Welcome to the World, Baby Girl

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Summary: Best Book I've Read in a Long Time
Review: Fannie Flagg's newest look at small town Americana is like a cool, refreshing drink of water. From my experience of growing up in the South of the 1950's, I can assure you that the characters of Norma, Aunt Edna and all the rest are authentically portrayed - as a matter of fact, they were my aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. I think each of us can benefit from this first-rate trip to the past, while jumping to present times for comparison. It also forces the reader to stop and think about his or her own hidden prejudices and to purge them once and for all.

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Summary: A Pleasure From Beginning to End
Review: Fannie Flagg has become one of my favorite authors, and her newest novel is at the top of my list. I found myself wishing that Aunt Elner had been my aunt and that I had grown up in Elmwood Springs listening to the Neighbor Dorothy radio program. Dena's journey from her artificial existence as a celebrity to her love-filled, small-town life as a woman with a past, a present, and a future was a joy to read.

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Summary: This book had the substance of cotton candy.
Review: Be warned that this book may be pretty and sweet, but contains little nourishment for the mind or soul. It reads like a shallow blockbuster and is entertaining, but left me feeling like I wasted my time on fluff.

Rating:
Summary: A riveting novel on many different levels
Review: Historically entertaining, suspenseful and humorous. Baby Girl is such a 90's sort of creature: all too tied up in her own little world and at the same time clawing to find a better life, ironically, by seeking her past. Excess leads to minimalism and love... Read it. You'll be glad you did.

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Summary: Loose threads of color woven into a beautiful tapastry!
Review: Fannie Flagg has once again taken "characters" of both humor and mystery, blending together a story that keeps your interest till the end. This story makes you think about your own heritage and requires you to focus on what is important..family and good friends. As Dena tries to forget the people that matter the most, she is drawn back to them. I especially loved Sukie and how protective she was of her friend. The line about "coming across the Mason-Dixon line" was priceless. Norma and Aunt Elner were straight from small town families. Aunt Elner's prayer was exactly the kind of love that women feel for each other in strong families. Hey Fannie, don't wait so long next time.

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Summary: refreshing in an era of scandal tv
Review: Although the jumping back and forth through time between chapters can get confusing early on, once the reader gets a grasp on the basic series of events, that's no longer troublesome. I found "baby girl" to be suprisingly deep in the respect that it delves into the difficult identity struggle of the mixed race individuals during WWII.

Rating:
Summary: Good Readin'
Review: Loved the characters and Fannie Flagg does such a great job in letting us get to know these people throughout the book. I wanted to read more about them after the book was over!

Rating:
Summary: Nowhere Near as Good as Fried Green Tomatoes...
Review: I bought this book sight unseen because I loved Fried Green Tomatoes so much. But let me tell you, was I disappointed! Flagg is a great author, but this book makes so sense. I spent almost the entire time trying to figure out how all the characters in the book fit together, and did not find out till the last few chapters. The last few chapters were the best part of the book, and if the rest of the novel had been done with the same idea, then this would have been an awesome book to compare with Fried Green Tomatoes. I think maybe Flagg spent too much time between novels and forgot that magic stuff that she used when she wrote Fried Green Tomatoes. I know she has it in her, so let's hope she does not wait as long till the next novel!

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Summary: would've been, could've been, should've been.......
Review: Fannie Flagg laid the groundwork for a wonderful story then (it seems) let someone else write the ending. I love her style of writing, weaving back and forth in time, but the "big secret" was nothing but a disappointment. There were also a few discrepancies (did anyone else notice that on page xxiii Norma's mother is named Ida but on page 233 she says her mother's name was Zela?), and whoever told Ms. Flagg that Missouri is in the South???? This story should have been set in Mississippi or Alabama, the true, deep South!

Rating:
Summary: Dear Ms. Flagg, Please don't stop writing!
Review: Very enjoyable. From the silly, but genuine small-town characters, to the unscrupulous, big-city, big-business bosses, this story shows that we can slow down and discover ourselves, and what is really important.