The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
Publisher: Random House Publishers
Genre: Historical, Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by NymphaeaMrs. 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.
She wants to know who she is…after getting a strange envelope for her mother!
First off, I read Fannie Flagg for comfort. She’s comfort food in book form. No matter how goofed-up your life might be, her characters are zany enough to make you forget and just enjoy. The characters in this book are no different.
Sookie comes from a small town where everyone knows everyone. Her mother is a grand dame of the town and full of herself. It’s a slice of small-town life that’s normal and relatable. Her world is thrown into upheaval when she finds out she’s adopted. Again, very relatable.
I liked how the author handled the women pilots during the second world war. They were human and relatable, too, despite being fancy pilots who weren’t getting a lot of recognition for their help in the war effort. I have to admit this part of the story could’ve been handled with a more in-depth touch, but that’s okay. For a cursory lesson in women pilots during the war, it works.
I have to admit there were times when I wasn’t a fan of Sookie. She spent a lot of time wallowing. But then again, I didn’t always like Fritzi, either. They made decisions I might not have, but I wasn’t in their position. I did laugh at times–the war with the blue jays–and cried a little too. I won’t disclose where, you’ll have to read it to find out. But it was worth the read.
Good for an afternoon, this book is comfort food. If you want a simple, easy read, then pick it up.
