The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion

A Novel

By: Fannie Flagg

Narrated by: Fannie Flagg

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

The one and only Fannie Flagg, beloved author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café, 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 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 20th-century story, The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion is another irresistible audiobook by the remarkable Fannie Flagg.

©2013 Fannie Flagg (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“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)

“Flagg spins another charming tale of the peaks and valleys of everyday life.... 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. And neither could they match the author’s essential kindness, nor her unwavering tenderness toward and belief in humanity, despite all its foibles and foolishness. She understands, but she does so with love.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

“The kind of story that keeps readers turning pages in a fever... There are plot twists, adventure, heartbreak, and familial love in spades.” (Publishers Weekly)

A real treat!

I've never read Fannie Flagg before, but you can bet I will read them all and recommend them to anyone and everyone! I liked the historical aspect of the story and I'm admittedly saddened that the country has changed so much since WW2. Thanks for sharing the WASP's story in such an engaging and entertaining way.

Women Doing it All

I enjoyed this book because it shows us what women did during World War 2 without getting any notice.
If you are a feminist you will like this story.

Absolutely wonderful

What a wonderful audiobook and story. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I never wanted to stop listening. I highly recommend you go meet all these wonderful characters and live in their world for a while. You’ll be so glad you did.

please make this story into a movie.. so charming

I cannot say enough lovely things about this story so charming so enlightening so lovely and so will read by the author

Wrong Title and Mismatched Writing

A middle aged woman discovers that she's adopted, so instead of being related to racist Confederate snobs she's actually related to impressive Polish WASP's (female pilots) who flew for the US military in World War II. This is a story of self discovery and appreciation for white feminism, especially pertaining to World War II. There is surprising humor throughout this Southern novel, and I recommend to those interested in the history of WWII, US military pilots, female pilots, women in the armed forces, and Southern fiction.

However, there are aspects of delivery and red flags that prevent me from giving more than 3 stars. The 3 different timelines are delivered in such varying degrees of 3rd person POV, that it is quite jarring. It would've been a stronger narrative if there was more focus on the WWII timeline, with none of the previous generation and a lot less of the subsequent generation's POV.

The level of sexual harassment the Stanislaw daughters suffer during the war, both while running the filling station and while serving in the military, is staggering and there's absolutely no resolution. "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly executes these themes a lot better.

For a book about WWII history set in the Southern US, it is unsettling that there are absolutely NO POC characters or any POC groups even mentioned. Fannie Flagg has entire chapters from POC perspectives in other novels, so it's not like this author only write about white people. I was quite confused, and then unnerved, and then upset.

Additionally, as an adoptee, the adoption B plot should have been handled better. The adoptive parents are in the wrong for never telling their daughter that she's adopted. The absent father is dead, nonentity character. the overbearing mother is irredeemable. Good riddance.

Overall, the WASP's are super impressive but I advise learning about them elsewhere, in a more well written book. With a title like this, I wanted a Southern lesbian romance like Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe", but that is not this book.

Thank You Fannie!

What did you love best about The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion?

I loved the way the author wound the story of the main character's relationships with her adopted mother and her unknown family around the history of the WASPs and WWII from a woman's contribution to the war effort. YEA for our women heroes from the greatest generation.

What other book might you compare The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion to and why?

Fried Green Onions at the Whistle Stop Cafe because of the similar plot line between current time and the past. The central characters are also similar. Maybe I just appreciate Flagg's delightful middle-aged women characters as well as the southern settings.

Which scene was your favorite?

Sookie's reunion with her aunts and the WASPs and the tribute they received from Sally Ride.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved this book! It made be laugh and cry and cheer.

Getaway

Want to get away? This is lighthearted, fun and happy with a touch of history. A great escape... something much needed in these lonely, angry COVID days.

Engaging story, great audio book

I love an engaging story where I actually learn a bit about our country's history, too. Hearing Fannie Flagg read this book made all of the difference in my enjoyment of the book. It was fun, yet poignant. This will be one of our book club selections for the fall.

Fannie Flagg doesn't disappoint

Once again Ms Flagg has distinctly captured the essence of the South in her story.

Enjoyed!

This was such a great book. I remembered my mom talking about a lot of what this book described. In fact it brought back so many memories of my mom and her experiences, I couldn’t help but love this book. Thank you for hours of reminiscing ❤️