Standing in the Rainbow

Rating:
Summary: Flagg Delivers A Masterpiece on Small Town America
Review: Fannie Flagg creates the warm, wholesome characters she is famous for and plops them down in the center of the US-- Elmwood Springs, Missouri, to be exact--- for a nostalgic look back at what life was like in the 1940s and into the 90's.

If you are a baby-boomer and remember The Arthur Godfrey Show, the Ink Spots, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Wildroot Cream oil, wearing a shiny dime in your penny loafers and more, you'll fall in love with Flagg's charming characters who populate this small town.

At the heart of the story is the family of Neighbor Dorothy, the homemaker cum radio personality we first met in WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BABY GIRL. This book more fully explores Neighbor Dorothy's family life as well as the people she connects with and the influence she wields throughout the state. The reader sees the world through the eyes of her son Bobby who longs for no greater honor than to become the Bubble Gum King of 1949 yet grows into a remarkable war hero and family man. Along with her daughter Anna Lee, her husband Doc who is the town pharmacist, and her mother-in-law we see a picture of a family that is not only idyllic but realistic in their affections, problems, and experiences.

Delightful in all respects, this book takes you through the Korean War, the anti-war movement of the 60's, the political travails of country bumpkins who long for the national stage, the liberation of women, and other important factual events that colored the lives of the American people. Real people mix with fictional in a story that is engrossing, satisfying, and hard to leave behind. You'll treasure your time with Neighbor Dorothy from her first broadcast to her final sign-off and be glad to be a part of the lives of people who remember buying a Christmas dress for $1.50, being mesmerized by the department store window at Christmas, and thrilling to the sight of a new neon sign lighting up the main street.

Rating:
Summary: The return of Neighbor Dorothy
Review: Fannie Flagg returns with a sequel to "Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!" Neighbor Dorothy is back in her kitchen with her folksy radio program, accompanied by her organ-playing mother-in-law, Mother Smith. This book spans 50 years in the small town of Elmwood Springs, Misssouri, and follows such wonderful characters as Tot Whooten, Hamm Sparks, and the Oatman Family Gospel Singers. The book is reminiscent of "The Prairie Home Companion" and Flagg spins her tales in a never-take-a-breath style which evokes equal shares of laughter and tears in her readers. Her stories and characters are unforgettable and Flagg recounts a wonderful era during the 40's and 50's when neighbors were neighborly, people were honest, and patriotism was a quality to be admired. This is a wonderful book, which will bring back warm memories to those of us who lived in that era, and will show those who didn't what they missed!

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Summary: Standing in the Rainbow~
Review: If you love southern fiction, and the slow-paced lifestyle of sipping iced-tea on the front porch and chatting it up with the neighbors, you'll love Fannie Flagg's latest novel, Standing in the Rainbow.

Fans of Flagg's earlier novel, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl, will be delighted to see that Flagg has returned to beloved Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where we get a glimpse back in time to some lightly touched upon characters in Welcome to the World.

Standing in the Rainbow takes us through the decades, from the 1930's to present day, through the eyes of the residents of Elmwood Springs. The highlight, is Dorothy Smith & family. Known as Neighbor Dorothy, for her daily broadcast radio show, Neighbor Dorothy's show provides recipes, town news, live singing, and a slew of entertainment, live from her home from 9:30-10am every day. As you move through each decade you will get to know Neighbor Dorothy, her husband Doc, children Bobby and Anna Lee, and some of the local townsfolk..Norma & Macky, Aunt Elner, Betty Raye, Tot Whooten. You'll feel like a resident of Elmwood Springs yourself, and delight in the quircky, but lovable characters. As always, Flagg delivers an entertaining story, with a great message. As time progresses, and the sense of loss of the "good old days" seems eminent, we realize that life is a cycle and that at this very moment, somewhere, someone out there is creating those "good old days" for a little young one~

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Summary: A wonderful tribute to midwesterners past and present
Review: Just as John Irving excels at portraits of quirky New Englanders, Fannie Flagg has cornered the market on zany midwestern folks. Resurrecting the lovable, laughable characters from her previous novel WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BABY GIRL, Flagg's latest effort STANDING IN THE RAINBOW is combination comic genius and tribute to the past.

The town itself --- Elmwood Springs, Missouri --- is the leading character here, but it's the supporting roles that drive the story. From 1946 to 2000, the town is the quaint setting for the everyday life of radio personality Neighbor Dorothy Smith and her family.

There's Mother Smith, whose organ music accompanies all of Dorothy's shows; her husband Doc, the town pharmacist, who knows all about what ails the residents of Elmwood Springs; teenager Anna, hormones-a-raging and embarrassment prone; and delightful Bobby, whose antics are fodder for his mother's show. The Smith family IS heartland America ---- they are Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to Beaver, and Father Knows Best all rolled up into one.

Beautician Tot Whooten, whose dubious skills are legendary, introduces the book and recommends "it without any qualms whatsoever." She's not heard from much as the story evolves, but her moments on the page are memorable for both their humor and their universal elements of tragedy. Betty Raye is the singer who could not sing. Hamm Sparks, loved by two women, is a charmer and a born politician. Norma and Mackey Warren, town staples, care for their 98-year-old aunt. Flagg's characters are all-too-human: rich, warm, funny, everyday folk. Often the characters appear too briefly, and we want to hear more about them, but I'm grateful for the brief introduction we did get.

But back to the leading character --- the town. It's evolution is something to watch. Post World War II, it is a spot on the map full of optimism and hope, a town reminiscent of all the small towns in America that boasted a rocking chair by a fireplace in every home. Everyday drama --- like who won the pie contest at the local fair or who got a new dog --- was the big news in the beauty salons and pharmacies across the country. People were settling back into the comfort they'd known before the war, despite the horrific losses suffered by many a family, and they were focusing on the good at hand, the small things to be grateful for, the matters of personal (not national) import.

In Rainbow, the town changes, at pace with sister hamlets, and yet something of its charm always remains. As an example, in the '70s, Neighbor Dorothy's show is still on the air featuring bits such as "The Superior Way to Crack Hickory Nuts," while other stations are "blaring rock and roll." Strip malls and uber-stores impose upon the town, but never truly overtake it.

As Flagg shows us a changing (and often threatening) America, she reminds us that those elements of an earlier life that were the backbone of existence remain so --- love and family.

The friendly beautician whose letter of introduction endorses Rainbow at the outset of the book writes, "I like a book with a beginning, a middle and an end, and hopefully a plot and a few laughs in between." Simple demands for a simple town. And Flagg delivers on all counts, and then some.

--- Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara

Rating:
Summary: I WOULD stand in this rainbow anytime
Review: Once again Fannie Flagg has written a book impossible to put down. Each and every page is filled with characters you know or knew. I must admit that I am not much of a fiction reader with the exception of Flagg and a few others. This is a must read for fans of Flagg and non-fans alike. I would be reading this at work and laughing so hard that tears would be flowing and then of course my co-workers would want to know what I was laughing about. There were the teary-eyed parts as well. I certainly hope Hollywood comes knocking and makes this one into a movie. While Fried Green Tomatoes was a much better book than a movie, it was still enjoyable and worth while and this would be so much fun to cast. If you're listening Hollywood, I have some people in mind. Well worth the time spent reading as all her books are. I just read "Daisy Faye" after my daughter begged me for years and now I have "Welcome to the World Baby Girl" waiting. I cannot wait to see what Fannie has in store next for us. Thanks for such alive characters and plots.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous read!
Review: Once again, Fannie Flagg has delivered a host of characters so real that you feel as though you should pour yourself a cup of tea, pull up a chair and share a recipe with Neighbor Dorothy. Although I found the end of the book less appealing than the beginning, I still marvel at Flagg's writing and her ability to make her characters just jump off the page. Reminds me of the Dorsetville series by Katherine Valentine.

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Summary: Heartwarming, Witty, and Captivating.....
Review: The year, 1946; the place, Elmwood Springs, Missouri. Life is good and filled with unlimited opportunities and promise, the future never seemed brighter, and spirits are lifted daily, by the "lady with the smile in her voice," radio homemaker, Neighbor Dorothy Smith, as she passes along recipes, friendly advice, local news, and a little entertainment, each morning, from her living room on station WDOT. Meet the Smith family, their friends, neighbors, and acquaintances, and revel in the joys of small town life, as Fannie Flagg takes the reader on an amazing fifty year odyssey, rich in insight, wisdom, humor, and truth. This is storytelling at its very best, filled with interesting twists and surprises, vivid scenes, engaging writing, and clever dialogue. But it's Ms Flagg's brilliant characterizations that make this book stand out and sparkle. These are complex and endearing, real people, warts and all, not cliched, cartoon characters, and Ms Flagg is able to breathe life into each and every one of them. Standing In The Rainbow is an intriguing and captivating story, sometimes poignant, often uplifting, but always touching and heartwarming; a story that captures the imagination as it pulls you in, and introduces a whole new generation to the simple wonders of living in a small town. You'll laugh, you'll cry, but mostly you'll remember what it was like to walk with your family down a decorated Main Street at Christmas to buy your tree at the town lot for $1.50, sit on a stool and have a sundae at the drug store soda fountain, watch a whole afternoon of movies, every Saturday, for a nickle, and listen to the voice of a friendly "neighbor" each day on the radio. And there was never a doubt that "something wonderful was always just about to happen..."