Nowhere south of the Mason-Dixon line served up better barbeque and even better love and laughter than The Whistle Stop Cafe in Whistle Stop, Alabama did in the early 20th century, and no one loves reminiscing on those good ol' days more than elderly Ninny Threadgoode. Ninny is enjoying a brief stay at the Rose Terrace Nursing Home, accompanying an old friend during her transition into assisted living. There she meets 48-year-old housewife Evelyn Couch, who, with her husband, visits her mother-in-law there each Sunday. Evelyn feels she has reached a dead end in her life and is full of sadness and rage at how things have turned out for her in her monotonous existence as a chubby housewife with no ambitions. Ninny and Evelyn begin an unexpected friendship, and through Ninny's stories of her life in Whistle Stop, Evelyn finds the courage and inspiration she needs to take hold of her life and shape it into a happier one.

Through chatty and companionable Ninny's observations and recollections of life in a rural Alabama railway stop, we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters. We meet the whole of the Threadgoode family, who Ninny grew up with and eventually married into. No one in this family shines brighter than youngest child Idgie Threadgoode, a rapscallion of a tomboy who can't say no to a good day of hunting, fishing, drinking, and slipping quiet acts of kindness all about town. The Threadgoode family boasts a reputation of being extremely generous and kindly, always taking in all sorts of stray children and creating a happy home for both Black folks and white alike. One of these stray children, beautiful and sweet-as-pie Ruth Jameson, captures the heart of nearly everyone who meets her—and especially young Idgie. The two go on to start a café with help from the family and their Black employees Sipsey, George Pullman Peavey, and his wife Onzell. This story follows a large ensemble cast and their escapades throughout the years, flipping back and forth between the past Ninny is remembering and the present in which she is sharing her memories with Evelyn, and does so with boundless amounts of heart.

I just fell head over heels for this book! It reads like a big heaping plate of Southern comfort food. I looked forward to listening to the charming narration by Lorna Raver at every turn in my day. She really brought this book to life for me! I haven't seen this movie before but it is well-loved by many of the women in my life and I just can't wait after reading the book.

While dated in the year 2022, this book was remarkable given the time! I loved the portrayal of Idgie and Ruth's relationship and the acceptance with no questioning by the people of Whistle Stop. This small town has one another's backs. I was absolutely cackling when Evelyn destroyed the car of those two snotty girls in the grocery store parking lot. You say Wakanda forever? I say Towanda forever.

While I do wish there was less focus on Evelyn's relationship with weight, it was the '80s, and there was nothing more worth obsessing over in that time. Evelyn is a quintessential example of the type of middle class American housewife that Betty Friedan captures in The Feminine Mystique—bored, frustrated, and above all, held back by her own intrinsic beliefs about the world’s expectations of her and her role within it. I did still really appreciate her reclaiming of her life; it may not seem like much now, but at this time, she had to do a lot of work to undo the anti-feminist thinking and lifestyle that was ingrained in her and many like her at the time. Her friendship with Ninny was precious and changed her life in so many heartwarming ways. I also thought the handling of race in this story, especially given the setting, was lovely. The Black characters didn't just serve to be stereotypes. They were just as integrated and important to the narrative as any of the white characters, and luckily, just as loved. They capture the hearts of their audience, but that doesn’t mean the racism around them was dismissed by this author. She did a good job of addressing the experience of these characters realistically, including the prejudices they faced and those consequences. It also made me appreciate characters like Idgie and Ruth that much more. Nothing better than Railroad Bill—if you know, you know.

These vivid characters and this Southern fried setting will stick with me for a really long time. This was a wonderful, very comforting book. I can't recommend it enough!