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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
The story takes place mainly in Whistle Stop, Alabama, one of the small rural towns that the railroad line passes through which lends the name to the cafe, owned by two women who share a unique bond. It takes a deal of research to create the atmosphere of the rural south during the 1920's onward as the inhabitants were separated by prejudices and the author has been effective in her writing of this work. We begin in a Nursing Home, where an elderly lady (who loves to gab and reminisce about days gone by) and a middle aged woman (who wonders what she is supposed to do next now that her family is raised and feels rather useless but compensates by eating), start a friendship that goes on for several months meeting one day a week. The women through their weekly meetings not only fill the voids missing in their lives but also offer “hope”. I really enjoyed the writing going back in forth in time, the characters created to fit into the different time periods, even the occasional news letter written by the post mistress of Whistle Stop and her husbands exploits which are very entertaining. If you've ever seen the movie by the same name, the basic story is there with minor changes, which is usual when the screenwriter's make it palatable as a visual. Highly recommend.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
THIS, my friends, is the best book that I have read in years. Undoubtedly my new favorite book, part of my love may stem from the fact that I'm a little homesick for Alabama (and good Southern cooking) myself, but I'm honestly convinced that this is just a really damn good book. While it dealt with many important and otherwise heavy topics including (but not limited to) gender, sexuality, race, privelage, poverty, and death, it did so in such a way that was an absolute joy to read. The tone of the novel is unmistakenly Southern: honey-sweet, down to earth, witty, laugh-out-loud funny, and unafraid to tell it like it is, whatever that may be.
Дуже затишна історія для відпочинку. Книга освітлює багато важливих тем, як от расизм, фемінізм, аб'юз, доброта, самопожертва, прийняття себе. Чудова книга для саморефлексії.
I enjoyed the film as a kid, but the book fell flat for me. The characters, the setting and the plots are all likeable but the way it’s written meant there was too much going on. Too many time periods, too many perspectives and the newspaper excerpts made it feel disjointed so I couldn’t get stuck into one long enough. Just the two time periods with the stories in order would have been better. I felt a bit bored.
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes