The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg 5 Stars

The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What makes Fannie Flagg's writing so enjoyable? There is a bit of a formula, or style, which can be seen in each of her stories. All are set in the South of the US, they are populated with quirky characters, and the writing includes laugh-out-loud funny lines. But, as you read along, you suddenly realize the quirky characters have become three-dimensional, fully formed human beings. You find you have become attached to them and care about the outcome of their interesting and sometimes unusual situations.

Such is true of The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. Set in Alabama, it is the story of "Sookie" (Sarah Jane) Poole, a woman approaching her sixties who believes life can finally settle down for her and her husband, Earle, after a rash of weddings for her three daughters. But, of course, she is wrong.

Sookie's life has been dominated by her mother Lenore Simmons Krackenberry, who is a larger than life woman on center stage everywhere she appears. Lenore, otherwise known as Winged-Victory by Sookie and her brother Buck, is a large woman who sweeps into a room with her silver hair styled with wings, her scarves flowing, and her personality overwhelming. She is in control of everything, adamantly opinionated, and very proud of her Simmons family background. Lenore conquers all and is beloved by all she meets, but is a royal pain to her family. However, she is in her lates 80's and requires some monitoring and care, yet refuses to set foot in a senior facility. This leaves Sookie to keep an eye on her and to handle most of her affairs.

All of her life Sookie has been pushed by her mother to be a credit to the Simmons name. Although married to a dentist, her mother has always found fault with her and the choices she has made. And, though loved by many, Sookie has always felt as if she never has gotten her mother's approval and has let down the Simmons name.

In her capacity as caretaker of Lenore's life, Sookie receives a registered letter containing documents recently located and sent to Lenore. These include information which is earth-shattering in nature to Sookie - she is not, and never has been of the Simmons family, as she is adopted. The fact that Sookie's real mother is of Polish descent and is originally from Pulaski, Wisconsin, and is a pilot, shocks Sookie and makes her feel that she does not know who she is. Having her birth certificate indicate her original name was Ginger, and her father unknown, simply adds to the incredible shock.

Our story is told from Sookie's perspective in present day Alabama as she wrestles with this new information, but it is also the story of her birth family, the Jurdabralinskis. We go back in time to the 1940's as we learn about the 4 sisters and a brother who learned to fly and flew in the service of their country during World War II. In addition, we see how the sisters were required to handle their father's filling station when the son and other male family members went to war and father became ill. The sisters became well-known throughout the area for their All-Girl Filling Station with the fastest service, and the best mechanics. The star of the family, the eldest girl and the first to fly was Fritzi, the woman identified as Sookie's birth mother on her adoption papers.

Flagg presents us with the humorous goings on of both families, during both eras. But, we get caught up in the love within the families and the escapades of Lenore and Fritzi Jurdabralinski. In addition, we are given a history lesson about the wonderful women who were the first female pilots, and how many of them served their country in the WASP unit during World War II.

Throughout The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion, we follow Sookie as she learns more and more about her birth family, and learns who she is today, and how much she appreciates the love of both families. By the end of the book, all characters have been fully revealed and we see the depth of their loves, sacrifices, and losses. Fannie Flagg has once again filled a family with warmth and depth and helped us to understand them, as well as ourselves. This is truly her gift as an author and her gift to us as readers.






View all my reviews