REVIEW - FRIED GREEN TOMATOES AT THE WHISTLE STOP CAFE - FANNIE FLAGG

This book is for 2 of my reading challenges.
Spice of Life Challenge
Fall into Reading 2009 Challenge

"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg
(from inside flap)
She's one of America's fairest and funniest ladies. Actress and screenwriter, director and comedienne, Fannie Flagg is also a most accomplished and high-spirited author. Said Kirkus of her first book, Coming Attractions: "It's subtitled 'A wonderful novel' and that's exactly what it is." Here is her second. Get ready, because it's going to make you laugh(a lot), cry(a little), and care(forever).
What is it? It's first the story of two women in the 1980's, of gray-headed Mrs. Threadgoode telling her life story to Evelyn, who is in the sad slump of middle age. The tale she tells is also of two women--of the irrepressibly dare devilish tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth--who back in the thirties ran a little place in Whistle Stop, Alabama, a Southern kind of Cafe Wobegon offering good barbecue and good coffee and all kinds of love and laughter, even an occasional murder.
And as the past unfolds, the present--for Evelyn and for us--will never quite be the same.
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is folksy and fresh, endearing and affecting, with humor and drama--and with an ending that would fill with smiling tears the Whistle Stop Lake....if only they had a lake.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a very good book. It has everything you could possibly want in a book. Some love, Family, and a murder mystery that no one knows who done it and no one is admitting it. This all starts when Evelyn goes to the nursing home with her husband to visit her mother-in-law. Evelyn wonders down to the candy machines and Mrs. Threadgood is there. She starts telling Evelyn her life story. Just chatters on and on. It is 1986 and Mrs. Threadgoode, who is 86 years old, takes you back to the 1920's with her story of how she wound up living with the Threadgoode's and eventually marrying one of the boys. How Idgie and Ruth became such good friends and raise a child. Sipsey is the cook at the cafe and Big John does all the barbecuing. The story goes up to the 1960's. When you get to the end of the book there are all the recipes of the food that is mentioned in the book that was served at The Whistle Stop Cafe. This is my favorite one.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

1 medium green tomato(per person)
salt
pepper
white cornmeal
bacon drippings

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick, season with salt and peper and then coat both sides with cornmeal. In a large skillet, heat enough bacon drippings to coat the bottom of the pan and fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides.

You'll think you died and gone to heaven!

MY RATING: 5