted give away most (if not all in some cases) of the plot's twists and turns. Spoilers abound with no warning. Be careful about reading them if you wish to be surprised.

Now that that is out of the way, I would like to share with you that Fannie Flagg knows how to tell a tale and do it well. Over the years, I have read just about everything she has written and she is a writer worth re-reading in my opinion. Some books have struck more of a chord than others, but all have been good. This novel is no exception. Flipping between the time periods of 2005 and World War II, there is a little bit of everything here and will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The unpublicized role of women in the war effort adds an historical fiction flare; the family secrets explored are worthy of some of the best women's fiction writers out there; and one of the over-the-top characters adds humor to what could have been a series heavy, emotional topics.

While Ms. Flagg keeps the reader entertained throughout all the pages, there is real meat to this story that can't be ignored. She manages to convey so much without the reader fully grasping at the time how much is there. Only upon further reflection do you realize how masterful she is.

I loved the book and will be recommending it to many friends with all varieties of reading tastes.